Khasas were a north western tribe mentioned in 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....

. They were probably the modern day Kazakhs

Kazakhs

The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....

 found predominantly in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...

 a Central Asian Republic. It is not clear if the Khasas mentioned in 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....

 were a migrant group from Khasakhstan or original Khasakhs. They were mentioned as barbarous tribes and to have arrived from diverse realms.
Historical evidence suggests Khasa or Khas were Non-Vedic Aryans who entered Nepal and north west India from central Asia. They were mountain or hill dwellers. Majority of Chettris and Bahuns of Nepal are supposed to be their descendents(please refer to Khas Kingdom)

Khasas arrived from diverse realms

Khasas were mentioned along with Chivukas and Pulindas

Himalaya Kingdom

Himalaya kingdom was a mountainous country in Himalayas mentioned in the Puranas. Himavan was probably its ruler and Parvati the wife of lord Siva was probably a princess from this kingdom...

 and Chinas

China of Mahabharata

China in the Mahābhārata refers to an ancient Chinese people who lived across the Himalayas north of India in the first millennium BC or even earlier, and were mentioned in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata...

, Hunas

Huna Kingdom

Hunas were a Chinese tribe close to Himalayas that, because of limited interaction with Indian kingdoms, were mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. They belonged to the Xingjiang province of China, east of Jammu-Kashmir...

, Pahlavas

Pahlava Kingdom

Pahlava Kingdom is identified to be a kingdom of an Iranian tribe. The kingdom was well known, even during the campaign of Alexander. It was also mentioned in the epic Mahabharata.- Yudhisthira's Rajasuya :...

, Sakas

Saka Kingdom

Sakas were a Mlechcha tribe grouped along with the Yavanas, Tusharas and Barbaras. They were later known as Scythians. They were Soma drinkers, Soma being an intoxicating liquor famous in the land of Devas . There were a group of Sakas called Apa Sakas meaning water dwelling Sakas, probably living...

, Yavanas

Yavana Kingdom

Yavana or Yona is grouped under western countries along with Sindhu, Madra, Kekeya, Gandhara and Kamboja as per the descriptions in the epic Mahabharata. In later history, this word was used to indicate the Greeks and the Arabs, leading to much confusion....

, Savaras, Paundras

Pundra Kingdom

Pundra was an eastern kingdom located in West Bengal, Bangladesh and Purnia . A Pundra king challenged Vasudeva Krishna by imitating his attributes. He called himself Paundraka Vasudeva. He was later killed by Vasudeva Krishna in a battle...

, Kiratas

Kirata Kingdom

Kirata Kingdom in Sanskrit literature and Hindu mythology refers to any kingdom of the Kirata people, who were dwellers mostly in the Himalayas and North-East India. They took part in the Kurukshetra War along with Parvatas and other Himalayan tribes...

, Kanchis

Kanchi Kingdom

Kanchi was a southern kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. This kingdom took part in the Kurukshetra War. It was considered as one among the Mlechcha kingdoms, that follows non Vedic practices.It is identified as the Kanchi city in Tamil Nadu....

, Dravidas

Dravida Kingdom

During the time of Mahabharata Dravida was mentioned as one among the kingdoms ruled by non-Vedic tribes, in southern India. Its territories include the southern part of modern day Andhra Pradesh and the northern part of Tamil Nadu...

, Sinhalas

Sinhala Kingdom

Sinhala was a kingdom in the island Lanka, modern day Sri Lanka, mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. From 'Sinhala Diva' are derived the Tamil 'Eelam', Persian/Arabic Serendipor Sarandib, and the European 'Ceilao', 'Zeylan' and 'Ceylon'....

 and Keralas

Kerala Kingdom

This article is about the Kingdom of Kerala in Indian epic literature. For the present-day region, see Kerala, For the historical kingdom, see Chera dynasty...

