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{{short description|Tribe mentioned in the Regveda}}{{Hinduism small}}

'''Bharatas''' were a tribe mentioned in the [[Rigveda]], especially in [[Mandala 3]] attributed to the Bharata sage [[Vishvamitra]]. It is believed that Bharatas lived near river [[Ravi River|Ravi]] in modern [[Punjab]] in the second millennium B.C.E.<ref name=Scharfe>{{citation |last=Scharfe |first=Hartmut E. |chapter=Bharat |editor=Stanley Wolpert |editor-link=Stanley Wolpert |title=Encyclopedia of India |volume=1 (A-D) |publisher=Thomson Gale |year=2006 |isbn=0-684-31512-2 |pages=143–144}}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Thapar |first=Romila |author-link=Romila Thapar |title=The Penguin History of Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300 |publisher=Allen Lane; Penguin Press |year=2002 |publication-date=2003 |isbn=0141937424 |page=114}}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Witzel |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Witzel |year=1995b |title=Early Sanskritization. Origins and Development of the Kuru State. |journal=Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies |volume=1-4 |pages=1–26 |url=ftp://ftp.uic.edu/pub/library/scua/Vedic%20Studies/1995.01.04.EJVS.pdf |access-date=2017-09-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220153727/http://www.ejvs.laurasianacademy.com/ejvs0104/ejvs0104article.pdf |archive-date=2012-02-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Mandala 7]] (7.18 etc.) mentions the Bharatas as taking part in the [[Battle of the Ten Kings]], where they are on the winning side. Due to the victory of the
Bharata chieftain [[Sudas]] in this battle, the Bharata rulers were able to
settle in the [[Kurukshetra]] area.<ref>ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE KURU STATE by [[Michael Witzel]], Harvard University [http://www.ejvs.laurasianacademy.com/ejvs0104/ejvs0104a.txt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105185651/http://www.ejvs.laurasianacademy.com/ejvs0104/ejvs0104a.txt |date=2011-11-05 }}</ref> They appear to have been successful in the early power-struggles between the various [[Mahajanapada|Vedic tribes]].{{cn|date=March 2020}}

In the epic [[Mahābhārata]], the ancestor of [[Kuru Kingdom|Kuru]]s becomes [[Emperor Bharata]], and his ruler and kingdom is called Bhārata.<ref>[[Julius Lipner]] (2010) "Hindus: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices.", p.23</ref> The Bharata clan mentioned in Mahabharata is a Kuru clan which is a sub clan of the Puru clan who were the cousins of the Yadavas.<ref>National Council of Educational Research and Training, History Text Book, Part 1, India</ref> "[[Names of India#Bhārata|Bhārata]]" today is an official name of the [[Republic of India]].<ref>Article 1 of the English version of the [[Constitution of India]]: "India that is Bharat shall be a Union of States."</ref>

== Etymology ==

The name ''Bharata'' is of Indo-Aryan and Indo-Iranian origin.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Witzel|first=Michael|date=1999|title=Aryan and non-Aryan Names in Vedic India. Data for the linguistic situation, c. 1900-500 B.C..|url=https://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/Lingsit.pdf|journal=Harvard Oriental Series Opera Minora|volume=3}}</ref>

== History ==

[[File:Early_Vedic_Culture_(1700-1100_BCE).png|thumb|left]]

Two Bharatas, Devaśravas Bhārata and Devavāta Bhārata, are mentioned as living near the Āpayā, [[Sarasvati River|Sarasvatī]] and [[Drsadvati|Dṛṣadvatī]] rivers.{{sfn|Palihawadana|2017|p=38}}

Devavāta's son, Sṛñjaya Daivavāta, defeated the [[Turvashas|Turvaśas]], and is mentioned alongside Abhyāvartin Cāyamāna who defeated the Vṛcīvants under Varaśikha.{{Sfn|Palihawadana|2017|pp=38-40}}<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Jamison|first1=Stephanie|title=The Rigveda: The Earliest Religious Poetry of India|last2=Brereton|first2=Joel|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2014|pages=810–811}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Macdonell|first1=Arthur Anthony|title=Vedic Index of Names and Subjects|last2=Keith|first2=Arthur Berriedale|publisher=John Murray|year=1912|pages=380}}</ref>{{Sfn|Witzel|1995a|p=247-248}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gonda|first=Jan|title=A History of Indian Literature: I.1 Vedic literature (Saṃhitās and Brāhmaṇas)|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz|year=1975|pages=130}}</ref>

Under the chieftain Divodāsa Atithigva, the Bharatas moved through the [[Hindu Kush]] mountain range in the northwest [[Indian subcontinent]]. <ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Witzel|first=Michael|title=The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity|publisher=De Gruyter|year=1995a|editor-last=Erdosy|editor-first=George|pages=244–246|chapter=Ṛgvedic history: poets, chieftains and polities}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Parpola|first=Asko|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Roots_of_Hinduism/DagXCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=seem+to+have+led+this+immigration+parpola&pg=PT152&printsec=frontcover|title=The Roots of Hinduism: The Early Aryans and the Indus Civilization|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|pages=94}}</ref> It is stated that Divodāsa was adopted by Vadhryaśva after the former was given to him by the river goddess [[Sarasvati River|Sarasvatī]] (modern [[Helmand River|Helmand]] and [[Arghandab River|Arghandab]]).{{Sfn|Parpola|2015|p=97}}<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Velankar|first=H. D.|date=1942|title=Divodāsa Atithigva and the other Atithigvas|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44002604|journal=Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute|volume=23|issue=1/4|pages=659|jstor=44002604|via=JSTOR}}</ref> In a hymn to Sarasvatī, it is stated that she aided (or is sought to aid) Vadhryaśva in defeating niggards, foreigners, insulters of gods, haters, and the sons of Bṛsaya. In addition, the poet expresses the desire not to leave the Sarasvati river.{{Sfn|Palihawadana|2017|p=40}}{{Sfn|Jamison|Brereton|p=857-859}} Divodāsa defeated the aboriginal mountain chief [[Shambara|Śambara]] in the autumn of the fortieth year of campaigns, after destroying ninety-nine of the latter's forts.{{Sfn|Witzel|1995a|p=244-246}}{{Sfn|Parpola|2015|p=97}} Under Divodāsa, the Bharatas were also enemies of the [[Yadu]]-[[Turvashas|Turvaśas]].{{Sfn|Velankar|1942|p=663}} Divodāsa's allies were Prastoka, Aśvatha, and Sṛñjaya's son. Scholars differ on whether Sṛñjaya's son was a different person from Prastoka or Aśvatha.{{Sfn|Palihawadana|2017|p=36}}{{Sfn|Witzel|1995a|p=247}} Several Rigvedic poets mention a patron-client relationship between Divodāsa and [[Bharadvaja|Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya]]. According to a hymn attributed to Suhotra Bhāradvāja, Bharadvāja was involved in Divodāsa's battles with Śambara. In another hymn, Garga Bhāradvāja enumerates the gifts that were donated to the Bharadvajas by Divodāsa and his allies, of which included part of the booty that was looted from Śambara.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sarmah|first=Thaneswar|title=The Bharadvājas in Ancient India|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers|year=1991|isbn=81-208-0639-5|pages=7-8}}</ref>{{Sfn|Jamison|Brereton|2014|p=815, 833, 837}}

Under [[Sudas|Sudās Paijavana]] and his [[purohita]] [[Vishvamitra|Viśvāmitra Gāthina]], the Bharatas crossed the Vipāś and [[Sutudri|Śutudrī]] rivers (modern [[Beas River|Beas]] and [[Sutlej]]).{{Sfn|Witzel|1995a|p=248–249, 251}} Eventually Viśvāmitra was replaced by [[Vasiṣṭha|Vasiṣṭha Maitrāvaruṇi]].{{Sfn|Jamison|Brereton|2014|p=465}}

