Ahir
Ahir (अहीर)[1][2] Ahervanshi (अहेरवंशी)[3] [4] Aharvanshi (अहरवंशी)/Ahori (अहोरी) [5] Ahera (अहेरा)[6] gotra Jats live in in Uttar Pradesh[7],Haryana,Rajasthan and Pakistan. Ahir clan is found in Afghanistan.[8]It is an important tribe of Punjab (Pakistan).[9]They are called Rao Sahab in Haryana and Rajasthan.
Origin
Ram Sarup Joon[10] writes that Yadhu was the eldest son of Yayati. It is written in the Vishnu Purana that he did not inherit his father’s throne. He, therefore, retired towards Punjab and Iran. He had five sons out of whom, Except Satjit and Krishna, three remained childless. Satjit had three sons Bibai (Biveya), Hai (Heya), whose descendants are Jats of ‘Heer’ gotra and Ahai (Aheya); who founded the Ahir community.
Jat Gotras Namesake
History of Ahir Community
Ram Sarup Joon[12] writes that .... The Ahirs are of Yayati Ji’s Yadu Branch. They are the descendants of Yadu’s second son Satjit where as all the gotras, who are the descendants of Yadu’s elder son Krishna, are found amongst the Jats. In other words Jats and Ahirs are very closely related. Including their gotras, the total number of Jat Gotras rise to 700. The North Western Ahirs have only 97 Gotras which also include 20 percent Jat Gotras.
History of the Jats, End of Page-110
The Ahirs are divided in two dynasties i.e. ‘Yadu Bansi’ and Gowal Bansi.
Ahirs migrated in large numbers to Yunan (Greece) and Southern parts of India and got merged in other communities. The Ahirs of Southern and Eastern India adopted the profession of tending cattle and selling milk and came to be known as Gawalas or Gawal Bansi. The Ahirs of Northern India who are agriculturists, started looking down upon their milk selling brethern and even refused to recognise them as Yadu Vanshi. Therefore, Ahirs. inspite of being an ancient race are found in comparatively small number.
The number of their known gotras is also small because most of them prefer to be known as Yadav rather than by their gotras which thus got gradually forgotten. Ahirs are found in almost all present States
Their population is dense in districts Mirzapur, Khandesh and Badayun and on this account that part is called Ahir Vati. With the passage of time these Ahirs have lost trace of their actual Gotras.
In the olden days Gujarat was ruled by Ahirs and due to this reason the Ahir Lord Krishna made his kingdom Dwaraka a strong hold of Ahirs to save them from the onslaughts of Raja Jarasanda of Magadha, father-in-law of Kansa. After that Gujars succeeded in ousting the Ahirs from Kathiawar, they changed the name of Lath Desh to Gujarat. Several tribes of Ahirs also settled in Greece where Hercules (Balarama) is worshiped. According to Herodotus, Hercules (Balarama) called himself an Indo-Aryan of Atre Vansa because Atre was the predecessor Satjit. In 2000 B.C. Jat and Ahir tribes are said to have been found in Iran. An Ahir officer was in the Army of Samudra Gupta. Most of the Ahir ‘Gotras’ have been derived not from the names of their ancestors but by the names of place where they lived. Some of these marked J in the list are purely Jat Gotras. A list of Ahir gotras is given below :
List of Ahir gotras
Panwalia, khatodia, Bahama, Pirt wa, Raralia, Rabad, Roswalia, Ilberia, Ilberia, Shovalia, Sisoviya, Pisan, Silgi, Sabakwal, Sunaria, Sanwalia, Sisodhia, ®
Khoia, Kandhla, (J) Lahotia, Loachas (J) Madh Rama, Mohakhan, Matahia, Maniwala, Nuniyal, (J) Niani, Chhoria, Bchhikini (J), Dharam (J), Deva, Dagar (J), Dharntarta, Dhaliwal (J), Dilchar, Dhamiwal, Dumarwal, Dhahdla,
Ahir Gotras of UP
Rowat Sunaya, Kaih (Katheria), Sikarva, Thukrila (J), Sikarva, Malhi(J): Bhind, Chaura, Chhunkaiya {J}, Burotha, Majwar, Rughiniya, Landi, Jhinwar, Saimaryhhula, Nara (Nehra), Bhogta (Bhagat), Bar (Bargiya), Khanko, Harkhiya, Bais (Beswar), Raesor, Majhroha, Bura(J), Gangoriya, Kusmariya, Kathiya, Munda (J), Atri, Budh, Tahk, Parwaes, Biati, Yadu, Puar (J), Yadav (J), Krishana, Sat Jit, Boye, Hahe, He,
History of the Jats, End of Page-111
Distribution in Pakistan
The Aheer have two theories of their origin. Some claim descent from Qutub Shah, who is also the ancestor of the Awan tribe, while other connect themselves with the Yaduvanshi Ahirs tribe of North India. They are found in Khushab, Chiniot, Sargodha, Mianwali, Jhang, Bhakkar and Faisalabad districts.
According to 1911 census the Ahir were the principal Muslim Jat clan in Districts:[13]
- Faisalabad District - Ahir (580)
- Mianwali District - Ahir (521)
Notable persons
References
- ↑ Jat History Dalip Singh Ahlawat/Parishisht-I, s.n. अ-50
- ↑ Dr Ompal Singh Tugania: Jat Samuday ke Pramukh Adhar Bindu, p.27,sn-21.
- ↑ Jat History Dalip Singh Ahlawat/Parishisht-I, s.n. अ-19
- ↑ Dr Ompal Singh Tugania: Jat Samuday ke Pramukh Adhar Bindu, p.27,sn-21.
- ↑ Dr Ompal Singh Tugania: Jat Samuday ke Pramukh Adhar Bindu, p.27,sn-43.
- ↑ Dr Ompal Singh Tugania: Jat Samuday ke Pramukh Adhar Bindu, p.27,sn-21.
- ↑ Jat History Thakur Deshraj/Chapter VIII,s.n. 2.,p.585
- ↑ An Inquiry Into the Ethnography of Afghanistan,H. W. Bellew, p.168
- ↑ Punjabi Muslalman by J M Wikely
- ↑ Ram Sarup Joon:History of the Jats/Chapter II,p.29
- ↑ Jat History Thakur Deshraj/Chapter V, p. 143-144
- ↑ Ram Sarup Joon: History of the Jats/Chapter VI,pp. 110-111
- ↑ Census Of India 1911 Volume xiv Punjab Part 2 by Pandit Narikishan Kaul
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