Nishadas: Difference between revisions

{{cleanup rewrite|date=April 2013}}

'''Nishada''' (''{{IAST|niṣāda}}'') is a tribe mentioned in ancient Indian literature (such as the epic ''[[Mahabharata]]''). The ancient texts mention several kingdoms ruled by this tribe.<ref name="IVK">{{cite book|last1=Gopal|first1=Ram|title=India of Vedic Kalpasūtras|date=1983|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=9780895816351|page=116|edition=2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PjcpAAAAYAAJ&q=Nishada+Kingdom|access-date=9 March 2016}}</ref> In the Mahabharata, the Nishada are described as tribes that have the hills and the forests their abode.  They are linked with a king called [[Vena (Hindu King)|Vena]] who became a slave to wrath and malice, and became unrighteous. Sages killed him for his malice and wrongdoings.<ref name="VV1">{{cite book|last1=Anand|last2=Sekhar|first2=Rukmini|title=Vyasa and Vighneshwara|date=2000|publisher=Katha|isbn=9788187649076|page=31|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AV1hRu-gj1QC&q=Nishada+Kingdom+eklavya&pg=PA31|access-date=9 March 2016}}</ref> In the epic Valmiki Ramayan there is a character named Guha who is from the Nishad Tribe, whom the central character of the epic Sri Ramchandra calles him 'aatmasamam' which literally means equal to his soul or among the best friends (Ramayan 2.52.20).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Valmiki Ramayana - Ayodhya Kanda - Sarga 52|url=http://valmikiramayan.pcriot.com/utf8/ayodhya/sarga52/ayodhyasans52.htm|access-date=2021-07-20|website=valmikiramayan.pcriot.com}}</ref> There we also fiend praises of the Nishad community by the central character Shri Ramchandra for the contribution of Nishad community leader Guha in the internal and external security of the Ayodhya Kingdom (Ramayan 2.52.72).<ref name=":0" />

[[Ekalavya]] was an archer of a Nishada tribe.<ref name="man1">{{cite book|last1=Manish Kumar|title=Eklavya|date=January 0101|publisher=Prabhat Prakashan|isbn=9789351861447|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eHBwBgAAQBAJ&q=krishna+killed+eklavya&pg=PT1}}</ref>

The Nishadas are sometimes confused with the [[Nishad|Nisadhas]] ([[IAST]]: Niṣādha), who were a distinct, Indo-Aryan tribe.<ref>{{cite book |author=Haripada Chakraborti |title=Vedic India: political and legal institutions in Vedic literature |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b6-NAAAAMAAJ |year=1981 |publisher=Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar |quote=The Niṣādhas, residing in the Niṣādha country were obviously Aryan tribes and they should not be confused with the Niṣāda, the non-Aryan tribe.}}</ref>

The ''[[Manusmriti]]'' and the ''[[Anushasana Parva]]'' of the ''[[Mahabharata]]'' meniton fishing as the profession of the Nishadas.{{sfn|Vivekanand Jha|1974|p=73}} The ''[[Vishnu Smriti]]'' also seems to consider subsistence on fishing a characteristic of the Nishadas, as attested by Nanda-pandita's commentary on the text and the ''[[Kathasaritsagara|Katha-sarit-sagara]]''.{{sfn|Vivekanand Jha|1974|pp=73-74}}

The main profession of Nishaadas was fishing and hunting. When a Nishaada had killed one bird from a pair, the other bird was remorseful of its loss and was in pangs of pain, observing this deep pain inspired the sage [[Valmiki]] to write the life history of king [[Rama]] of [[Ayodhya]] and his dutiful wife queen [[Sita]], who lived in separation due to her capture by deceit by the egoistic demon-like king [[Ravana]]. This poetic mythology is revered in [[India]] as a guide to highest ideals of human-life, is known as the [[Ramayana]], or the record of king Rama's life.<ref>Ramayana by Valmiki, [[Gita Press]] publication, Gorakhpur, India</ref> In Ramayana, the king of Nishaadas, named Guha, was a very close friend of Rama. He helps Rama and Sita to cross [[Ganges]] river near [[Shringverpur]].