history of yadavs

Yādav is a caste found in India and Nepal which claims descent from the ancient king Yadu. As the name of one of the five Aryan clans mentioned in the Rig Veda as Panchjanya, meaning "five people", it is the common name given to the five most ancient vedic kshatriya tribes. People of the Yadav caste generally follow Vaishnav traditions, and share Dharmic religious beliefs. Traditionally Yadavs were classified under the Kshatriya varna in Hinduism and remained in power in India and Nepal until 1200-1300 CE, before the arrival of Muslim invaders. In the 1881 census records of the British empire it is stated that "the Yadavas, who in their turn are identified with the Gaolis and Ahirs, were the dominant race at that time."
Yadu was the eldest son of Yayati (father of Yadavs). It is written in the Vishnu Puran that he did not inherit his father's throne. He, therefore, retired towards Punjab and Iran. He had five sons, of whom except Satjit and Krishna, three remained childless. Satjit had three sons: Bibai (Biveya), Hai (Heya) whose descendants are Jats of the Heer gotra and Ahai (Aheya) who founded the Ahir community.

Origin

In Hindu mythology, the Yaduvanshis or Yadavs are the descendants of Yadu, the eldest son of King Yayati. From his line was born Madhu, who ruled from Madhuvana, situated on the banks of river Yamuna, which extended up to Saurastra and Anarta (Gujrat). His daughter Madhumati married Harinasva of Ikshvaku race, from whom Yadu was born again, this time being ancestor of Yadavas. Nanda, the foster father of Krishna, was born in the line of succession of Madhu and ruled from the same side of Yamuna.Jarasandh, Kansa's father-in-law, and king of Magadha attacked Yadavas to avenge Kansa's death. Yadavas had to shift their capital from Mathura (central Aryavart) to Dwaraka (on the western coast of Aryavart) on the, Sindhu. Yadu was a legendary Hindu king, believed to be an ancestor of the god Krishna, who for this reason is sometimes referred to as Yadava. Genetically, they are in Indo-Caucasoid family, A study in East of India shows their gene structure is similar to Brahmin, Kayastha & Rajput living in the same area.
James Tod demonstrated that Ahirs were included into the list of 36 royal races of Rajasthan (Tod, 1829, Vol.1, p.69 ii,p.358).