Ahir

Ahir or Aheer (derived from the Sanskrit word: abhira) is a community of traditionally non-elite pastoralists in India, most of whom now use the Yadav surname, as they consider the two terms synonymous. The Ahirs are variously described as a caste, a clan, a race, and/or a tribe.

Yadavs are a grouping of non-elite, peasant-pastoral castes in India that, since the 19th and 20th centuries, have claimed descent from the legendary king Yadu as a part of a movement of social and political resurgence. The term "Yadav" is now commonly used as a surname by members of such communities, such as the Ahir of the Hindi belt and the Gavli of Maharashtra.

The Dhangars is a caste or clan whose members are found in the Indian states of Maharashtra, northern Karnataka, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh. They are referred to as Gavli Dhangars in northern Maharashtra (Khandesh region) and the forested hill tracts of India's Western Ghats. There are many distinct Gavli castes in Maharashtra, and Dhangar Gavli is one of them.