Gopa Rashtra

In the Sanskrit epics, the Gopa Rashtra (Gopa kingdom) of central and western India is believed to have been ruled by Shri Krishna. Inscriptions indicate the presence of a region by this name in the Chalukya empire (present day Maharashtra and Goa). In the Junagarh inscriptions of Skandagupta and Chalukyan records, Gopa rasthra is mentioned as the colony inhabited by the Abhir people. Kautilya states that the region was tribal corporation following the profession of agriculture and arms both. According to Mahabharata's list of kingdoms given in Bhishma Parva, chapter-9, Pandu Rashtra, Gopa Rashtra, Malla Rashtra and Ashmaka together formed the modern Maharashtra. The term Goa is derived from Goparashtra i.e. the area of Yadavas.