Yadu (Sanskrit: यदु) is the name of one of the five Aryan clans mentioned in the Rig Veda. The epic Mahabharata and Puranas refer to Yadu as the eldest son of mythological king Yayati. Yadu was banished from ruling and had become rebel who first started ruling in outskirts of India and then intruded the mainland. The Jambudvipa referred in scriptures is believed to be in memory of these islands. The regions where the Yadu clan settled is not certain, but certain scholars suggest that Yadu clan inherited the territories to the south-west of the Gangetic plains, between the Chambal River, Betwa and Ken, which correspond to the border areas of present Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. In Hindu mythology, the descendants of Yadu tribe (Yaduvanshi) include Krishna. Several castes and communities in modern India, such as the Yadavs and the Yaduvanshis claim descent from Yadu.
References
- Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dhallapiccola
- Frawley David: The Rig Veda and the History of India, 2001.(Aditya Prakashan), ISBN 81-7742-039-9
