Andhra in Indian epic literature

The Andhras, In fact it is the oldest brahmana and it belongs to the Rig Veda. Secondly, it contains a profusion of curious historical information about bronze age Indian society, contemporary kings and sages, kingdoms as well as quite a few obscure and named tribes who are yet to plunge into the Vedic pale. The 'Vedic pale', we know from several other indicators, was in the earliest Rig Vedic times and before it restricted to what is now Haryana and it's thereabouts.

Visvāmitra had a hundred and one sons, fifty older than Madhuchandas, fifty younger. Those that were older did not think this right..Them he cursed (saying) “Your offspring shall inherit the ends" (of the earth). These are the (people), the Andhras, Pundras, Sabaras, Pulindas, and Mütibas,” who live in large numbers beyond the borders; most of the Dasyus are the descendants of Visvāmitra.

Very little is known about the identity or eventual fate of these highlighted tribes (except one of course). But what we can safely affirm with this crucial reference is that this is the very first time the Vedic literature gives evidence of contact with non-Indo European tribes or even of awareness of the existence of such tribes. We know that they were probably non-Indo European (by speech) because one of them survives to this day and another one (Mütibas) has a clearly non-Sanskrit/non-Sanskritised name. In fact the Sankhyayana Srauta Sutra mentions these tribes again, but there, the Pulindas are omitted and Mütibas becomes/reverts to Mücipáh, again non-Sanskrit.

The Aitareya Brahmana is younger to the Rig Veda Samhita. In the whole of the ten books of the Samhita, there is not a single evidence, by way of reference, loan words or allusion, of the Vedic people having made any contact with any non-Indo European tribe (Austroasatic or Dravidian). The literary evidence of the Rig Veda leaves little doubt that the territories of Sapta Sindhu, Vara Prithvya(in Haryana) and the Gangetic plains were entirely an IE Zone. Even the enemy tribes mentioned in the Rig Veda are clearly IE, on closer examination.

So arguably, the Aitareya represents an era when the Vedic culture had well begun to spread out of Vara Prithvya and into peninsular India. Encountering new tribes of distinct tongues and practices, the rishis and hotris no doubt were forced to make an explanation for their existence- banished sons of Vishvamitra!

They must all have been powerful enough during the bronze age and must have had ritual traditions adequately distinct from the Vedic to warrant such a mention in the brahmana. Of the other tribes, the name 'Pundra/Paundra' etc continue to appear in the later epic literature as a kingdom in East India contemporary to the Vedic Kuru-Pancalas. The territory of the Pundras at least, if not the original tribe, survived into the medieval times. It is epigraphically attested even during the Pala-Sena period, vanishing sometime in the Islamic era.

Dating the Aitareya- As already mentioned, the Aitareya is the oldest brahmana. And the Shatapatha is the youngest. There is an amazing concomitance of the technology, units of measurements, pottery, territory, astronomical references and other details in the Shatapatha with the mature and late phases of the Indus-Saraswathy civilization. It even contains vivid descriptions of kingdoms (Videha, Kosala etc) relocating from the Indus valley to their historical locations in the Gangetic plains. Such a large scale migration is imprinted in the archaeological record only once; During and following the collapse of ISC.

Such being the case, for the sake of conservatism, for now as we await further evidence, we may propose ~2000 BCE as the lower limit for the composition of the Aitareya and by extension, the antiquity of the Andhra people.

Andhra People Modern Day Identified as a Telugu People.

• Mbh 6.9

....the Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas, the Yakrillomans; the Mallas, the Suddellas, the Pranradas, the Mahikas, the Sasikas; the Valhikas, the Vatadhanas, the Abhiras or Ahirs, the Kalajoshakas; the Aparantas, the Parantas, the Pahnabhas, the Charmamandalas; the Atavisikharas, the Mahabhutas, O sire; the Upavrittas, the Anupavrittas, the Surashatras, Kekayas; the Kutas, the Maheyas, the Kakshas, the Samudranishkutas; the Andhras........

