Tribes in Ancient India c63.2

c63.2

In Vedic times, the Avantis do not emerge into importance as a ruling Kṣatriya tribe of ancient India. Their name is not found in the Vedic literature; but in the *Mahābhārata* they are found to be one of the most powerful of the Kṣatriya clans. Their dual monarchs, Vinda and Anuvinda, each led an akṣauhiṇī of troops to Duryodhana’s army, and thus the Avantis made up one-fifth of the entire Kuru host (V, 19, 24).¹ The two monarchs are designated ‘mahāratha’ (‘great warrior’), the highest title given to an epic warrior (VII, 5, 99),² and are spoken of as wielding powerful bows.³ The two Avanti princes figure very prominently in the battle, and many are the glorious and heroic deeds with which they are credited. They rendered useful service to the Kaurava cause by their individual prowess and generalship as well as by the large army consisting of forces of every description which they led to battle.⁴ They fought bravely in the field until they were slain,—by Arjuna, according to one account (VII, 99, 3691), and by Bhīma, according to another (XI, 22, 617). We read of the mighty hosts of the Avantis—Sainyam Āvantyānām—in the *Karṇaparvan* and elsewhere (VII, 113, 4408; VIII, 8, 235).