This is a list of ancient
Indo-Aryan peoples
Indo-Aryan peoples are a diverse collection of peoples predominantly found in South Asia, who (traditionally) speak Indo-Aryan languages. Historically, Aryans were the Indo-Iranian speaking pastoralists who migrated from Central Asia int ...
and tribes that are mentioned in the literature of
Indian religions
Indian religions, sometimes also termed Dharmic religions or Indic religions, are the religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent. These religions, which include Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism,Adams, C. J."Classification o ...
.
From the second or first millennium BCE,
ancient Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes turned into most of the population in the northern part of the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
–
Indus Valley (roughly today's
Pakistani Punjab and
Sindh
Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
),
Western India
Western India is a loosely defined region of India consisting of western states of India, Republic of India. The Ministry of Home Affairs (India), Ministry of Home Affairs in its Western Zonal Council Administrative divisions of India, Adminis ...
,
Northern India
North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ...
,
Central India
Central India refers to a geographical region of India that generally includes the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
The Central Zonal Council, established by the Government of India, includes these states as well as Uttar Prades ...
,
Eastern India and also in areas of the southern part like
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
and the
Maldives
The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...
through and after a complex process of migration, assimilation of other peoples and language shift.
Ancestors

*
Proto-Indo-Iranians (common ancestors of the
Iranian
Iranian () may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Iran
** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran
** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia
** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...
,
Nuristani and
Indo-Aryan peoples) (
Proto-Indo-Iranian speakers)
**
Proto-Indo-Aryans (
Proto-Indo-Aryan speakers)
Vedic tribes
* Alina people (RV 7.18.7)
* Anu (RV 1.108.8, RV 8.10.5)
* Āyu
* Bhageratha
* Bhalanas
*
Bharatas- The Bharatas are a major Aryan clan, especially in Mandala 3 attributed to the Bharata sage
Vishvamitra. The entire Bharata clan is described as crossing over, with their chariots and wagons, at the confluence of the Vipash (
Beas River) and Shutudri (
Satlej). The Bharatas are mentioned as the protagonists in the
Battle of the Ten Kings in Mandala 7 (7.18 etc.), where they are on the winning side. They appear to have been successful in the early power-struggles between the various Aryan and non-Aryan clans so that they continue to dominate in post-Rigvedic texts, and later in the (Epic) tradition. "Bhārata" today is the official name of the
Republic of India (see also
Etymology of India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area; the most populous country since 2023; and, since its independence in 1947, the world's most populous democracy. Bounded by ...
).
*
Chedi
*
Dasa
DASA (officially Deutsche AeroSpace AG, later Daimler-Benz AeroSpace AG, then DaimlerChrysler AeroSpace AG) was a German aerospace manufacturer.
It was created during 1989 as the aerospace subsidiary arm of Daimler-Benz, Daimler-Benz AG (later D ...
* Dasyu
* Dṛbhīka
* Druhyus (Rigveda, RV 1.108.8, RV 8.10.5)
*
Gandhara
Gandhara () was an ancient Indo-Aryan people, Indo-Aryan civilization in present-day northwest Pakistan and northeast Afghanistan. The core of the region of Gandhara was the Peshawar valley, Peshawar (Pushkalawati) and Swat valleys extending ...
* Guṅgu
*
Ikshvaku dynasty
* Krivi
* Kīkaṭa
*
Kuru
* Mahīna
* Malankhara
* Maujavant
*
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
* Nahuṣa
*
Pakhta
* Panis
* Pārāvata
* Parsu (Parśu)
*
Puru (Pūru)
* Ruśama (RV Mandala 8)
*
Sārasvata
* Srñjaya
* Tritsu (RV 7.18, 7.33, 7.83)
*
Yadu: Of Indo-Aryan origin,Yadu is one of the five early
Rigvedic tribes
This is a list of ancient Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes that are mentioned in the literature of Indian religions.
From the second or first millennium BCE, Indo-Aryan migrations, ancient Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes turned into most of the p ...
(''
panchajana'', ''panchakrishtya'' or ''panchamanusha'') mentioned in the
Rigveda
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...
. The Yadus had a tribal union with the
Turvasha tribe, and were frequently described together. The Yadus were a Aryan tribe. By the time of the arrival of the
Puru and
Bharata tribes, the Yadu-Turvashas were settled in
Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
, with the Yadus possibly residing along the
Yamuna River
The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in List of major rivers of India, India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...
.In Mandalas 4 and 5 of the Rigveda, the god
Indra
Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes
Indra is the m ...
is stated to have saved the Yadu-Turvashas from drowning when they crossed rivers. In Mandala 6, the Yadu-Turvashas are stated to have been "brought from far away" by
Indra
Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes
Indra is the m ...
. The Yadu-Turvashas are treated relatively positively in Mandalas 5, 6, and 8, and are stated to be the occasional allies and enemies of the Puru-Bharatas. In the
Battle of the Ten Kings, the Yadus were defeated by Bharata chieftain
Sudas.
Pancha Jana (Five tribes)
(पञ्च जना – ''
Páñca Jánāḥ'' / ''
Pancha-janah'') The pancha Jana are five tribes inexplicitly listed together during the (
Āryāvarta of this time, c. 1700–1500 BCE, roughly corresponds with the
Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
and closer regions) (see the map of Early
Vedic Period
The Vedic period, or the Vedic age (), is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas (–900 BCE), was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, between the e ...
