Exotic tribes of ancient India
Encyclopedia
The classic Indian epics such as the Mahabharata
, the Ramayana
and the Puranas
refer to many exotic tribes, describing them as superhuman or subhuman. Narrations about these tribes are often mixed with mythology and fiction. These tribes include Gandharvas, Yakshas, Kinnara
s, Kimpurusha
s, Rakshasas, Nagas
, Suparna
s, Vanara
s, Vidyadhara
s, Valikilyas, Pisachas, Devas
(within them Vasus, Rudras
, Maruts
, Adityas
) and Asuras (within them Danava
s, Daitya
s and Kalakeyas
.)
In any case, Hindu religious texts describe these tribes as having a profound influence on Hindu culture, but remaining separate from said culture, perhaps due to their geographic isolation from the rest of the world. The texts describe the tribes' bases as ranging from high mountains (such as the Yaksas and Rakshasas) to deep forests (such as the Vanaras), or they were civilizations beyond the mainstream Indian civilization (as with the Devas and Asuras) which prevailed in the plains of Saraswati
, Sindhu and Ganges.
or Gandharva
Gandharvas are described as fierce warriors who could challenge even the great Kshatriya
warriors. They were also skilled in art, music and dance. Some Gandharva tribes were allied with the Devas and sometimes with Yakshas. They inhabited the land to the north of Kailasa, close to the Deva territories. Later they might have spread to the Saraswati
river (seen by Balarama
during his pilgrimage over Saraswati). The Ramayana
mentions a Gandharva kingdom named Sailusha near the mouth of the river Ganges
.
or Yaksha
The Yaksas were a tribe living in the area surrounding the Kailasa range of the Himalayas
. Their king, Vaisravana
or Kuvera, was a worshipper of Siva
whose abode is thought to be Kailasa.
According to Ramayan Kubera established or rebuilt the kingdom of Lanka
(now known as Srilanka) and inhabited with Yaksa people. Later on Kuber's step brother Ravana
(they had same father Vaishravas) took over Sri Lanka, upon their father's request Kuber moved to the region near Kailasa mountain in Himalayas.
and the Puranas
describe, regions north to Himalayas as the abode of Kinnaras. Puranas
mention about an Asura
with a horse head, who was known as Hayagrīva (which in Sanskrit
means the horse headed one; Haya = horse and grīva = Neck) This Asura was killed by an incarnation
of Lord Vishnu
, who took the similar form of a horse headed human figure. In Egyptian
sculptures also we see horse headed figures or warriors employing an elongated face mask, which resemble the head of a horse.
This region was also the abode of a tribe of people called Kambojas
. They were fierce warriors skilled in horse ride and horse warfare. Some of them were robber tribes who invaded village settlements, by raiding them using their skilled cavalry forces. The myth of Kinnaras probably came from these ferocious warrior tribes, who terrorized the Vedic settlements.
There is now a district named Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh
which is thought to be the domain of the Kinnara tribes. People of this district call themselves as Kinnaurs.
consider Kinnaras and Kimpurushas as same while Mahabharata
contains passages where Kinnaras and Kimpurushas were considered as two separate groups.
There is a highly speculative hypothesis based on the genographic project that many species of humans coexisted, all of them in a culturally evolved state. Rakshasas could be one of these species of humans (like the Neanderthal
s of Europe
and other places in Asia
where temperature was very low, like the Himalayan
region) reduced to small pockets like the high Himalayas and cool mountains of Srilanka, with their social networks steadily shrinking.
Another view is that Rakshasas were normal humans who followed a certain religious way (Vyam Raksham, Aggression and Protection of spiritual life) as opposed to Yakshas (Vyam Yaksham, enjoyment and pleasure ignore spiritual pursuits) and normal or middle path vedic people or even nagas (snake worshippers). There were several other such religious groups aka Dasas ("service and submission", Divodasa and Sudas are called Aryan emperors and even heroes of Rigveda) whose religious beliefs were different. Many times entire tribes or localities were painted with names.
was the most famous Rakshasa in Ancient India, who ruled from the Trikuta
mountains Sri Pada of Lanka where the climatic conditions were similar to Himalayas
. He rose to the status of an emperor who exerted his direct control from Srilanka up to the south of Vindhya ranges in India, and indirectly the kingdoms beyond. Ghatotkacha
was a Rakshasa born of the Pandava Bhima
and the Rakshasa woman Hidimba
. Rakshasa Ghatotkacha's kingdom was in Himalaya between Gangotri and Kailasa. The forefathers of Ravana also lived here along with the Yakshas
. The Yaksha king Vaisravana
was the elder brother of Rakshasa king Ravana. Ravana had many sons among Gandharva
wives. The two epics Mahabharata
and Ramayana
and many Puranas
attest that Rakshasas, Yakshas and Gandharvas were related and had inter-marriages.