. All these tribes were described as Mlechha tribes. Here they were described as the protectors of sage Vasistha

Vasistha

Vashist in the seventh, i.e the present Manvantara, and the Rajpurohit / Rajguru of the Suryavansha or Solar Dynasty. He was the mānasaputra of Brahma. He had in his possession the divine cow Kamadhenu, and Nandini her child, who could grant anything to their owners...

 and his cow against the attack of king Viswamitra

Viswamitra

Brahmarshi Vishvamitra is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient times in India. He is also credited as the author of most of Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including the Gayatri Mantra. The Puranas mention that only 24 rishis since antiquity have understood the whole meaning of, and...

. Khasas were described as a barbarous tribe along with the Chivukas (MBh 1,177)

At (7,11) the Khasas were mentioned as arrived from diverse realms. Khasas were mentioned along with the Malavas

Malava Kingdom

Malava kingdom was one among the many kingdoms ruled by the Yadava kings in the central and western India, corresponding to the Malwa region. Sometimes Avanti and Malava were described to be the same country. They were originally a western tribe, in Punjab province of Pakistan. Later they migrated...

, Daradas

Darada Kingdom

Daradas were a people who lived north to the Kashmir valley. This kingdom is identified to be the Gilgit region in Kashmir along the river Sindhu or Indus. They are often spoken along with the Kambojas...

, Sakas

Saka Kingdom

Sakas were a Mlechcha tribe grouped along with the Yavanas, Tusharas and Barbaras. They were later known as Scythians. They were Soma drinkers, Soma being an intoxicating liquor famous in the land of Devas . There were a group of Sakas called Apa Sakas meaning water dwelling Sakas, probably living...

 and Yavanas

Yavana Kingdom

Yavana or Yona is grouped under western countries along with Sindhu, Madra, Kekeya, Gandhara and Kamboja as per the descriptions in the epic Mahabharata. In later history, this word was used to indicate the Greeks and the Arabs, leading to much confusion....

. Here they were mentioned to be vanquished by Vasudeva Krishna.

At (8,8) the Gandharas

Gandhara Kingdom

Gandhara is a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. The epic Ramayana also mentions it as a western kingdom. Gandhara prince Sakuni was the root of all the conspiracies of Duryodhana against the Pandavas, which finally resulted in the Kurukshetra War. Sakuni's sister...

, the Madrakas

Madra Kingdom

Madra Kingdom was a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. Its capital was Sagala, modern Sialkot . The Kuru king Pandu's second wife was from Madra kingdom and was called Madri. The Pandava twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, were her sons. Madri's brother Shalya was the king...

, the Matsyas

Matsya Kingdom

Matsya or Machcha , classically called the Mese , was the name of a tribe and the state of the Vedic civilization of India. It lay to south of the kingdom of Kurus and west of the Yamuna which separated it from the kingdom of Panchalas...

, the Trigartas

Trigarta Kingdom

Trigarta was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. Mahabharata mentions two different Trigarta kingdoms, one in the west close to the Sivi Kingdom and the other north to the Kuru Kingdom. Modern Kangra district is one of the ancient town in North Trigarta, India, extending westward to the...

, the Tanganas, the Khasas, the Pancalas

Panchala Kingdom

This article is about the kingdom of Panchala during the epic-ages. For the historical kingdom, see Panchala.Panchala Kingdom extended from Himalayas in the north to river Charmanwati in the south during the period of Mahabharata. It had Kuru, Surasena and Matsya kingdoms to the west and the forest...

, the Videhas

Videha Kingdom

In the Ramayana, Videha was the kingdom of the royal sage Seeradhwaja Janaka, the father of Sita, Raghava Rama's wife. Rama's brothers married Sita's sisters, so the Videha Kingdom was closely allied to the Kosala Kingdom. Mithila was the capital of Videha, now identified with Janakpur, a town in...

, the Kulindas

Himalaya Kingdom

Himalaya kingdom was a mountainous country in Himalayas mentioned in the Puranas. Himavan was probably its ruler and Parvati the wife of lord Siva was probably a princess from this kingdom...

