Tribes in Ancient India c17.3

c17.3

The historical tradition of the tribe, however, goes back still farther than Pāṇini’s time. The Purāṇas¹ refer to the Yaudheyas as having been descended from Uśīnara, while the Harivaṃśa too connects the Yaudheyas with the Uśīnaras.² According to Pargiter, King Uśīnara established the Yaudheyas, Ambaṣṭhas, Navarāṣṭra, and the city of Kṛmila, all on the Eastern border of the Punjab; while his famous son Śivi Auśīnara originated the Śivis or Śibis in Śivapura.³ In the Mahābhārata,⁴ the Yaudheyas are described as having been defeated by Arjuna, along with the Mālavas and Trigarttas; while in the Sabhāparvan (Chap. 52, 14-5), the Yaudheyas, together with the Śibis, the Trigarttas, and the Ambaṣṭhas, are represented as having paid homage to Yudhiṣṭhira. Elsewhere in the Great Epic (Droṇaparvan, Chap. 159, 5) the tribe is mentioned along with the Madrakas and Mālavas.⁵