Youdheya Kingdom

Yodheya (alias Yaudheya, Yauddheya) was a kingdom that lied close to the kingdom of the Pandavas. They have taken part in the Kurukshetra War, siding with the Kauravas. Pandava king Yudhisthira had a son named "Yaudheya". It is not clear if he belonged to the Yaudheya tribe. There is some speculation that the Yaudheyas were linked to the Yadava chief Yuyudhana, otherwise known as Satyaki and thus were a Yadava tribe, where as other evidences link them to Rajputs (See Yaudheya).

References in Mahabharata

"There is no mention in Mahabharata linking Yaudheyas with the Yadava chief Satyaki who was an ally of the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War. In fact many references make them allied to the Kauravas the enemies of the Pandavas."

Tributes to king Yudhisthira

"Yaudheyas were mentioned in the list of tribes giving tribute to the Pandava king Yudhisthira during his Rajasuya sacrifice."

The Kairatas, the Daradas, the Darvas, the Suras, the Vaiamakas, the Audumvaras, the Durvibhagas, the Kumaras, the Paradas along with the Vahlikas, the Kashmiras, the Ghorakas, the Hansakayanas, the Sivis, the Trigartas, the Yauddheyas, the ruler of Madras and the Kaikeyas, the Amvashtas, the Kaukuras, the Tarkshyas, the Vastrapas along with the Palhavas, the Vashatayas, the Mauleyas along with the Kshudrakas, and the Malavas, the Paundrayas, the Kukkuras, the Sakas, the Angas, the Vangas, the Punras, the Sanavatyas, and the Gayas—these good and well-born Kshatriyas distributed into regular clans and trained to the use of arms, brought tribute unto Pandava king Yudhishthira by hundreds and thousands. (2:51).

Yudhisthira's son Yaudheya

"This is the only reference linking Yaudheyas to the Pandavas."
Yudhishthira, having obtained for his wife Devika, the daughter of Govasana of the Saivya tribe, in a self-choice ceremony, begat upon her a son named Yaudheya (1:95). The verse in Mahabharata is same as in Matsya Purana but their it refers to Yaudheya, son of Prativindhya, son of Yudhisthara. Other son of Yudhisthara is called Devaka, his grandson is called Yaudheya. Nalanda Shabda kosha indicates Yaudheya as descendents of Yudhisthara. The Yaudheya kingdom coins claim descent from Dharmaraja, name for Yudhisthara. As per Altekar & Muzumdar, Yaudheyas are in Kushana times allied with Malavas and Arjunayanas as a federation of three with coins celebrating this fact linking it to their ancestors, the brothers Dharma, Bhima and Arjuna.

In Kurukshtera War

"Yaudheyas were mentioned as allied with the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War. It is not clear if there were another Yaudheya tribe allied to the Pandavas."

Arjuna of white steeds despatched, the Yaudheyas, the Parvatas, the Madrakas, and the Malavas also, to the regions of the dead (7:158). With his shafts, Yudhishthira began to slay the Amvashthas, the Malavas , the brave Trigartas and the Sivis. And cutting off the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Valhikas, and the Vasatis, he caused the earth to be miry with flesh and blood. And he also despatched within a trice, by means of many shafts, to region of the dead, the Yaudheyas, the Malavas , and large numbers,of the Madrakas (7:154). The Kekeyas, the Malavas , the Madrakas the Dravidas of fierce prowess, the Yaudheyas, the Lalittyas, the Kshudrakas, the Usinaras, the Tundikeras, the Savitriputras, the Easterners, the Northerners, the Westerners, and the Southerners, have all been slain by Arjuna (8:5).

See also

Kingdoms of Ancient India

References

*Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli