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Book No. – 19 (Ancient History)
Book Name – Aryanisation of India (Nripendra Kumar Dutt)
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Tribes and Kingdoms of the Rigveda
Chapter – 6
Bharata
The most important Rigvedic tribe is presented as the Bharatas.
In later times, their name is said to have been extended to the whole country as Bharatavarsha or India.
The Bharatas were settled in the region between the Saraswati and the Jumna rivers.
They fought both Aryan rival tribes to the west and non-Aryan enemies to the east.
Their princes are described as performing sacrifices on the Saraswati, Drishadvati, and Apaya rivers in the region later known as Kurukshetra.
Military success of Bharata rulers, combined with the poetic fame of their Rishis, helped their religious traditions gain recognised supremacy.
The Vedic fire god Agni is associated with the Bharatas and called Bharata, meaning belonging to them.
Bharati is described as the protecting goddess of the Bharatas.
Bharati is frequently linked with the sacred river Saraswati, showing the centrality of that region in Bharata culture.