e, and said to belong to the Nandvansi division. The name means
'Great family.'

2. Former dominance of the Abhiras.

The Abhiras appear to have been one of the immigrant tribes from
Central Asia who entered India shortly before or about the commencement
of the Christian era. In the Puranas and Mahabharata they are spoken
of as Dasyu or robbers, and Mlechchhas or foreigners, in the story
which says that Arjuna, after he had burned the dead bodies of
Krishna and Balaram at Dwarka, was proceeding with the widows of the
Yadava princes to Mathura through the Punjab when he was waylaid by
the Abhiras and deprived of his treasures and beautiful women. [15]
An inscription of the Saka era 102, or A.D. 180, speaks of a grant
made by the Senapati or commander-in-chief of the state, who is
called an Abhira, the locality being Sunda in Kathiawar. Another
inscription found in Nasik and assigned by Mr. Enthoven to the fourth
century speaks of an Abhira king, and the Puranas say that after the
Andhrabhrityas the Deccan was held by the Abhiras, the west coast
tract from the Tapti to Deogarh being called by their name. [16]
In the time of Samudragupta in the middle of the fourth century
the Abhiras were settled in Eastern Rajputana and Malwa. [17] When
the Kathis arrived in Gujarat in the eighth century, they found the
greater part of the country in the possession of the Ahirs. [18] In the
Mirzapur District of the United Provinces a tract known as Ahraura is
considered to be named after the tribe; and near Jhansi another piece
of country is called Ahirwar. [19] Elliot states that Ahirs were also
Rajas of Nepal about the commencement of our era. [20] In Khandesh,
Mr. Enthoven states, the settlements of the Ahirs were important. In
many castes there is a separate division of Ahirs, such as the Ahir
Sunars, Sutars, Lohars, Shimpis, Salis, Guraos and Kolis. The fort
of Asirgarh in Nimar bordering on Khandesh is supposed to have been
founded by one Asa Ahir, who lived in the beginning of the fifteenth
century. It is said that his ancestors had held land here for seven
hundred years, and he had 10,000 cattle, 20,000 sheep and 1000 mares,
with 2000 followers; but was still known to the people, to whom
his benevolence had endeared him, by the simple name of Asa. This
derivation of Asirgarh is clearly erroneous, as it was known as
Asir or Asirgarh, and held by the Tak and Chauhan Rajputs from the
eleventh century. But the story need not