, the Kasi-kosalas

Kosala Kingdom

Kosala Proper or Uttara Kosala is the kingdom of the celebrated personality of Treta Yuga, Raghava Rama. Ayodhya was its capital, presently in Faizabad district, Uttar Pradesh. Rama's sons Lava and Kusha inherited parts of this kingdom. Lava ruled from the city called Sravasti and Kusa from the...

, the Suhmas

Suhma Kingdom

Suhma was an eastern kingdom located in regions now occupied by West Bengal, India and Bangladesh. This kingdom was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata along with its neighbouring kingdom Prasuhma, which was in the present day Bangladesh...

, the Angas

Anga Kingdom

Anga was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic rulers. Anga king Lomapada was a friend of Kosala king Dasaratha. Kosala Princess Santha, elder to Raghava Rama, lived as the daughter of Lomapada, since he was childless. Duryodhana established Karna as the ruler of Angas. It is believed that there were many...

, the Nishadhas

Nishadha Kingdom

Nishadha was the kingdom of the celebrated king Nala, who loved and married Damayanti the princess of Vidarbha Kingdom. This kingdom is identified with current day Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh...

, the Pundras

Pundra Kingdom

Pundra was an eastern kingdom located in West Bengal, Bangladesh and Purnia . A Pundra king challenged Vasudeva Krishna by imitating his attributes. He called himself Paundraka Vasudeva. He was later killed by Vasudeva Krishna in a battle...

, the Kichakas, the Vatsas

Vatsa Kingdom

Vatsa was a kingdom situated in the Gangatic plain with Kausambi as its capital, now known as Kosam a small town in Uttar Pradesh. There is an archelological site known as Kosam Ruins in this town which is believed to be the Kausambi of Ancient India.Only a passive mention of this kingdom is...

, the Kalingas

Kalinga Kingdom

Kalinga forms the sea shore of Orissa and Andhra region of Andhra pradesh state in India. Kuru king Duryodhana's wife was from Kalinga. Kalingas sided with Duryodhana in the Kurukshetra War...

, the Taralas, the Asmakas

Asmaka Kingdom

Asmaka was a kingdom among the 16 Mahajanapadas mentioned in the Buddhist texts. All other kingdoms were in the north, from Vanga to Gandhara. Some believes that Asmaka was a colony of the Kambojas, and its earlier name was Aswaka...

, and the Rishikas

Rishika Kingdom

Rishikas were originally a tribe north to Himalayas so that they had limited interaction with Indian kingdoms. Thus they got mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. They belonged to the Xinjiang province of China, east of Kashmir...

 were mentioned to be vanquished by Karna

Karna

Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...

.

Pullindas

Himalaya Kingdom

Himalaya kingdom was a mountainous country in Himalayas mentioned in the Puranas. Himavan was probably its ruler and Parvati the wife of lord Siva was probably a princess from this kingdom...

 and Khasas were mentioned together at (12,150)

Khasas in Kurukshetra War

Khasas were mentioned as part of the Kaurava

Kaurava

The term Kaurava is a Sanskrit term, that means the descendants of Kuru, a legendary king who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the Mahābhārata.The term is used in the Mahābhārata with two meanings:...

 army in the Kurukshetra War

Kurukshetra war

According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...

, along with other tribes like the Kamvojas and the Sakas

Saka Kingdom

Sakas were a Mlechcha tribe grouped along with the Yavanas, Tusharas and Barbaras. They were later known as Scythians. They were Soma drinkers, Soma being an intoxicating liquor famous in the land of Devas . There were a group of Sakas called Apa Sakas meaning water dwelling Sakas, probably living...