The famous Rakshasa kingdoms in India were
or Nāga
Nagas were a group of people spread throughout India during the period of the epic Mahabharata
.The demi-god tribe called Suparnas (in which Garuda
belonged) were arch-rivals of the Nagas. The Naga clans in Kerala
and Kashmir
seems to be the original and indigenous abode of all of them. Places like Thiru-Ananatha-Puram
in Kerala and Anantnag
in Kashmir attests these to be true.
Nagas had kingdoms in Nagaland
and Andhra Pradesh
. Arjuna
's wife Ulupi
was from one of such Naga kingdom (in Gangetic Plain) Arjuna's another wife Chitrangada
who also was known to Ulupi was from Manipur
located in Northeastern India. There are now many Naga worshiping places in South India
, especially in Andhra Pradesh
, coastal Karnataka
and Kerala
.
Naga race was almost exterminated by Janamejaya
, the Kuru king in Arjuna
's line, who conducted the massacre of Nagas at Takshasila. This massacre was stopped by Astika, a Brahmin
whose mother was a Naga (Vasuki's sister Jaratkaru).
s) were probably the Falcon
worshipping or falcon rearing tribes who conquered the Naga territories of north west India. They were arch-rivals of the Nagas.
Garuda
was a famous Suparna. They had the ability to fly in air without using an aircraft. Some literature tells that they had wings like that of Angels. Some believe that they were birds like the hawk or eagle. Some think that they were a race of intelligent Dragon
s in the family of Dinosaurs, that became extinct during the dawn of human civilizations.
Yet another view is that Nagas and Garudas were the two rival factions of the same tribe. Mahabharata
also support this view since it describes the two races originating from two mothers who were sisters.
Vanaras were a tribe who dwelled within dense forests. During the time of Ramayana
, the central part of Indian peninsula was covered by a dense forest by the name Dandaka Forest. Most of the Vanaras lived in this dense forest. Kishkindha was their stronghold, that had sway among the whole of the Vanara tribes spread all over the Indian Subcontinent. It was situated in this forest, located now near the Tungabhadra river in Karnataka
state of India. Some literature describes them as monkeys, some as apes.
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and the Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
refer to many exotic tribes, describing them as superhuman or subhuman. Narrations about these tribes are often mixed with mythology and fiction. These tribes include Gandharvas, Yakshas, Kinnara
Kinnara
In Buddhist mythology and Hindu mythology, a kinnara is a paradigmatic lover, a celestial musician, half-human and half-horse or half-bird...
s, Kimpurusha
Kimpurusha Kingdom
Kimpurusha Kingdom refers to the territory of a tribe called Kimpurushas who were one among the Exotic Tribes of Ancient India. These exotic tribes lived in inaccessible regions like the Himalaya mountains and had limited interaction with the Vedic civilization of ancient India...
s, Rakshasas, Nagas
Naga (clan)
The Naga were one of the ancient most kshatriya tribes of India who ruled large parts of the world at different times. They spread throughout India during the period of the epic Mahabharata. Anthropologist Gelek Lonbsang believes they have distant ancestry with East Asians based on their similar...
, Suparna
Suparna
Suparna may refer to:* Suparna Anand, Indian actor* Garuda, divine bird in Hindu and Buddhist mythology...
s, Vanara
Vanara
Vānara popularly refers to a group of ape-like humanoids in the Hindu epic Ramayana who were brave and inquisitive by nature. They possessed supernatural powers and could change their shapes...
s, Vidyadhara
Vidyadhara
Vidyadhara are a group of supernatural beings in Hindu mythology. They possess magical powers and dwell in the Himalayas. They also attend God Shiva, who lives in the Himalayas. They are considered as Upa-devas, semi-gods.-In Hindu epics:...
s, Valikilyas, Pisachas, Devas
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
(within them Vasus, Rudras
Rudras
Rudras are forms and followers of the god Rudra-Shiva and make eleven of the Thirty-three gods in the Hindu pantheon. They are at times identified with the Maruts - sons of Rudra; while at other times, considered distinct from them.-Birth and names:...
