Tribes in Ancient India c60.48

c60.48

The Bhaggas (or Skt. Bhargas) were a republican tribe of Northern India in the Buddha’s time (sixth century B.C.). They are mentioned not only in Buddhist works, but also in Sanskrit works of the *Brāhmaṇa* and Epic periods. The earliest mention of the Bhargas is made in the *Aitareya Brāhmaṇa* (VIII, 28) where reference is made to a Bhargāyana prince named Kairiśi Sutvan. They are also referred to by Pāṇini in his *Aṣṭādhyāyī* (IV, i, 178), where they are associated with the Yaudheyas (‘*na prācya Bhargādi Yaudheyādibhyaḥ*’). In the *Bhīṣmaparvan*¹⁰ of the *Mahābhārata*, mention is made of the Bhargas along with other tribes, e.g. the Andhras, Kirātas, Kośalas, Gandhāras, Sauvīras, Sindhus, etc. In both the *Mahābhārata* proper¹¹ and the *Harivaṃśa*,¹² the