. (5-161,162)

Daradas

Darada Kingdom

Daradas were a people who lived north to the Kashmir valley. This kingdom is identified to be the Gilgit region in Kashmir along the river Sindhu or Indus. They are often spoken along with the Kambojas...

 and Tanganas and Khasas and Lampakas and Pulindas

Himalaya Kingdom

Himalaya kingdom was a mountainous country in Himalayas mentioned in the Puranas. Himavan was probably its ruler and Parvati the wife of lord Siva was probably a princess from this kingdom...

 were mentioned to be battling in the Kurukshetra War

Kurukshetra war

According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...

 armed with swords and lances. (7,118)

The Pulindas

Himalaya Kingdom

Himalaya kingdom was a mountainous country in Himalayas mentioned in the Puranas. Himavan was probably its ruler and Parvati the wife of lord Siva was probably a princess from this kingdom...

, the Khasas, the Bahlikas

Bahlika Kingdom

All the western Indian kingdoms were known by the general name Bahlika meaning outsider. Thus these people were considered as outsiders of the Vedic culture. However, the name Bahlika is sometimes used to denote a kingdom within the present Punjab, different from Madra, Sindhu, Kekeya, Gandhara or...

, the Nishadas

Nishada Kingdom

Nishada was the kingdom of the Nishada Tribe, a tribe of people who the Vedic people considered valour and courageous.Ekalavya was a king of a Nishada tribe. He attacked Dwaraka once, and was killed by Vasudeva Krishna in the battle. This kingdom was located in Aravalli ranges in Rajasthan state of...

, the Andhakas, the Tanganas, the Southerners, and the Bhojas were mentioned as battling with the Pandya

Pandya Kingdom

The Pandyas were fierce warriors who took part in the Kurukshetra War as per the epic Mahabharata. A Pandya king named Sarangadhwaja, is mentioned as participating in the Kurukshetra War, siding with the Pandavas. It is not clear if Pandyas were linked to the Pandavas of North India...

 king who was on the side of the Pandavas. (8,20)

The Tusharas

Tushara Kingdom

Tusharas were a Mleccha tribe, with their kingdom located in the north west of India as per the epic Mahabharata. An account in Mahabharata depicts Mlechchas as the descendants of Anu, one of the cursed sons of king Yayati. Yayati's eldest son Yadu, gave rise to the Yadavas and youngest son Puru...

, the Yavanas

Yavana Kingdom

Yavana or Yona is grouped under western countries along with Sindhu, Madra, Kekeya, Gandhara and Kamboja as per the descriptions in the epic Mahabharata. In later history, this word was used to indicate the Greeks and the Arabs, leading to much confusion....

, the Khasas, the Darvabhisaras, the Daradas

Darada Kingdom

Daradas were a people who lived north to the Kashmir valley. This kingdom is identified to be the Gilgit region in Kashmir along the river Sindhu or Indus. They are often spoken along with the Kambojas...

, the Sakas

Saka Kingdom

Sakas were a Mlechcha tribe grouped along with the Yavanas, Tusharas and Barbaras. They were later known as Scythians. They were Soma drinkers, Soma being an intoxicating liquor famous in the land of Devas . There were a group of Sakas called Apa Sakas meaning water dwelling Sakas, probably living...

, the Kamathas, the Ramathas, the Tanganas the Andhrakas

Andhra Kingdom

Andhra in Indian epic literature was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It was a southern kingdom. Andhra and Kalinga are often used interchangeably. Andhras are sub-tribes of Andhra satavahanas. The state Andhra Pradesh got its name from this kingdom.Andhra Tribes are also mentioned in...

, the Pulindas

Himalaya Kingdom

Himalaya kingdom was a mountainous country in Himalayas mentioned in the Puranas. Himavan was probably its ruler and Parvati the wife of lord Siva was probably a princess from this kingdom...

, the Kiratas

Kirata Kingdom

Kirata Kingdom in Sanskrit literature and Hindu mythology refers to any kingdom of the Kirata people, who were dwellers mostly in the Himalayas and North-East India. They took part in the Kurukshetra War along with Parvatas and other Himalayan tribes...

 of fierce prowess, the Mlecchas, the Mountaineers were mentioned as fighting for Duryodhana

Duryodhana

In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...

. (8,73)

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