, Maruts
Maruts
In Hinduism the Marutas , also known as the Marutagana and sometimes identified with Rudras, are storm deities and sons of Rudra and Diti and attendants of Indra. The number of Maruts varies from two to sixty . They are very violent and aggressive, described as armed with golden weapons i.e...
, Adityas
Ādityas
In Hinduism, Āditya , meaning "of or related to Aditi", refers to the offsprings of Aditi. Adityas are solar class deities. In later Hinduism, Aditya is used in the singular to mean the sun.-Vedas:...
) and Asuras (within them Danava
Danava (Hinduism)
In Vedic mythology the Danavas were a race of the Asuras.The Danavas were the sons of Danu, who in turn was a daughter of Daksha. Danu is connected with the waters of heavens and she is probably associated with the formless, primordial waters that existed prior to the creation. The name is...
s, Daitya
Daitya
In Hinduism, the Daityas are a clan or race or Asura as are the Danavas. Daityas were the children of Diti and the sage Kashyapa. They were a race of giants who fought against the Devas because they were jealous of their Deva half-brothers...
s and Kalakeyas
Kalakeyas
In Hinduism the Kalakeyas or Kalakanjas were a powerful, ferocious and cruel clan of Danavas.-Kalaka and Puloma:The Kalakeyas were the descendants of Kalaka, daughter of Vaiswanara . Vaiswanara had three other beautiful daughters...
.)
Mythological beings or humans?
From an historical point of view, these exotic tribes simply may have been tribes that did not interact frequently with mainstream culture so that knowledge of them was very limited, which spurred the invention of fables about them.In any case, Hindu religious texts describe these tribes as having a profound influence on Hindu culture, but remaining separate from said culture, perhaps due to their geographic isolation from the rest of the world. The texts describe the tribes' bases as ranging from high mountains (such as the Yaksas and Rakshasas) to deep forests (such as the Vanaras), or they were civilizations beyond the mainstream Indian civilization (as with the Devas and Asuras) which prevailed in the plains of Saraswati
Saraswati
In Hinduism Saraswati , is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is the consort of Brahma, also revered as His Shakti....
, Sindhu and Ganges.
Gandharvas
Main article: Gandharva KingdomGandharva Kingdom
Gandharva Kingdom refers to the territory inhabited by a people called the Gandharvas, who were one of the Exotic Tribes of Ancient India. They were well versed in music and dance. Gandarvas were also powerful warriors who roamed in Indian kingdoms disregarding any Indian king or Kshatriya warrior...
or Gandharva
Gandharva
Gandharva is a name used for distinct mythological beings in Hinduism and Buddhism; it is also a term for skilled singers in Indian classical music.-In Hinduism:...
Gandharvas are described as fierce warriors who could challenge even the great Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
warriors. They were also skilled in art, music and dance. Some Gandharva tribes were allied with the Devas and sometimes with Yakshas. They inhabited the land to the north of Kailasa, close to the Deva territories. Later they might have spread to the Saraswati
Saraswati
In Hinduism Saraswati , is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is the consort of Brahma, also revered as His Shakti....
river (seen by Balarama
Balarama
Balarama , also known as Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine being, Krishna in Hinduism. Within Vaishnavism Hindu traditions Balarama is worshipped as an Avatar of Vishnu, and he is also listed as such in the Bhagavata Purana...
during his pilgrimage over Saraswati). The Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
mentions a Gandharva kingdom named Sailusha near the mouth of the river Ganges
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
.
Yaksas
Main article: Yaksha KingdomYaksha Kingdom
Yaksha Kingdom refers to the territory of a tribe called Yakshas who were one of the Exotic Tribes of Ancient India. They had kinship with another similar tribe, the Rakshasas. Yaksha king Vaisravana and Rakshasa king Ravana were both sons of the sage Visrava Paulastya. Kubera is sometimes...
or Yaksha
Yaksha
Yaksha is the name of a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, who are caretakers of the natural treasures hidden in the earth and tree roots. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist mythology. The feminine form of the word is ' or Yakshini .In Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist mythology,...
The Yaksas were a tribe living in the area surrounding the Kailasa range of the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. Their king, Vaisravana
Kubera
Kubera , also spelt Kuber, is the Lord of wealth and the god-king of the semi-divine Yakshas in Hindu mythology. He is regarded as the regent of the North , and a protector of the world His many epithets extol him as the overlord of numerous semi-divine species and the owner of the treasures of...
or Kuvera, was a worshipper of Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
whose abode is thought to be Kailasa.