• Mbh 2.30

Sahadeva brought under his subjection and exacted tributes from the Paundrayas, Andhras, Kalingas, Dravidas, Udrakeralas, Ushtrakarnikas, and also the delightful city of Atavi and that of the Yavanas.

• Mbh 7.4

The Utpalas, the Mekalas, the Paundras, the Kalingas, the Andhras, the Nishadas, the Trigartas, and the Valhikas, were all vanquished by Karna.

Vasudeva Krishna is mentioned as the slayer of Chanura of the Andhra country. (13,149)

In southern regions, battle took place between Arjuna and the Dravidas and Andhras and the fierce Mahishakas and the hillmen of Kolwa. Subjugating those tribes without having to accomplish any fierce feats, Arjuna proceeded to the country of the Surashtras, his footsteps guided by the horse. (14,83)

• Mbh 2.33

King Bhagadatta of Pragjyotisha accompanied by all Mlechcha tribes inhabiting the marshy regions on the sea-shore; and many mountain kings, and king Vrihadvala; and Vasudeva the king of the Paundrayas, and the kings of Vanga and Kalinga; and Akastha and Kuntala and the kings of the Malavas and the Andhrakas; and the Dravidas and the Singhalas and the king of Kashmira, and king Kuntibhoja of great energy and king Gauravahana, and all the other heroic kings of Valhika; and Virata with his two sons, and Mavella endued with great might; and various kings and princes ruling in various countries attended Pandava king Yudhishthira's Rajasuya sacrifice.

• Mbh 5.140

The Dravidas, with the Kuntalas, the Andhras, and the Talacharas, and the Shuchupas, and the Venupas were mentioned as allies of the Pandavas, in the conversation of Vasudeva Krishna and Karna.

• Mbh 5.161, 5.162

The message sent by Duryodhana to the Pandava:-

The Kamvojas, the Sakas, the Khasas, the Salwas, the Matsyas, the Kurus of the middle country, the Mlechchhas, the Pulindas, the Dravidas, the Andhras, and the Kanchis --- these tribes protect my army.

• Mbh 8.12

Decked with ornaments, possessed of red teeth, endued with the prowess of infuriate elephants, attired in robes of diverse colours, smeared with powdered scents, armed with swords and nooses, capable of restraining mighty elephants, companions in death, and never deserting one another, equipped with quivers, bearing bows adorned with long locks, and agreeable in speech were the combatants of the infantry files led by Satyaki, belonging to the Talavana (Telivāha = Godavari ??) tribe, endued with fierce forms and great energy. (The Pandyas, Cholas, Keralas and Dravidas followed Dhrishtadyumna, Sikhandin, Chekitana and the sons of Draupadi.) It appears that the Andhakas fought along with Satyaki are Yadavas. Yadavas are of 5 different races i.e. Yadu, Vrushni, Mushti, Bhoja and Andhakas. However, Andhras are different. According to Bhagavatha purana, Andhras are the decedents of King Bali means. Andhras are six such Anga, Vanga, Kalings, Simha, Pundra and Andhras. So Andhras are different from Andhakas. Andhras are eastern where as Andhakas are western yadavas. The clarification is sufficient to distinguish Andhakas from Andhras. The Chanura is also one of Andhakas and not of Andhras.

• Mbh 8.73

Of terrible deeds and exceedingly fierce, the Tusharas, the Yavanas, the Khasas, the Darvabhisaras, the Daradas, the Sakas, the Kamathas, the Ramathas, the Tanganas the Andhrakas, the Pulindas, the Kiratas of fierce prowess, the Mlecchas, the Mountaineers, and the races hailing from the sea-side, all endued with great wrath and great might, delighting in battle and armed with maces, these all—united with the Kurus and fighting wrathfully for Duryodhana’s sake.