The
Pahlavas are a people mentioned in ancient Indian texts like the
Manu Smriti, various
Puranas, the
Ramayana, the
Mahabharata, and the Brhatsamhita. In some texts the Pahlavas are synonymous with the
Pallavas, a dynasty of Southern India While the Vayu Purana distinguishes between
Pahlava and
Pahnava, the Vamana Purana and Matsya Purana refer to both as
Pallava. The Brahmanda Purana and Markendeya Purana refer to both as
Pahlava or
Pallava.
Bhishama Parava Mahabharata 6.11.66 . of the Mahabharata also does not distinguish between the Pahlavas and Pallavas. The Pahlavas are said to be same as the
Parasikas. According to P. Carnegy
[1], the Pahlava are probably those people who spoke Paluvi or Pehlvi, that is the
Parthian language. Buhler similarly suggests Pahlava is an Indic form of
Parthava meaning '
Parthian'
[2]. In a 4th century BCE, Vartika of
Katyayana mentions the
Sakah-Parthavah demonstrating an awareness of these Saka-Parthians, probably by way of commerce
[3].
Pahlavas are referenced in various Puranic texts like Vayu Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Markendeya Purana, Matsya Purana, Vamana Purana etc.
The Vayu Purana, Brahamanda Purana and several other Puranas mention the Pahlavas with the tribes of Uttarapatha or north-west. The sixth century text Markendeya Purana [5] lists the Pahlavas, Kambojas, Daradas, Bahlikas, Barbaras, Tusharas, Daradas, Paradas, Chinas, Lampakas etc as the countries of Udichya division i.e Uttarapatha, but 58th chapter of the Markendeya Purana also refers to yet other settlements of the Pahlavas and the Kambojas and locates them both specifically in the south-west of India as neighbors to the Sindhu, Sauvira and Anarta (north Saurashtra) countries. Further the sixth century CE Brhatsamhita of Varaha Mihira also locates the Pahlavas and Kamboja kingdoms in south-west India i.e around Gujarat/Saurashtra [6]..
Puranas like Vayu also state that the Udichyas including the Pahlavas, Paradas, Gandharas, Sakas, Yavanas, Tusharas, Kambojas, Khasas, Lampakas, Madhyadesis, Vindhyas, Aprantas, Dakshinatyas, Dravidas, Pulindas, Simhalas etc would be proceeded against and annihilated by Kalki in Kaliyuga. And they are stated to have been annihilated by king Pramiti at the end of Kali age as per Puranic evidence.
