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Exotic tribes of ancient India
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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, Kinnaras, Kimpurushas, Rakshasas, Nagas, Suparnas, Vanaras, Vidyadharas, Valikilyas, Pisachas, Devas (within them Vasus, Rudras, Maruts, Adityas) and Asuras (within them Danavas, Daityas and Kalakeyas.)
a 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.
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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, Kinnaras, Kimpurushas, Rakshasas, Nagas, Suparnas, Vanaras, Vidyadharas, Valikilyas, Pisachas, Devas (within them Vasus, Rudras, Maruts, Adityas) and Asuras (within them Danavas, Daityas and Kalakeyas.)
Mythological beings or humans?
From a 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. One extreme and unlikely point of view is that the exotic tribes were mythological beings or even aliens from distant planets; this point of view usually assumes that the exotic capabilities of such tribes, as described in classic literature, are accurate and can be taken at face value.
The exotic capabilities included
- the ability to appear and disappear at will
- the ability to fly in air, with or without the use of an airborne vehicle
- the knowledge of aircraft (vimana)
- the ability to change shape at will
- the ability to read the mind of people
- the knowledge about other inhabited planets like the Earth
- the ability to influence natural forces
In any case, these tribes had a profound influence on the Vedic culture, but remained separate from the culture due to some reason—perhaps due to their geographic isolation from the rest of the world. The tribes' bases ranged 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 Ganga.
Gandharvas
Main article: Gandharva Kingdom
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. The name Gandharva could have been derived from the name Gandhara, since they might originally have inhabited the inaccessible mountains of the Gandhara Kingdom. 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 Ganga.
Yaksas
Main article: Yaksha Kingdom
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 know as Srilanka) and habitated with Yaksa people. Later on Kuber's step brother Ravan (they had same father Vishrava) took over Sri Lanka, upon their father's request Kuber moved to the region near Kailasa mountain in Himalayas.
Kinnaras
Main article: Kinnara Kingdom
The Kinnaras are a tribe often spoken of along with the Gandharvas and Yakshas. The epic Mahabharata 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 Hayagriva (which in Sanskrit means the horse headed one; Haya = horse and griva = head) 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.
Kimpurushas
Main article: Kimpurusha Kingdom
Kimpurushas were described to be lion faced beings. They were often mentioned along with the Kinnaras and the other exotic tribes. Some Puranas consider Kinnaras and Kimpurushas as same while Mahabharata 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 Neanderthals 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. As Vedic Hinduism slowly triumphed over the other ways or paths and they got assimilated, aggressive brahmins started naming underdeveloped or savage tribes with names of their past opponents hence Rakshasas (who originally were all brahmins) was a term misused as was Dasyu (the priests of dasas) which came to mean savage.
Famous Rakshasas
Ravana was the most famous Rakshasa in Ancient India, who ruled from the Trikuta mountains (Adam's Peak) 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 Hidimbi. 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
- Lanka Kingdom, ruled by Rakshasa emperor Ravana
- Danda Kingdom ruled by Khara, Ravana's general
- Rakhasa Ghatotkacha's kingdom in the Himalayas
- Other kingdoms in the Himalayas
Nagas
Main article: Naga Kingdom
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. However, the Nagas near Kashmir seems to be the original abode of all of them. Places like Anantnag attests this theory.
- Naga Ananta (also known as Sesha and Adi-Sesha) was the first among all the Nagas. He became an ascetic.
- The second Naga chief Vasuki had the kingdom near Kailasa (hence the connection of Vasuki with lord Siva).
- The third chief Takshaka, in Takshasila both not far from Anantnag. 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 Karkotaka and Airavata (near Iravati River (Ravi, one among the five rivers of Punjab) were also not far away.
- The Kingdom of Aryaka was on Ganges. His greatgrandchildren included Krishna and Pandavas.
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 Manipuri (location uncertain). She was probably from a Dravidian tribe. 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).
Suparnas
The Suparnas (also known as Garudas) were probably the Falcon worshipping or falcor rearing Iranians who conquered the Naga territories of north west India. They could also be the Dragon worshiping Chinese people. 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 Dragons 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
Main article: Vanara Kingdom
Vanaras were a tribe who dwelled within dense forests. During the time of Ramayana, the central part of Indian peninans 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.
See also
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