)
*
Anu (in the southwest part of early
Āryāvarta)
*
Druhyu (in the north part of early
Āryāvarta)
*
Puru (ancestors of the
Paurava) (in the centre and east parts of early
Āryāvarta, including
Sarasvati river region)
*
Turvaśa (Turvasha) (in the centre and south parts of early
Āryāvarta): The Turvashas (, ) were one of the five major peoples (''panchajana'', ''panchakrishtya'' or ''panchamanusha'') mentioned in the
Rigveda
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...
.
The Turvashas had a tribal union with the
Yadu tribe, and were frequently described together. The Turvashas were a partly Indo-Aryan-acculturated Indus tribe. By the time of the arrival of the
Puru and
Bharata tribes, the Yadu-Turvashas were settled in
Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
. By the time of the
Shatapatha Brahmana (7th-6th centuries BCE),
the Turvashas are linked to the
Panchalas. Alfred Ludvig first conjectured that Turvīti and Vayya could have been connected with the Turvasha tribe, a notion that is still considered only speculation according to
Witzel. In Mandalas 4 and 5 of the Rigveda, the god
Indra
Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes
Indra is the m ...
is stated to have saved the Yadu-Turvashas from drowning when they crossed rivers. In Mandala 6, the Yadu-Turvashas are stated to have been "brought from far away" by
Indra
Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes
Indra is the m ...
. The Yadu-Turvashas are treated relatively positively in Mandalas 5, 6, and 8, and are stated to be the occasional allies and enemies of the Puru-Bharatas.
*
Yadu (in the southeast and south parts of early
Āryāvarta)
Early Janapadas (c. 1700–1100 BCE)
After roughly 1700 BCE
Indo-Aryan peoples
Indo-Aryan peoples are a diverse collection of peoples predominantly found in South Asia, who (traditionally) speak Indo-Aryan languages. Historically, Aryans were the Indo-Iranian speaking pastoralists who migrated from Central Asia int ...
and tribes were swiftly expanding through ancient northern
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, therefore the number of peoples, tribes and clans was increasing (as well as the number of
Indo-Aryan language speakers) and
Āryāvarta was becoming a very large area (see the map on the right side).
*Aja – (Madhya-desha
Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Ambaśṭha – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Aṅga – Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern Āryāvarta (Madhya-desha and Prachya Āryāvarta – Central and Eastern
Āryāvarta in Vamana).
*Anu – is a
Vedic Sanskrit
Vedic Sanskrit, also simply referred as the Vedic language, is the most ancient known precursor to Sanskrit, a language in the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan subgroup of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. It is atteste ...
term for one of the 5 major tribes in the
Rigveda
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...
,
RV 1.108.8,
RV 8.10.5 (both times listed together with the
Druhyu) and, much later also in the
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
.
In the late Vedic period, one of the Anu kings, King Anga, is mentioned as a "
chakravartin" (
AB 8.22). ''Ānava'', the
vrddhi derivation of ''Anu'', is the name of a ruler in the Rigvedic account of the
Battle of the Ten Kings (7.18.13) and at 8.4.1 with the Turvaśa (tribe). The meaning ánu "living, human" (Naighantu) cannot be substantiated for the Rigveda and may have been derived from the tribal name. (Pratichya Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Āyu
*Bhajeratha
*Bhalana – The Bhalanas were one of the tribes that fought against
Sudas in the
Dasarajna battle. Some scholars have argued that the Bhalanas lived in South Central and Western
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
, and that the
Bolan Pass, around which live the
Brahui people, are the
Bhalana people and abode.
(Pratichya Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Bharadvāja – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*
Bhrigus
*Bheda – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Bodha – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Druhyu – The Druhyu were a people of Vedic India. They are mentioned in the Rigveda, usually together with the Anu tribe. Some early scholars have placed them in the northwestern region. The later texts, the Epic and the Puranas, locate them in the "north", that is, in Gandhara, Aratta and Setu. (Vishnu Purana IV.17) The Druhyus were driven out of the land of the seven rivers, and their next king, Gandhara, settled in a north-western region which became known as
Gandhāra. The sons of the later Druhyu king Pracetas too settle in the "northern" (udīcya) region (Bhagavata 9.23.15–16; Visnu 4.17.5; Vayu 99.11–12; Brahmanda 3.74.11–12 and Matsya 48.9.). The word Druid (Gallic Celtic druides), is partially derived from Proto-Indo-European ''vid'' "to see, to know' It has also been alleged that the Rg Veda and the Puranas describe this tribe as migrating North.
However, there is nothing of this in the Rigveda and the Puranas merely mention that the Druhyu are "adjacent (āśrita) to the North". (Pratichya Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Gandharis (Pratichya Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
#
# (Pratichya Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Kārūṣa (Karusha) – later Cedi (Chedi) (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Keśin (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Kīkaṭa (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Kosala (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Krivi (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Kunti (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*
Madra (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
**Uttara Madra (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Magadha (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Mahāvṛṣa (Mahavrisha) (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Mahīna
*Malankhara
*
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
(Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Mūjavana / Maujavant (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Nahuṣa
*Pāñcala (
Panchala) (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Pārāvata (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Pṛthu (
Prithu) (Pratichya Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*
Pūru (Puru) (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
**
Bharatas – The Bharatas are an
Aryan tribe mentioned in the
Rigveda
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...