=== Battle of the Ten Kings ===
{{Main|Battle of the Ten Kings}}
Under Sudās and Vasiṣṭha, the Tṛtsu-Bharatas win the [[Battle of the Ten Kings]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite book|last=Witzel|first=Michael|url=|title=The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity|publisher=De Gruyter|year=1995|isbn=978-3-11-081643-3|editor-last=Erdosy|editor-first=George|series=Indian Philology and South Asian Studies|location=|language=en|chapter=4. Early Indian history: Linguistic and textual parametres|pages=85–125|doi=10.1515/9783110816433-009|chapter-url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110816433-009/html}}</ref> The first phase of the battle took place on the banks of the river [[Ravi River|Ravi]] (then Parusni) near Manusa, west of Kurukshetra.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=The Rigveda: A Guide|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2020|isbn=9780190633363|editor-last=Brereton|editor-first=Joel P.|pages=34|editor-last2=Jamison|editor-first2=Stephanie W.}}</ref> The principal antagonist is doubtful{{Efn|[[Karl Friedrich Geldner]] deemed it to be Bheda, incorrectly. Witzel proposes Trasadasyu. Palihawadana proposes Purukutsa, Trasadasyu's father.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Palihawadana|first1=Mahinda|date=2017|title= The Indra Cult as Ideology A Clue to Power Struggle in an Ancient Society|journal= Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies|volume=24|issue=2|page=51|editor1-last=Mumm|editor1-first=Peter-Arnold|editor2-last=West|editor2-first=Tina}}</ref>}} and names of the participating tribes are difficult to retrieve, in light of the phonological deformations of their names.<ref name=":02" /><ref name="schmidt1980">{{cite journal|last=Schmidt|first=Hans-Peter|date=March 1980|title=Notes on Rgveda 7.18.5–10|journal=Indica|volume=17|pages=41–47|issn=0019-686X}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|title=The Rigveda: The Earliest Religious Poetry of India|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2014|isbn=9780199370184|editor-last=Brereton|editor-first=Joel P.|volume=I|pages=880, 902-905, 923-925, 1015-1016|editor-last2=Jamison|editor-first2=Stephanie W.}}</ref> Plausible belligerents of the tribal union include (in order) — [[Puru (Vedic tribe)|Purus]] (erstwhile master-tribe of Bharatas), [[Yadu]] (probably commanded by Turvasa), Yaksu (relatively unimportant or a pun for Yadu), [[Matsya Rajya|Matsyas]], [[Druhyus]], [[Pakthas]], [[Bhalanas]], [[Alina people|Alinas]], Vishanins, Sivas, Vaikarna, and [[Anu (tribe)|Anu]].<ref name=":02" /><ref name="schmidt1980" />

Though seemingly an unequal battle, going by the numbers (this aspect is highlighted multiple times in the hymns), Sudas decisively won against the tribal alliance by strategic breaching of a (natural) dyke on the river thereby drowning most (?) of the opponents; the victory is attributed to the benevolence and strategizing of [[Indra]], the patron-God of Bharatas, whose blessings were secured by Vasistha's poetics.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":3" />

Thereafter, the battleground (probably) shifted to the banks of river [[Yamuna]], wherein the local chieftain Bhida was defeated along with three other tribes — Ajas, Śighras, and the Yakṣus.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":3" />

==== Aftermath ====
The Battle of the Ten Kings led Bharatas to occupy the entire Puru territory (Western Punjab) centered around [[Sarasvati River]] and complete their east-ward migration.<ref name=":02" /> Sudas celebrated his victory with the [[Ashvamedha]] ritual to commemorate the establishment of a realm, free of enemies from the north, east, and west. He still had enemies in the [[Khandava Forest|Khāṇḍava Forest]] to the south, which was inhabited by the despised non-Indo-Aryan [[Kikata Kingdom|Kikatas]]<ref name=":02" />

A political realignment between Purus and Bharatas probably followed soon enough and might have included other factions of the tribal union as well; this is exhibited from how the core collection of RV prominently features clan-hymns of both the sides.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Witzel|first=Michael|date=1997|title=The development of the Vedic canon and its schools: the social and political milieu|url=http://crossasia-repository.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/110/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-04-15|website=crossasia-repository.ub.uni-heidelberg.de|page=263, 267, 320|doi=10.11588/xarep.00000110}}</ref><ref name=":02" />

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Tribes and kingdoms of the Mahabharata}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bharatas}}
[[Category:History of India]]
[[Category:History of Punjab]]
[[Category:Indo-Aryan peoples]]

Bharatas (tribe) - Revision history

>Chariotrider555: Removed reference that doesn't source any statement

imported>Chariotrider555: Added more info on Bharata-Bharadvaja relationship