Overview
Yadav is a term used to describe a grouping of non-elite, peasant-pastoral castes in India and Nepal who, since the 19th and 20th centuries, have claimed descent from the legendary king Yadu. The label has emerged as part of a broader movement of social and political resurgence, and "Yadav" is now commonly adopted as a surname by members of such communities. These include the Ahir of the Hindi belt and the Gavli of Maharashtra, among others.
Historically, groups such as the Ahir, Gopi and Goala occupied an ambiguous ritual status within caste stratification. From the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries onwards, the Yadav movement sought to improve the social standing of its constituents through several strategies. These included Sanskritisation, adoption of "Yadav" as a common surname, active participation in the armed forces, expansion into more prestigious business fields, and engagement in electoral politics.
Yadav leaders and intellectuals have often emphasised the community's claimed descent from Yadu and from Krishna, arguing that this lineage confers caste Hindu status upon them. Considerable effort has been invested in recasting the group's narrative to highlight a martial character. The movement, however, has not generally been framed in overtly egalitarian terms with reference to the wider Indian caste system.
In the realm of agrarian reform, Yadavs benefited from the abolition of the zamindari system in some states of north India, such as Bihar, though not to the same degree as members of certain other Upper Backward Castes. The community's trajectory across social, economic and political domains reflects a sustained engagement with questions of identity, status and mobility within Indian society.
References
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article on Yadav.