, especially in
Mandala 3 attributed to the Bharata sage
Vishvamitra and in and
Mandala 7. ''Bharatá'' is also used as a name of
Agni
Agni ( ) is the Deva (Hinduism), Hindu god of fire. As the Guardians of the directions#Aṣṭa-Dikpāla ("Guardians of Eight Directions"), guardian deity of the southeast direction, he is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu temples. ...
(literally, "to be maintained", viz. the fire having to be kept alive by the care of men), and as a name of
Rudra in
RV 2.36.8. In one of the "
river hymns"
RV 3.33, the entire Bharata tribe is described as crossing over, with their chariots and wagons, at the confluence of the Vipash (Beas) and Shutudri (Satlej). Hymns by Vasistha in
Mandala 7 (7.18 etc.) mention the Bharatas as the protagonists in the
Battle of the Ten Kings, where they are on the winning side. They appear to have been successful in the early power-struggles between the various
Aryan and
non-Aryan tribes so that they continue to dominate in post-Rigvedic texts, and later in the (
Epic) tradition, the
Mahābhārata, the eponymous ancestor becomes
Emperor Bharata, conqueror of 'all of India', and his tribe and kingdom is called Bhārata. "Bhārata" today is the official name of the
Republic of India (see also
Etymology of India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area; the most populous country since 2023; and, since its independence in 1947, the world's most populous democracy. Bounded by ...
). (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
***
Kuru – Ancestors of the
Kaurava (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
****
Uttara Kuru (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
***
Pandu – Ancestors of the
Pandava
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabhara ...
(Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
**Tṛtsu (Tritsu) The Tritsus are a sub-group of the
Puru who are distinct from the
Bharatas mentioned in
Mandala 7 of the
Rigveda
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...
(in hymns 18, 33 and 83). Under king
Sudas they defeated the confederation of ten kings led by the Bharatas at the
Battle of the Ten Kings. (Madhya-desha
Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Ruśama (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Śālva (Shalva) (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*
Sārasvata – people that dwelt the banks of the
Sarasvati river (Pratichya Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Satvanta (Dakshina Āryāvarta – Southern
Āryāvarta)
*Śigru (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Śiva (Shiva, not to be confused with the God
Śiva or
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
) (Pratichya Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Srñjaya (Srinjaya) (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Śvikna (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Turvaśa (Turvasa)
*Uśīnara (Ushinara) (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Vaikarṇa (Vaikarna) (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Vaṅga (Vanga) (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Varaśikha (Varashikha) (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Vaśa (Vasha) (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Vidarbha (
Vidarbha, Dakshina Āryāvarta – Southern
Āryāvarta)
*
Videha (
Mithila
Mithila may refer to:
Places
* Mithilā, a synonym for the ancient Videha state
** Mithilā (ancient city), the ancient capital city of Videha
* Mithila (region), a cultural region (historical and contemporary), now divided between India and Nepa ...
, Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Viśaṇin (Vishanin) (Pratichya Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Vṛcivanta (Vrichivanta) (Pratichya Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Yadu (Dakshina Āryāvarta – Southern
Āryāvarta)
*Yakṣu (Yakshu) (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
Late Janapadas (c. 1100–500 BCE)
From roughly 1100 to 500 BCE
Indo-Aryan peoples
Indo-Aryan peoples are a diverse collection of peoples predominantly found in South Asia, who (traditionally) speak Indo-Aryan languages. Historically, Aryans were the Indo-Iranian speaking pastoralists who migrated from Central Asia int ...
and tribes expanded even further throughout ancient northern
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
(see the map 6).
*Abhīṣaha (Abhishaha) / Apanga (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
'') / Aupadha (''
Markandeya'') / Alasa (''
Vamana'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Āhuka / Kuhaka (''
Markandeya'') / Kuhuka (''
Vamana'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Alimadra / Anibhadra (''
Markandeya'') / Alibhadra (''
Vamana'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*
Aṅga – (Madhya-desha and Prachya Āryāvarta – Central and Eastern
Āryāvarta in ''
Vamana'')
*Āntaranarmada / Uttaranarmada (''
Markandeya''), Sunarmada (''
Vamana'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Antargiri – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Anūpa / Arūpa (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Annaja (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
'') – (Vindhya-prashtha Āryāvarta – Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
*Aparānta / Purandhra (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Aparīta (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Arthapa / Atharva (''
Markandeya'') – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Aśvakūṭa – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Ātreya / Atri (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
'', ''
Brahmanda'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*
Audumbara /
Audambara /
Audumvara – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Auṇḍra – (Vindhya-prashtha Āryāvarta – Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
*Bahirgiri – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Bhadra – (Prachya and Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Eastern and Central
Āryāvarta)
*Bhadrakāra – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Bharadvāja – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Bhārgava – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*
Bharukaccha / Bhanukaccha (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Bhīrukahcha (''
Markandeya''), Dārukachchha (''
Vamana''), Sahakaccha (''
Brahmanda'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*
Bhogavardhana /
Bhokardan (Dakshinapatha Āryāvarta – Southern
Āryāvarta)
*Bhūṣika (Bhushika) – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Bodha / Bāhya (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
'') – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Brahmottara / Suhmottara (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Samantara (''
Brahmanda'') – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Carmakhaṇḍika (Charmakhandika) / Attakhaṇḍika (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Sakheṭaka (''
Vamana'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*
Darada – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern ''
Āryāvarta'')
*Darva – (Himalayan and Northern in ''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
'' and ''
Markandeya'', Parvata-shrayin and Udichya Āryāvarta – Himalayan
Āryāvarta)
*Daśeraka (Dasheraka) / Karseruka (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Kuśeruka (''
Markandeya'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Daśamālika (Dashamalika) / Daśanāmaka (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Daśamānika (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Daṅśana (''
Vamana'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*
Daśarṇa (
Dasharna) (Vindhya-prashtha Āryāvarta – Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
*
Druhyu / Hrada (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Bhadra (''
Brahmanda'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Durga / Durgala (''
Brahmanda'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Ganaka – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*
Gāndhāra /
Gandharians (''
Vaēkərəta'' in
Avestan
Avestan ( ) is the liturgical language of Zoroastrianism. It belongs to the Iranian languages, Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family and was First language, originally spoken during the Avestan period, Old ...
