Yadava

Les Yadava (littéralement, descendants de Yadu^[1]) sont une ancienne ethnie indienne qui se revendiquaient descendre de Yadu, un roi légendaire de la lignée de Chandravamsha.

La communauté était formée de divers clans, à savoir les Abhira, Andhaka, Vrishni et Satvatas, tous adorateurs de Krishna^[2]^,^[3]^,^[4]^,^[5].

Ils sont identifiés dans la littérature indienne ancienne comme les branche de la lignée de Yadu (Yaduvamsha)^[6]. À diverses époques, un certain nombre de communautés et de dynasties royales du sous-continent indien ont revendiqué une descendance de ces anciens clans et des personnalités légendaires Yadava, se décrivant ainsi comme les Yadavas^[7]^,^[8].

Les Yadavas de la période du Mahabharata étaient connus pour être les adeptes du Vaishnavisme, dont Krishna était le chef : ils étaient Gopas (vachers) de profession, mais en même temps ils détenaient le statut des Kshatriyas, participant à la bataille de Kurukshetra.

Les actuels Ahirs sont également des adeptes du Vaisnavisme^[9]^,^[10].

Dans le Mahabharata, il est raconté que lorsque les Yadavas (bien qu'appartenant au groupe Abhira) abandonnèrent Dvārakā (Dwraka) après la mort de Krishna, et se retirèrent vers le nord sous la direction d'Arjuna, ils furent attaqués et dispersés^[11].

Parmi les clans Yadava mentionnés dans la littérature indienne ancienne, les Haihayas descendraient de Sahasrajit, fils aîné de Yadu^[12] et de tous les autres clans Yadava, qui comprennent les Chedis, les Vidarbhas, les Satvatas, les Andhakas, les Kukuras, on pense que les Bhojas, les Vrishnis et les Surasenas descendent de Kroshtu ou Kroshta, fils cadet de Yadu^[13].

On peut déduire des sections vamshanucharita (généalogie) d'un certain nombre de Puranas majeurs que les Yadavas se sont répartis dans la région d'Aravalli, le Gujarat, la vallée de la Narmada, le nord du Deccan et l'est de la vallée du Gange^[14]. Le Mahabharata et les Puranas mentionnent que les Yadus ou Yadavas, une confédération comprenant de nombreux clans, étaient les dirigeants de la région de Mathura^[15] et étaient des bergers^[16]. Le Mahabharata fait également référence à l'exode des Yadavas de Mathura vers Dvaraka sous la pression des dirigeants Paurava du Magadha, et probablement aussi des Kurus^[17].

↑ Monier Williams, Sanskrit English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages, Delhi, Motilal Banrsidass, 2005 (1^re éd. 1899) (ISBN 978-81-208-3105-6, lire en ligne), p. 851
↑ (en) Jayant Gadkari, Society and Religion: From Rugveda to Puranas, Popular Prakashan, 1996 (ISBN 978-81-7154-743-2, lire en ligne)
↑ Jayaswal K. P., Hindu Polity A Constitutional History Of India In Hindu Times, Delhi University House (lire en ligne), p. 141 :
« In the time of Periplus(C 80 AD) the very area called by Ptolemy Larike was called Abiria. It seems that the Abhiras of Gujurat were the Rastrikas of Asoka and the Yadavas of Mahabharatha »
↑ Sarat Chandra Roy, Man in India Volume 54, A. K. Bose, 24 janvier 1974 (lire en ligne), p. 40 :
« In the Harivamsa, the Yadava kingdom called Anaratta is described as mostly inhabited by the Abhiras(Abhira-praya-manusyam) »
↑ Sunil Kumar Bhattacharya, Kṛṣṇa-cult, Associated Publishing House, 24 octobre 1978 (lire en ligne), p. 182 :
« surrounding territories round about Mathura mainly consist of Abhiras(Abhira-praya). Later it is said that all the races of Anhdakas, Vrisnis, etc. belonged to this race of Yadu. If this be so, it is evident that Krshna belonged to a race which included the race of Abhiras »
↑ Thapar, Romila (1978, reprint 1996). Ancient Indian Social History: Some Interpretations, New Delhi: Orient Longman, (ISBN 978-81-250-0808-8), p. 223.
↑ John G. R. Forlong, Encyclopedia of Religions, vol. III: N–Z, New York, Cosimo Classics, 2008, 504 p. (ISBN 978-1-60520-488-8, lire en ligne)
↑ Kosambi, D. D. (1988). The Culture and Civilization of Ancient India in Historical Outline, New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, (ISBN 978-0-7069-4200-2), p. 116.
↑ Shyam Singh Shashi, Encyclopaedia of Indian Tribes: The tribal world in transition, Anmol Publications, 1994, 1994 (ISBN 9788170418368, lire en ligne), p. 76 :
« The Yadavas of the Mahabharata period were known to be the followers of Vaisnavism, of which Krsna was the leader: they were gopas (cowherd) by profession, but at the same time they held the status of the Ksatriyas, participating in the battle of Kurukshetra. The present Ahirs are also followers of Vaisnavism. »
↑ Chintaman Vinayak Vaidya, Epic India, Or, India as Described in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, Asian Educational Services, 2001, 2001 (ISBN 9788120615649, lire en ligne), p. 423 :
« The fact that the Yadavas were pastoral in their habits is distinctly proved by the fact that Krishna's sister Subhadra when she was taken away by Arjuna is described as having put on the dress of a Gopi or female cowherd. It is impossible to explain this fact unless we believe that the whole tribe was accustomed to use this dress. The freedom with which she and other Yadava women are described as moving on the Raivataka hill in the festivities on that occasion also shows that their social relations were freer and more unhampered than among the other Kshatriyas. Krishna again when he went over to Arjuna's side is said in the Mahabharata to have given in balance for that act an army of Gopas to Duryodhana. The Gopas could have been no other than the Yadavas themselves. »
↑ (en) Sarat Chandra (Rai Bahadur) Roy, Man in India, A.K. Bose, 1974 (lire en ligne)
↑ Pargiter, F. E. (1972) [1922]. Ancient Indian Historical Tradition, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, p. 87.
↑ Pargiter, F. E. (1972) [1922]. Ancient Indian Historical Tradition, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, pp. 102–4.
↑ Thapar, Romila (1978, reprint 1996). Ancient Indian Social History: Some Interpretations, New Delhi: Orient Longman, (ISBN 978-81-250-0808-8), pp. 216–7.
↑ D. C. Sircar, Studies in the Religious Life of Ancient and Medieval India, Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass, 2008 (ISBN 978-81-208-2790-5, lire en ligne), p. 16
↑ (en) Roshen Dalal, Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide, Penguin UK, 18 avril 2014 (ISBN 978-81-8475-277-9, lire en ligne)
↑ Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp. 127–8.