According to Ramayan Kubera established or rebuilt the kingdom of Lanka
Lanka
Sri Lanka is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the legendary king Ravana in the great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata...
(now known as Srilanka) and inhabited with Yaksa people. Later on Kuber's step brother Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
(they had same father Vaishravas) took over Sri Lanka, upon their father's request Kuber moved to the region near Kailasa mountain in Himalayas.
Kinnaras
The Kinnaras are a tribe often spoken of along with the Gandharvas and Yaksas. The epic MahabharataMahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
and the Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
describe, regions north to Himalayas as the abode of Kinnaras. Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
mention about an Asura
Asura
-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...
with a horse head, who was known as Hayagrīva (which in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
means the horse headed one; Haya = horse and grīva = Neck) This Asura was killed by an incarnation
Incarnation
Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial....
of Lord Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, who took the similar form of a horse headed human figure. In Egyptian
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
sculptures also we see horse headed figures or warriors employing an elongated face mask, which resemble the head of a horse.
This region was also the abode of a tribe of people called Kambojas
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
. They were fierce warriors skilled in horse ride and horse warfare. Some of them were robber tribes who invaded village settlements, by raiding them using their skilled cavalry forces. The myth of Kinnaras probably came from these ferocious warrior tribes, who terrorized the Vedic settlements.
There is now a district named Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
which is thought to be the domain of the Kinnara tribes. People of this district call themselves as Kinnaurs.
Kimpurushas
Kimpurushas were described to be lion faced beings. They were often mentioned along with the Kinnaras and the other exotic tribes. Some PuranasPuranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
consider Kinnaras and Kimpurushas as same while Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
contains passages where Kinnaras and Kimpurushas were considered as two separate groups.
Rakshasas
Rakshasas were described to have large bodies, probably due to their continuous life in cold climates over snow-covered mountains.There is a highly speculative hypothesis based on the genographic project that many species of humans coexisted, all of them in a culturally evolved state. Rakshasas could be one of these species of humans (like the Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
s of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and other places in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
where temperature was very low, like the Himalayan
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
region) reduced to small pockets like the high Himalayas and cool mountains of Srilanka, with their social networks steadily shrinking.
Another view is that Rakshasas were normal humans who followed a certain religious way (Vyam Raksham, Aggression and Protection of spiritual life) as opposed to Yakshas (Vyam Yaksham, enjoyment and pleasure ignore spiritual pursuits) and normal or middle path vedic people or even nagas (snake worshippers). There were several other such religious groups aka Dasas ("service and submission", Divodasa and Sudas are called Aryan emperors and even heroes of Rigveda) whose religious beliefs were different. Many times entire tribes or localities were painted with names.
Famous Rakshasas
RavanaRavana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
was the most famous Rakshasa in Ancient India, who ruled from the Trikuta
Trikuta
Trikuta is a three peaked mountain in Hindu Mythology. We find its references in the Sundarkand chapter of the Ramayana and its location is believed to be in Lanka. Sreemad Bhagwatam further tells us that it contains a nice garden called Rumak, constructed by Varuna, and it also contains a...
mountains Sri Pada of Lanka where the climatic conditions were similar to Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. He rose to the status of an emperor who exerted his direct control from Srilanka up to the south of Vindhya ranges in India, and indirectly the kingdoms beyond. Ghatotkacha
Ghatotkacha
Ghatotkacha , is a character in the Mahabharata, the son of Bhima and the giantess Hidimbi . His maternal parentage made him half-rakshasa and gave him many magical powers that made him an important fighter in the Kurukshetra war, the climax of the epic...
was a Rakshasa born of the Pandava Bhima
Bhima
In the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...
and the Rakshasa woman Hidimba
Hidimba
In the Mahābhārata, Hidimba was a rakshasa, the brother of Hidimbi and a forest dweller. He and his sister, Hidimbi were tempted at the sight of the Pandavas and wished to eat them. For this purpose Hidimbi changed herself into a beautiful woman and brought him near Hidimba...
. Rakshasa Ghatotkacha's kingdom was in Himalaya between Gangotri and Kailasa. The forefathers of Ravana also lived here along with the Yakshas
Yaksha Kingdom
Yaksha Kingdom refers to the territory of a tribe called Yakshas who were one of the Exotic Tribes of Ancient India. They had kinship with another similar tribe, the Rakshasas. Yaksha king Vaisravana and Rakshasa king Ravana were both sons of the sage Visrava Paulastya. Kubera is sometimes...
. The Yaksha king Vaisravana
Kubera
Kubera , also spelt Kuber, is the Lord of wealth and the god-king of the semi-divine Yakshas in Hindu mythology. He is regarded as the regent of the North , and a protector of the world His many epithets extol him as the overlord of numerous semi-divine species and the owner of the treasures of...
was the elder brother of Rakshasa king Ravana. Ravana had many sons among Gandharva
Gandharva
Gandharva is a name used for distinct mythological beings in Hinduism and Buddhism; it is also a term for skilled singers in Indian classical music.-In Hinduism:...
wives. The two epics Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
and Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and many Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
attest that Rakshasas, Yakshas and Gandharvas were related and had inter-marriages.
The famous Rakshasa kingdoms in India were
- Lanka Kingdom, ruled by Rakshasa emperor RavanaRavana' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
- Danda KingdomDanda KingdomDanda was a colonial state of Lanka under the reign of Ravana. Ravana's governor Khara ruled this province. It was the stronghold of all the Rakshasa tribes living in the Dandaka Forest. It is roughly the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra with Janasthana as its capital...
ruled by KharaKharaKhara can refer to* Khara, a character in the ancient Sanskrit epic the Ramayana* Khara-Khoto, the ruins of a medivial city in western Mongolia* Khara, Punjab - town in Punjab, India.* Khara, Nepal* Khara, Punjab - town in Punjab, Pakistan....
, RavanaRavana' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
's general - Rakhasa GhatotkachaGhatotkachaGhatotkacha , is a character in the Mahabharata, the son of Bhima and the giantess Hidimbi . His maternal parentage made him half-rakshasa and gave him many magical powers that made him an important fighter in the Kurukshetra war, the climax of the epic...
's kingdom in the Himalayas - Other kingdoms in the Himalayas
Nagas
Main article: Naga KingdomNaga Kingdom
Naga Kingdom refers to the territory of a tribe called Nagas who were a group of hardy and warlike people spread throughout India during far ancient history. They were also considered as one of the supernatural races like Kinnaras and Yakshas...
or Nāga
Naga
Naga or NAGA may refer to:* Nāga, a group of serpent deities in Hindu and Buddhist mythology.-People:* Nayan / Nayar/Nair people of Kerala Society* Naga people, a diverse ethnic identity in Northeast India...
Nagas were a group of people spread throughout India during the period of the epic Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
.The demi-god tribe called Suparnas (in which Garuda
Garuda
The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
belonged) were arch-rivals of the Nagas. The Naga clans in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
seems to be the original and indigenous abode of all of them. Places like Thiru-Ananatha-Puram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
in Kerala and Anantnag
Anantnag
Anantnag , a city and a municipality in Anantnag district in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, India. Anantnag is regarded as the commercial and financial capital of the valley of Kashmir...
in Kashmir attests these to be true.
- The Great Serpent AnantaAnantaAnanta is a Sanskrit word meaning "without end".It may refer to:*Ananta , one of the names of Vishnu.*Ananta , Actor and Producer for Bengali film.*Ananta, a serpent on which Vishnu lies, aka Shesha....
was the first among all the Naga kings. Thiru-Anantha-PuramThiruvananthapuramThiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
is known as the adobe of Great Serpent Ananta. References are found as Kerala was mentioned as Patala the Nether world in far ancient history. The NairNair DynastyA number of Nair dynasties existed in present day Kerala state, South India in the middle ages. These Hindu dynasties ruled tiny city states called "nadus" and were in frequent warfare with each other...
clan is known as the descendants of Great Serpent Ananta. - The second Naga chief VasukiVasukiVasuki is a Sanskrit name for a naga, one of the serpents of Buddhist and Hindu mythology. He is a great King of the nagas and has a gem on his head. Manasa, another naga, is his sister...
had the kingdom near Kailasa (hence the connection of Vasuki with lord Siva). - The third chief TakshakaTakshakaTakshaka was one of the Nagas mentioned in the epic Mahābhārata. He lived in a city named Takshasila, which was the new territory of Takshaka after his race was banished by Pandavas lead by Arjuna from the Khandava Forest and Kurukshetra, where they built their new kingdom.- The king of...
, in TakshasilaTaxilaTaxila is a Tehsil in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab province of Pakistan. It is an important archaeological site.Taxila is situated about northwest of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi in Panjab; just off the Grand Trunk Road...
both not far from AnantnagAnantnagAnantnag , a city and a municipality in Anantnag district in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, India. Anantnag is regarded as the commercial and financial capital of the valley of Kashmir...