) – the people who lived in
Gāndhāra and spoke
Gandhari (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Gonarda / Govinda (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Gomanta (''
Markandeya''), Mananda (''
Vamana'') – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Haṃsamārga / Sarvaga (Himalayan) in ''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''; Haṃsamārga (Northern and Himalayan) in ''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
'' and ''
Markandeya''; Karnamārga (Northern) and Haṃsamārga (Himalayan) in ''
Vamana''; Haṃsamārga (Himalayan) Haṃsabhaṅga (Northern) in ''
Brahmanda'' – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta; Parvata-shrayin Āryāvarta – Himalayan
Āryāvarta)
*Hāramuṣika (Haramushika) / Hāramūrtika (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Hārapūrika (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Sāmuṣaka (''
Vamana'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Huhuka / Samudgaka (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Sahūdaka (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Sakṛtraka (''
Markandeya''), Śahuhūka (''
Vamana''), Sahuhūka (''
Brahmanda'') – (Parvata-shrayin Āryāvarta – Himalayan
Āryāvarta)
*Ijika (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Jaguda / Jāṇgala (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Juhuḍa (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Jāguḍa (''
Markandeya'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Jāṇgala – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Jñeyamarthaka / Jñeyamallaka (''
Markandeya''), Aṅgiyamarṣaka (''
Vamana''), Gopapārthiva (''
Brahmanda'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*
Kachchhika / Kāchchhīka (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Kacchīya (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Kāśmīra (''
Markandeya''), Kacchipa (''
Brahmanda'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Kālatoyaka – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*
Kaliṅga (central) / Arkalinga (''
Markandeya'') – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*
Kaliṅga (southern) – (Dakshinapatha Āryāvarta – Southern
Āryāvarta)
According to political scientist Sudama Misra, the Kalinga janapada originally comprised the area covered by the Puri and Ganjam districts.
*Kalitaka / Kālītaka (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Anīkaṭa (''
Markandeya''), Tālīkaṭa (''
Vamana''), Kuntala (''
Brahmanda'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Kalivana / Kolavana (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Kālivala (''
Markandeya''), Vāridhana (''
Vamana''), Kalivana (''
Brahmanda'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Kantakara / Kanṭakāra (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Raddhakaṭaka (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Bahubhadra (''
Markandeya''), Kādhara (''
Vamana'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Kāraskara / Paraṣkara (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Kaṭhākṣara (''
Markandeya''), Karandhara (''
Brahmanda'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*
Kārūṣa (
Karusha), later
Cedi (
Chedi) – Southern and Vindhyan Āryāvarta (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
'') (Dakshinapatha Āryāvarta – Southern ''
Āryāvarta''; Vindhya-prashtha Āryāvarta – Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
*Kāśi (Kashi) (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*
Kasmira (
Kashmira / Kāmīra) – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Kathas – in the
River Chenab Valley (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Kauśika – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*
Kekeya / Kaikeyya (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Kaikeya (''
Markandeya''), Kaikeya (''
Vamana'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*
Khaśa / Khasha – Khaśa (''
Vamana''), Śaka (''
Brahmanda'') – (Parvata-shrayin Āryāvarta – Himalayan
Āryāvarta)
*Kisaṇṇa – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*
Koṅkaṇa – (Dakshinapatha Āryāvarta – Southern
Āryāvarta)
*
Kośala (Central) – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*
Kośala (Vindhyan) – (Vindhya-prashtha Āryāvarta – Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
*Kukkuṭa – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Kulūta / Ulūta (''
Brahmanda'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Kulya – only Central in ''
Markandeya''; only Southern in ''
Vamana'' and ''
Brahmanda'' – (Dakshinapatha Āryāvarta – Southern
Āryāvarta; Madhya-desha – Central
Āryāvarta)
*
Kuninda / Pulinda (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Kaliṅga (''
Markandeya''), Kalinda (''
Brahmanda'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Kuśalya (Kushalya) – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Kuśūdra (Kushudra) – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Kuthaprāvaraṇa / Kuśaprāvaraṇa (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Kuntaprāvaraṇa (''
Markandeya''), Apaprāvaraṇa (''
Brahmanda'') – (Parvata-shrayin Āryāvarta – Himalayan
Āryāvarta)
*Lalhitta – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Lampāka / Lamaka (''
Brahmanda'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Madguraka / Mudgara (''
Markandeya''), Mudagaraka (''
Brahmanda'') – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Madras – in the
River Chenab Valley (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Mādreya – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Magadha / Central and Eastern in ''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
'' and ''
Brahmanda'' –
Magadha (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Maharāṣṭra (Maharashtra) / Navarāṣṭra (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
'') –
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
(Dakshinapatha Āryāvarta – Southern
Āryāvarta)
*Māheya – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Mālada / Mālava (
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
), Manada (''
Markandeya''), Mansāda (''
Vamana'') – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Malaka – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Malavartika – Mallavarṇaka (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Mālavartin (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Mānavartika (''
Markandeya''), Baladantika (''
Vamana'') – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*
Mālava /
Western Malla (known as
Malloí by the
ancient Greeks
Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically re ...
