Yadu

Ancestry of Yayati as per Bhagavata Purana

Ancestry of Yadu Bhagavata Purana

Yadu (यदु) is the name of one of the five Aryan clans mentioned in the Rig Veda. The epic Mahabharata and Puranas refer to Yadu as the eldest son of mythological king Yayati. Yadu was banished from ruling and had become rebel who first started ruling in outskirts of India and then intruded the mainland. The jambudwipa referred in scriptures is believed to be in memory of these islands. The regions where the Yadu clan settled is not certain, but certain scholars suggest that Yadu clan inherited the territories to the south-west of the Gangetic plains, between the Chambal River, Betwa and Ken, which correspond to the border areas of present Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Descendants of yadu were called Yadavavanshi. Krishna, founder of Jat sangha, was born in Yadavavansh.

Origin of Jats from Yadu

Many historians consider the origin of Jats from Yadu.

• Thakur Deshraj has mentioned with reference to Pandit Lekhram Arya who says in 'Risalajihad' that word Jat has derived from Yadu as under.

Yadu(यदु) → Jadu(जदु) → Jādu(जादु) → Jād(जाद) → Jāt(जात) → Jāt(जाट)

• James Todd and Wilson have also supported this theory.
• Mr Neshfield, a renowned Indologist, says that "The word Jat is nothing more than the modern Hindi pronunciation of Yadu or Jadu, the tribe in which Krishna was born.
• The Sinsinwar Jat rulers of Bharatpur have been recorded as Yadavavanshi, the descendants of Krishna by Prakash Chandra Chandawat.

• UN Sharma has mentioned the chronology of Krishna in which starting from Sindhupal in 64th generation of Krishna to Bharatpur ruler Maharaja Brijendra Singh (1929-1948) all the rulers are mentioned as Yaduvanshi Jats.
• Almost all early Jat rulers have been mentioned by contemporary poets as Yaduvanshis. The poet Sudan , poet Somnath , poet Udayram have write about the origin of Sinsinwar Jat rulers of Bharatpur as under -

तीन जाति जादव की, अंधक, विस्‍नी, भोज ।

तीन भांति तेई भये, तै फिर तिनही षोज ।।

पूर्व जनम ते जादव विस्‍नी ।

तेई प्रकटे आइ सिनसिनी ।।

• Jat historian Bhaleram Beniwal has written after recent researches with evidences in his book "Jāton kā Ādikālīn Itihās" that Krishna was by all evidences noting other than Jat. He has mentioned the above refered evidences in addition to the following authors which mention Krishna as Jats. These are Yogendrapal Shastri, Motilal Gupta Walter Hamilton.
• The Muslim contries have a notion that Jats are the ancestors of Yadavas. The Arabian traveller Al-Biruni has mentioned that Lord Krishna was a Jat.
• Dr Natthan Singh has also mentioned the theory of origin of Jats from Yadu. Yadu was banished from ruling by Yayati for not obeying him and made his other son Puru as king. Yadu had become rebel who first started ruling in outskirts of India in south-west border areas. Slowly he gained strength by forming a federation of Shaka, Pallava, Parad, Yavan and Kamboja tribes. The king Sagar failed his these attempts and suppressed them. In order to avoid confrontation with Sagar, the Yaduvanshis came to Sursena area (Mathura). Here he again formed a federation of 18 tribes. One of thse tribe was vrishni in which Krishna was born. Many historians connect Jats with these Yadus. Looking to similar physical features, food habits, life and culture both Jats and Yaduvanshis can be treated belonging to same caste.

Branches of Yaduvansh

Dalip Singh Ahlawat writes that Krishna formed the sangha of many clans. He himself was Jat. The Branches of Yaduvansh include the following: Vrishni, Andhaka, Hala, Sheokhande, Dagur-Digrana, Khirwar-Khare, Balhara, Saran, Sinsinwar, Chhonkar, Sogarwar, Hanga, Ghanihar, Bhoj

Complete ancestry of Yaduvansha

File:Yaduvansh1.jpg|Yaduvansha S.No. 01-32 File:Yaduvansh2.jpg|Yaduvansha S.No. 45-71 File:Yaduvansh3.jpg|Yaduvansha S.No. 68-78 File:Yaduvansh4.jpg|Yaduvansha S.No. 79-92

References

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