Abhira
When political condition settled down and a full-fledged state system came into existence, this expansionist urge resulted in the emergence of larger and the smaller states, culminating in the empires of Indian history. The Abhiras after undergoing the process of migration from South India established kingdoms in northern and western India. It is presumed that this exciting movement of the Abhiras took place at about the beginning of the Christian era which is not very correct. At that time, their settlements are supposed to confine to Sind, Panjab, Haryana and Rajasthan—parts adjoining to Gujarat, as recorded by the Mahabharata. In the next few centuries, they consolidated themselves in Saurastra, Gujarat, Malava and khandesha, south India, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal, Orissa and even in Assam and Nepal. The earliest authentic reference on the Abhiras can be seen in the Mahabhasya of Patanjali (1.2.3) wherein they have been mentioned as a separate caste and have been associated with the Sudras. Other sources of our information, among others, are— Mahabharata, Ramayana, Markandeya Purana, Padma-Purdana, Mricchakatika, Prabodhacandrodaya, Pratijnayaugandharayana, and a lot of other literary works.