and
Malli by
ancient Romans
The Roman people was the ethnicity and the body of Roman citizenship, Roman citizens
(; ) during the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire. This concept underwent considerable changes throughout the long history of the Roman ...
) – they were a people from southern
Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
, including today's
Multan
Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...
city (''
Mallorum Metropolis'') and region, south of the confluence of the
Jhelum,
Hydaspes for the Greeks, and
Ravi,
Hydraotes for the Greeks, rivers (see map 8), they are mentioned by ancient Greek historians
[Ian Worthington 2014, p. 219.] in the telling of
Alexander III of Macedon's or
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
(Iskandar)
Mallian Campaign; Malada (''
Brahmanda''), Ekalavya (''
Vamana'') (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta) (not to be confused with the
Eastern Malla)
*
Malla /
Eastern Malla / Śālva (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Māla (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Māia (''
Vamana'') – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta) (not to be confused with the
Mālava or
Malavas of Western
Ancient India
Anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. The earliest known human remains in South Asia date to 30,000 years ago. Sedentism, Sedentariness began in South Asia around 7000 BCE; ...
– Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Maṇḍala / Mālava (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Mālava (''
Markandeya'') – (Parvata-shrayin Āryāvarta – Himalayan
Āryāvarta)
*Māṇḍavya – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Māṣa (Masha) – (Vindhya-prashtha Āryāvarta – Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
*Mātaṅga – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
/ Yatstha (''
Vamana'') – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Mekala / Rokala (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Kevala (''
Markandeya'') – (Vindhya-prashtha Āryāvarta – Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
*Mūka – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Nāsikya / Vāsikya (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Nāsikānta (''
Vamana''), Nāsika (''
Brahmanda'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Nirāhāra / Nigarhara (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Nihāra (''
Markandeya'') – (Parvata-shrayin Āryāvarta – Himalayan
Āryāvarta)
*Pāṇavīya – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Pāñcala (
Panchala) – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*
Pārada / Parita (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Pāravata (''
Vamana'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Paṭaccara (Patachchara) / Śatapatheśvara (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
'') – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*
Pūru (Puru) – Ancestors of the
Paurava (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
**
Paurava – Descendants of the
Puru (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
***
Kuru (''
Vamana'') – Ancestors of the
Kaurava (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
****
Kaurava (''
Vamana'') – Descendants of the
Kuru (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
***
Pandu – Ancestors of the
Pandava
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabhara ...
(Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
****
Pandava
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabhara ...
– Descendants of
Pandu (Udichya Āryāvarta and Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta and Central
Āryāvarta)
*****
Arjunayana – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
******
Tomara / Tāmasa (''
Markandeya'' and ''
Vamana'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Pluṣṭa (Plushta) – (Parvata-shrayin Āryāvarta – Himalayan
Āryāvarta)
*Prāgjyotiṣa (
Pragjyotisha) – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Pravaṅga / Plavaṅga (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
'' and ''
Brahmanda'') – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Prāvijaya / Prāviṣeya (''
Brahmanda'') – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Priyalaukika / Harṣavardhana (''
Markandeya''), Aṅgalaukika (''
Vamana''), Aṅgalaukika (''
Brahmanda'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Puleya / Kulīya (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Pulinda (''
Markandeya''), Pulīya (''
Vamana''), Pauleya (''
Brahmanda'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Rūpasa / Kūpasa (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Rūpapa (''
Markandeya''), Rūpaka (''
Brahmanda'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Sainika / Pidika (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Śūlika (''
Markandeya''), Jhillika (''
Brahmanda'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Śālva (Shalva) – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Saraja – (Vindhya-prashtha Āryāvarta – Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
*
Sārasvata – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Sauśalya (Saushalya) – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*
Sauvīra – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Śaśikhādrika (Shashikhadraka) – (Parvata-shrayin Āryāvarta – Himalayan
Āryāvarta)
*Śatadruja (Shatadruja) / Śatadrava (''
Vamana'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Ṣaṭpura / Padgama (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Ṣaṭsura (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Paṭava (''
Markandeya''), Bahela (''
Vamana'') – (Vindhya-prashtha Āryāvarta – Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
*
Sindhu /
Saindhava – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Sirāla / Surāla (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Sumīna (''
Markandeya''), Sinīla (''
Vamana''), Kirāta (''
Brahmanda'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*
Śudra (
Shudra /
Sudra) /
Suhya (''
Brahmanda'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta) (not to be confused with the
Shudra, a
Varna)
*Sujaraka – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Śulakara (Shulakara) – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Surāṣṭra (
Surashtra) / Saurāṣṭra (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Śūrpāraka / Sūrpāraka (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Sūryāraka (''
Markandeya''), Sūryāraka (''
Brahmanda'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Śūrasena (
Shurasena) / Braj – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Taittrika / Taittirika (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Turasita (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Kurumini (''
Markandeya''), Tubhamina (''
Vamana''), Karīti (''
Brahmanda'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Taksas – in
Taksasila or
Taxila
Taxila or Takshashila () is a city in the Pothohar region of Punjab, Pakistan. Located in the Taxila Tehsil of Rawalpindi District, it lies approximately northwest of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area and is just south of the ...
(Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Talagana / Talagāna (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Stanapa (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Tāvakarāma (''
Vamana''), Tālaśāla (''
Brahmanda'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Tāmasa / Chamara (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Tomara (''
Vamana''), Tāmara (''
Brahmanda'') – (Parvata-shrayin Āryāvarta – Himalayan
Āryāvarta)
*Tāmas – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Tāmralipataka – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Taṅgaṇa / Apatha (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Gurguṇa (''
Markandeya'') – (Parvata-shrayin Āryāvarta – Himalayan
Āryāvarta)
*Taṅgaṇa / Tuṅgana (''
Markandeya'') – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Tāpasa / Svāpada (''
Markandeya''), Tāpaka (''
Brahmanda'') – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*Tilaṇga – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Traipura – (Vindhya-prashtha Āryāvarta – Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
*
Trigarta – (Parvata-shrayin Āryāvarta – Himalayan
Āryāvarta)
*Tugras – in the
Sutlej river basin (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Tūrṇapāda – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*
Utkala – (Eastern and Central in ''
Brahmanda'' – Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
*Uttamārṇa / Uttama (''
Brahmanda'') – (Vindhya-prashtha Āryāvarta – Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
*Vāhyatodara / Girigahvara (
Brahmanda) – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*Vaidiśa (Vaidisha) / Vaidika (''
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
''), Kholliśa (''
Vamana'') – (Vindhya-prashtha Āryāvarta – Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
*
Vaṅga – Central and Eastern in ''
Vamana'' – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Vāṅgeya / Mārgavageya (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Rāṅgeya (''
Markandeya''), Vojñeya (''
Brahmanda'') – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta)
*Vāṭadhāna – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*
Vatsa / Vamsa – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*Vātsīya – (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
*
Vemaka – (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
*
Videha – (Prachya Āryāvarta – Eastern
Āryāvarta) (
Mithila
Mithila may refer to:
Places
* Mithilā, a synonym for the ancient Videha state
** Mithilā (ancient city), the ancient capital city of Videha
* Mithila (region), a cultural region (historical and contemporary), now divided between India and Nepa ...
/ Tirabhukti)
*Vṛka (Vrika) – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
*
Yadu
**
Haihayas / Heheya (Talajangha)
***
Avanti – Clan of the Haihayas (Central and Vindhyan Āryāvarta in ''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
'')
***Bhoja / Gopta (''
Vamana'') (Gupta) – Clan of the Haihayas (Vindhya-prashtha Āryāvarta – Vindhyan
Āryāvarta in ''
Vamana'')
***Sharyatas – Clan of the
Haihayas.
****
Ānarta / Āvantya in ''
Markandeya'', ''
Vamana'' – Subclan of the
Sharyatas (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta)
***Tuṇḍikera / Śauṇḍikera (''
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
''), Tuṣṭikāra (''
Markandeya'') – Clan of the
Haihayas. (Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
***Vītihotra / Vīrahotra (''
Markandeya''), Vītahotra (''
Vamana'') – Clan of the
Haihayas (Vindhyan
Āryāvarta)
**
Cedi (
Chedi) / Chaidyas
**Shashabindu / Shashabindava –
**Vaidarbha / Vidarbha (
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
) –
Vidarbha (Dakshinapatha Āryāvarta – Southern
Āryāvarta)
**
Yadava
The Yadava (), not to be confused with Yadav, were an ancient Indian people who believed to have descended from Yadu (legendary king), Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage.
The community was formed of various clans, being the #T ...
– Descendants of the
Yadu
***
Ābhīra – (Udichya and Dakshinapatha Āryāvarta – Northern and Southern
Āryāvarta)
****Northern Ābhīra (Udichya Āryāvarta – Northern
Āryāvarta)
****Southern Ābhīra (Dakshinapatha Āryāvarta – Southern
Āryāvarta)
***Kukura –
***Satvata –
***
Vrishni –
****Shainya / Shaineya
*
Yaudheya – (Madhya-desha Āryāvarta – Central
Āryāvarta)
Mahajanapadas (c. 500 BCE)
महाजनपद – Mahajanapada
Shodasa Mahajanapadas (Sixteen Mahajanapadas)
The
Mahajanapadas
The Mahājanapadas were sixteen Realm, kingdoms and aristocracy, aristocratic republics that existed in ancient India from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE, during the History of India#Second urbanisation (c. 600 – 200 BCE), second urbanis ...
were sixteen great kingdoms and republics that emerged after the more powerful political entities (initially based on the territories of peoples and tribes) had conquered many others.
According to the ''
Anguttara Nikaya'', ''
Digha Nikaya
Digha (), is a seaside resort town in the state of West Bengal, India. It lies in Purba Medinipur district and at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal. The town has a low gradient with a shallow sand beach. It is a popular sea resort in India. ...
'', ''Chulla-Niddesa'' (
Buddhist Canon)
*
Anga
Anga was an ancient Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan tribe of eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age in India, Iron Age. The members of the Aṅga tribe were called the Āṅgeyas.
Counted among the "sixteen great na ...
*
Assaka (or
Asmaka)
*
Avanti
*
Chetiya (
Chedi /
Cedi)
*
Gandhara
Gandhara () was an ancient Indo-Aryan people, Indo-Aryan civilization in present-day northwest Pakistan and northeast Afghanistan. The core of the region of Gandhara was the Peshawar valley, Peshawar (Pushkalawati) and Swat valleys extending ...
*
Kamboja (possibly ancestral of
Nuristani)
*
Kashi /
Kasi
*
Kosala
*
Kuru
*
Maccha (
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
)
*
Magadha
*
Malla
*
Panchala (
Pañcāla)
*
Surasena
*
Vajji (
Vṛji))
**
Licchavis (tribe)
*
Vamsha (Vatsa)
According to the ''
Vyākhyāprajñapti'' / ''
Bhagavati Sutra'' (
Jain text)
*Accha
*
Anga
Anga was an ancient Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan tribe of eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age in India, Iron Age. The members of the Aṅga tribe were called the Āṅgeyas.
Counted among the "sixteen great na ...
*Avaha
*
Bajji (
Vajji /
Vriji)
**
Licchavis (tribe)
*
Banga /
Vanga
*
Kasi /
Kashi
*Kochcha
*
Kosala
*
Ladha /
Lata
*
Magadha
*Malavaka
*Malaya (located in the
Malaya mountains, southernmost part of the
Western Ghats, part of the same was called the
Sahya Mountains,
Southern India
South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...
) (probably Dravidian and Non-Indo-Aryan)
*
Moli /
Malla
*
Padha
*Sambhuttara
*
Vaccha (
Vatsa)
Mentions by Ancient Greek authors
Northwest
Ancient India
Anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. The earliest known human remains in South Asia date to 30,000 years ago. Sedentism, Sedentariness began in South Asia around 7000 BCE; ...
–
Indus River Basin
*Glausae (Glausaí) (may have been the
Gandhari?)
*
Malloí /
Malli (known as
Mālava /
Western Malla by
Indo-Aryans in
ancient India
Anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. The earliest known human remains in South Asia date to 30,000 years ago. Sedentism, Sedentariness began in South Asia around 7000 BCE; ...
) – they were a people from southern
Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
, including today's
Multan
Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...
city (''
Mallorum Metropolis'') and region, south of the confluence of the
Jhelum,
Hydaspes for the Greeks, and
Ravi,
Hydraotes for the Greeks, rivers (see map 9), they are mentioned by ancient Greek historians
[Peter Green 2013, p. 418.] in the
Mallian Campaign of
Alexander III of Macedon (Iskandar); Malada (''
Brahmanda''), Ekalavya (''
Vamana'') (Aparanta Āryāvarta – Western
Āryāvarta) (not to be confused with the
Eastern Malla)
*Oxydracae (Oxydrakaí) (may have been the Śudra (Shudra / Sudra) / Suhya (''
Brahmanda''), not to be confused with the
Shudra, a
Varna)
*
Sattagydans – people that dwelt in
Sattagydia (Old Persian Thataguš; th = θ, from θata – "hundred" and guš – "cows", country of the People of "Hundred Cows"), may have been an
Indo-Aryan people of
Sindh
Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
with Iranian influence or the opposite, an
Iranian
Iranian () may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Iran
** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran
** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia
** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...
people of
Sindh
Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
with
Indo-Aryan influence.
*Sibae / Sobii (Sibaí / Sivaí / Sobioí / Sivioí) (may have been the
Śiva or
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
people of Early
Janapadas?) (not to be confused with the God
Śiva or
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
)
Other regions of
Ancient India
Anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. The earliest known human remains in South Asia date to 30,000 years ago. Sedentism, Sedentariness began in South Asia around 7000 BCE; ...
(''India Intra Gangem'')
*Pragii / Prasii (Pragioí / Prasioí) (may have been the people of
Prāgjyotiṣa or
Pragjyotisha,
Pragjyotisha-
Kamarupa
Kamarupa (; also called Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa), an early state during the Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, was (along with Davaka) the first historical kingdom of Assam. The Kamrupa word first appeared in the ...
?)
Indo-Aryan or other tribes (possible)
*Alina (RV 7.18.7) (RV =
Rigveda
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...
) – They were one of the tribes defeated by
Sudas of the Bharatas at the
Dasarajna (
Ten Kings Battle). It is suggested that they lived to the north-east of the
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a southeastern Iranian peoples, Iranian people who inhabited the northeastern most part of the territory populated by Iranian tribes, which bordered the Indian subcontinent, Indian lands. They only appear in Indo-Aryan langua ...
(possible ancestors of the
Nuristani that live in
Nurestan) because in the 7th century CE, the land was mentioned by the Chinese pilgrim
Xuanzang
Xuanzang (; ; 6 April 6025 February 664), born Chen Hui or Chen Yi (), also known by his Sanskrit Dharma name Mokṣadeva, was a 7th-century Chinese Bhikkhu, Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making ...