[1] Monier Williams, Sanskrit English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages, Delhi, Motilal Banrsidass, 2005 (1^re éd. 1899) (ISBN 978-81-208-3105-6, lire en ligne), p. 851

[2] (en) Jayant Gadkari, Society and Religion: From Rugveda to Puranas, Popular Prakashan, 1996 (ISBN 978-81-7154-743-2, lire en ligne)

[3] Jayaswal K. P., Hindu Polity A Constitutional History Of India In Hindu Times, Delhi University House (lire en ligne), p. 141 :
« In the time of Periplus(C 80 AD) the very area called by Ptolemy Larike was called Abiria. It seems that the Abhiras of Gujurat were the Rastrikas of Asoka and the Yadavas of Mahabharatha »

[4] Sarat Chandra Roy, Man in India Volume 54, A. K. Bose, 24 janvier 1974 (lire en ligne), p. 40 :
« In the Harivamsa, the Yadava kingdom called Anaratta is described as mostly inhabited by the Abhiras(Abhira-praya-manusyam) »

[5] Sunil Kumar Bhattacharya, Kṛṣṇa-cult, Associated Publishing House, 24 octobre 1978 (lire en ligne), p. 182 :
« surrounding territories round about Mathura mainly consist of Abhiras(Abhira-praya). Later it is said that all the races of Anhdakas, Vrisnis, etc. belonged to this race of Yadu. If this be so, it is evident that Krshna belonged to a race which included the race of Abhiras »

[thapar4-6] Thapar, Romila (1978, reprint 1996). Ancient Indian Social History: Some Interpretations, New Delhi: Orient Longman, (ISBN 978-81-250-0808-8), p. 223.

[7] John G. R. Forlong, Encyclopedia of Religions, vol. III: N–Z, New York, Cosimo Classics, 2008, 504 p. (ISBN 978-1-60520-488-8, lire en ligne)

[8] Kosambi, D. D. (1988). The Culture and Civilization of Ancient India in Historical Outline, New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, (ISBN 978-0-7069-4200-2), p. 116.

[9] Shyam Singh Shashi, Encyclopaedia of Indian Tribes: The tribal world in transition, Anmol Publications, 1994, 1994 (ISBN 9788170418368, lire en ligne), p. 76 :
« The Yadavas of the Mahabharata period were known to be the followers of Vaisnavism, of which Krsna was the leader: they were gopas (cowherd) by profession, but at the same time they held the status of the Ksatriyas, participating in the battle of Kurukshetra. The present Ahirs are also followers of Vaisnavism. »

[10] Chintaman Vinayak Vaidya, Epic India, Or, India as Described in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, Asian Educational Services, 2001, 2001 (ISBN 9788120615649, lire en ligne), p. 423 :
« The fact that the Yadavas were pastoral in their habits is distinctly proved by the fact that Krishna's sister Subhadra when she was taken away by Arjuna is described as having put on the dress of a Gopi or female cowherd. It is impossible to explain this fact unless we believe that the whole tribe was accustomed to use this dress. The freedom with which she and other Yadava women are described as moving on the Raivataka hill in the festivities on that occasion also shows that their social relations were freer and more unhampered than among the other Kshatriyas. Krishna again when he went over to Arjuna's side is said in the Mahabharata to have given in balance for that act an army of Gopas to Duryodhana. The Gopas could have been no other than the Yadavas themselves. »

[11] (en) Sarat Chandra (Rai Bahadur) Roy, Man in India, A.K. Bose, 1974 (lire en ligne)

[p1-12] Pargiter, F. E. (1972) [1922]. Ancient Indian Historical Tradition, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, p. 87.

[p2-13] Pargiter, F. E. (1972) [1922]. Ancient Indian Historical Tradition, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, pp. 102–4.

[thapar2-14] Thapar, Romila (1978, reprint 1996). Ancient Indian Social History: Some Interpretations, New Delhi: Orient Longman, (ISBN 978-81-250-0808-8), pp. 216–7.

[sircar1-15] D. C. Sircar, Studies in the Religious Life of Ancient and Medieval India, Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass, 2008 (ISBN 978-81-208-2790-5, lire en ligne), p. 16

[16] (en) Roshen Dalal, Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide, Penguin UK, 18 avril 2014 (ISBN 978-81-8475-277-9, lire en ligne)

[hcr1-17] Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp. 127–8.

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