. Takshashila is named after Taksh, son of Bharat and nephew to Ram. His brother Pushkar founded Pushkalvati modern Peshawar, they were not nagas. Bharat defeated Gandharvas who had killed his uncle and his sons established their rule over Gandharva kingdoms, Gandhara. Takshaka lost his kingdom of Khandava and may have taken Gandhara for Nagas post Mahabharata but finally lost it to Janamjeya. - The kingdoms of other Nagas like KarkotakaKarkotakaKarkotaka was a naga king, who bit Nala at the request of Indra, transforming Nala into a twisted and ugly shape. Karkotaka had deceived Narada who cursed him due to which he could not move a step...
and AiravataAiravataAiravata is a mythological white elephant who carries the Hindu god Indra. It is also called 'Ardha-Matanga', meaning "elephant of the clouds"; 'Naga-malla', meaning "the fighting elephant"; and 'Arkasodara', meaning "brother of the sun". 'Abharamu' is the elephant wife of Airavata. Airavata has...
(near Iravati River (RaviRavi RiverThe Ravi is a trans-boundary river flowing through Northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It is one of the six rivers of the Indus System in Punjab region ....
, one among the five rivers of PunjabPunjab regionThe Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
) were also not far away. - The Kingdom of Aryaka was on Ganges. His greatgrandchildren included Krishna and Pandavas.
Nagas had kingdoms in Nagaland
Nagaland
Nagaland is a state in the far north-eastern part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Burma to the east and Manipur to the south. The state capital is Kohima, and the largest city is Dimapur...
and Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
. Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
's wife Ulupi
Ulupi
Ulūpī or Uloopi, in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, was one of Arjuna's wives. While Arjuna was in Manipur, the widow Naga princess became infatuated with him. She caused him to be abducted after he had been intoxicated with potent concoctions and had him conveyed to her realm in the netherworld. ...
was from one of such Naga kingdom (in Gangetic Plain) Arjuna's another wife Chitrangada
Chitrangada
Chitrāngada , was the elder son of Shantanu and Satyavati. Since his elder half brother Bhishma took a vow of not ascending the throne of Hastinapura, he became the king after Shantanu and was very successful. Unfortunately, his success angered a Gandharva king of the same name...
who also was known to Ulupi was from Manipur
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
located in Northeastern India. There are now many Naga worshiping places in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
, especially in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, coastal Karnataka
Kanara
The Kanara or Canara region comprises three coastal districts of Karnataka, namely Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada and Kasaragod district of Kerala in southwestern India. Kanara forms the southern part of the Konkan coast...
and Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
Naga race was almost exterminated by Janamejaya
Janamejaya
Janamejaya was a Kuru king. He was the son of Parikshit and Madravati. He was the grandson of Abhimanyu and the great-grandson of Arjuna, the valiant warrior hero of the Mahābhārata. He was ascended to the Kuru throne following the death of his father. His significance comes as the listener of the...
, the Kuru king in Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
's line, who conducted the massacre of Nagas at Takshasila. This massacre was stopped by Astika, a Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
whose mother was a Naga (Vasuki's sister Jaratkaru).
Suparnas
The Suparnas (also known as GarudaGaruda
The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
s) were probably the Falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
worshipping or falcon rearing tribes who conquered the Naga territories of north west India. They were arch-rivals of the Nagas.
Garuda
Garuda
The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
was a famous Suparna. They had the ability to fly in air without using an aircraft. Some literature tells that they had wings like that of Angels. Some believe that they were birds like the hawk or eagle. Some think that they were a race of intelligent Dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s in the family of Dinosaurs, that became extinct during the dawn of human civilizations.
Yet another view is that Nagas and Garudas were the two rival factions of the same tribe. Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
also support this view since it describes the two races originating from two mothers who were sisters.
Vanaras
Main article: Vanara Kingdom or VanaraVanara
Vānara popularly refers to a group of ape-like humanoids in the Hindu epic Ramayana who were brave and inquisitive by nature. They possessed supernatural powers and could change their shapes...
Vanaras were a tribe who dwelled within dense forests. During the time of Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, the central part of Indian peninsula was covered by a dense forest by the name Dandaka Forest. Most of the Vanaras lived in this dense forest. Kishkindha was their stronghold, that had sway among the whole of the Vanara tribes spread all over the Indian Subcontinent. It was situated in this forest, located now near the Tungabhadra river in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
state of India. Some literature describes them as monkeys, some as apes.