. It is possible that they are connected with the
Alans
The Alans () were an ancient and medieval Iranian peoples, Iranic Eurasian nomads, nomadic pastoral people who migrated to what is today North Caucasus – while some continued on to Europe and later North Africa. They are generally regarded ...
or Alani people who are a nomadic Iranian tribe. Alans is a dialectal cognate of Aryāna, itself derived from the root arya-, meaning 'Aryan', the common self-designation of Indo-Iranian peoples. It probably came in use in the early history of the Alans for the purpose of uniting a heterogeneous group of tribes through the invocation of a common, ancestral 'Aryan' origin. The historian S. G. Talageri identifies them with the
Greeks
Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...
(Hellenes). However, the dating of the Rigveda and the hypothetical historic time for the
Dasarajna-yuddha (
Battle of Ten Kings) occurred millennia before Hellenes were recorded in India.
*Parsu (Parśu) – The Parsus have been connected with the Persians based on the evidence of an Assyrian inscription from 844 BC referring to the Persians as Parshu, and the Behistun Inscription of Darius I of Persia referring to Parsa as the home of the Persians. Pârsâ, is the Old Persian name for the Persis region Pars province as well as the root for the term Persian.
*
Shakya
Shakya (Pali, Pāḷi: ; Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan clan of the northeastern region of South Asia, whose existence is attested during the Iron Age in India, Iron Age. The Shakyas were organised into a Gaṇasaṅgha, (an Aristocrac ...
– a clan of
Iron Age India (1st millennium BCE), habitating an area in
Greater Magadha, on the foothills of the
Himalaya mountains. This is also the clan in which
Siddhartha Gautama
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),*
*
*
was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist lege ...
(also known as
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),*
*
*
was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...
or
Shakyamuni – Sage of the Shakyas) ( to 4th centuries BCE) was born into, whose teachings became the foundation of
Buddhism
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
. According to Chandra Das, the name "Shakya" is derived from the Sanskrit word "śakya," which means "the one who is capable". Some scholars argue that the Shakya were of
Scythian (
Saka
The Saka, Old Chinese, old , Pinyin, mod. , ), Shaka (Sanskrit (Brāhmī): , , ; Sanskrit (Devanāgarī): , ), or Sacae (Ancient Greek: ; Latin: were a group of nomadic Iranian peoples, Eastern Iranian peoples who lived in the Eurasian ...
) origin (part of the
Iranian peoples
Iranian peoples, or Iranic peoples, are the collective ethnolinguistic groups who are identified chiefly by their native usage of any of the Iranian languages, which are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages within the Indo-European langu ...
) and assimilated into
Indo-Aryan peoples
Indo-Aryan peoples are a diverse collection of peoples predominantly found in South Asia, who (traditionally) speak Indo-Aryan languages. Historically, Aryans were the Indo-Iranian speaking pastoralists who migrated from Central Asia int ...
.
Hypothetical Indo-Aryans
*
Mitanni Indo Aryans (–1300 BCE) – hypothetical ancient people of the northern
Middle East
The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq.
The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
in the
Mitanni
Mitanni (–1260 BC), earlier called Ḫabigalbat in old Babylonian texts, ; Hanigalbat or Hani-Rabbat in Assyrian records, or in Ancient Egypt, Egyptian texts, was a Hurrian language, Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria (region), Syria an ...
kingdom (part of today's far western Iran, northwestern Iraq, northern Syria and southeastern Turkey), that spoke the hypothetical
Mitanni Indo-Aryan (a language that was
superstrate of
Hurrian
The Hurrians (; ; also called Hari, Khurrites, Hourri, Churri, Hurri) were a people who inhabited the Ancient Near East during the Bronze Age. They spoke the Hurro-Urartian language, Hurrian language, and lived throughout northern Syria (region) ...
, a non-Indo-European language) and merged with the
Hurrians, many of them as a social elite, in the course of the
Indo-Aryan migration
The Indo-Aryan migrations were the migrations into the Indian subcontinent of Indo-Aryan peoples, an ethnolinguistic group that spoke Indo-Aryan languages. These are the predominant languages of today's Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, North India ...
(towards West in this case).
See also
*
Āryāvarta
*
Avestan geography
*
Bharata Khanda
*
Bharatavarsha
*
Chakravartin
*
Iron Age India
*
History of Hinduism
*
Indo-Aryan migration
The Indo-Aryan migrations were the migrations into the Indian subcontinent of Indo-Aryan peoples, an ethnolinguistic group that spoke Indo-Aryan languages. These are the predominant languages of today's Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, North India ...
*
Indus Valley civilisation
The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation, was a Bronze Age civilisation in the Northwestern South Asia, northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 Common Era, BCE to 1300 BCE, and in i ...
*
Janapada and
Mahajanapada
*
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
**
Historicity of the Mahabharata
*
Monarchy in ancient India
*
Ramayana
The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...
*
Vedic period
The Vedic period, or the Vedic age (), is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas (–900 BCE), was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, between the e ...
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
**
Chapter link with alternative pagination (pp. 85–290) – Via Wayback Machine.
**
*
*
*
*
*
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{{refend
Further reading
*Pargiter, F. E.
9221979. ''Ancient Indian Historical Tradition''. New Delhi: Cosmo.
Indo-Aryan peoples
Indo-Aryan
Indo-Aryan