The rich history of India`s ethnicity unfolds the fact that Abhiras are the "Non Aryan Tribes" of India who ruled in many parts of India with the Gujjars. The Sanskrit grammarians referred Abhiras as the "Mahasudras". Abhiras came to India as Scythian invaders (avar group of sakas) they entered India along with Sakas who settled in Gujarat. Initially the Abhiras settled down in Nasik and Kathiawar. Abhiras are given credit for laying the foundation of the first kingdom on the banks of the sacred river, Saraswati. On the other side of the Saraswati lived the Suras. As the Saraswati River started drying, the Abhiras and the Suras had to migrate away from their kingdom and thereby alienated from the mainstream society and hence became the tribes. It is said that Abhiras are those who have vaisya fathers and sudra mothers. In the Hindu varna system they occupy a lower position than the Vaisyas . While the Vaisyas are engaged in cow protection the abhiras protect the buffalo and are also known as ghosa. The Ahirs are the occupational successors of the Abhiras who settled in Punjab, Malwa and Khandesh. A subdivision of the modern Ahirs is the Jaduvanshi or the Yaduvanshi that is the race of the Yadavas. The yadavas consider Lord Krishna as their leader. It is possible that maybe the Abhiras who settled in some parts of Gujarat got connected with the Yadavas and this was the foundation of the claim that Krishna was of their tribe. The dialect of the Abhiras was called abhiri(ancient Sanskrit).

The epic Mahabharata also mentions the presence of the Abhiras. The rich epos unveils the fact that after the fall of the Dwarka federation when Dwarka Island was sinking in the sea then Arjuna came as the rescuer. While was taking away the yadav women of dwarka to Indraprastha, it is said that the abhiras attacked him and rescued the women and all the wealth. Nakula the Pandava General brought under the control the mighty Gramaniyan and also the shudras and Abhiras who dwelt on the bank of the river Saraswati. The gopas of Vraja are sometimes called abhiras even though they are Vaishyas. There are a variety of opinion about the origins and their invasion in India.

It has been suggested that the city of the Abhiras is the Ophir of the Bible. In Indian mythology, it is believed all Kshatriyas were killed in a holocaust led by Parashuram and it was only the Abhiras who survived by escaping between the montains. Markandeya the great sage remarked that all kshatriyas has been killed and the abhiras have survived who will rule in Kaliyug.