Yadav
The Yadavs of the Mahabharata period were known to be the followers of Vaisnavism, of which Krishna was the leader. They were the gopas (cowherd) by profession, but at the same time they held the status of the Kshatriyas, participating in the battle of Kurukshetra. The present Ahirs are also followers of Vaisnavism. In the Epics and the Puranas the association of the Yadavas with the Abhiras (Ahirs) was attested by the evidence that the Yadava kingdom was " mostly inhabited by the Abhiras (Ahirs)".