✓Discovery of stone implements by anthropologists and archaeologists in the Banganga-Beas valley of Kangra, Sirsa-Sultlej valley of Nalagarh-Bilaspur, and Markanda valley of Sirmour, is a fair reason to believe that prehistoric man existed in these regions of Himachal Pradesh.
✓The prominent inhabitants of the Himalayan region which are worth mentioning -
Ancient Tribes
1. Dasas
✓Dasas (or Dasyus) were the earliest (Pre-vedic period) known inhabitants of the Shivalik Hills (Himachal).
✓They find mention even in the Rigveda.
✓They hold the entire area between the Yamuna and Beas rivers.
2. Khasas
✓The Khasas are considered to be second branch of Aryans, who preceed the vedic Aryans in coming to India.
✓They entered Himachal from the northwest and settled themselves from Kashmir to Nepal.
✓Manu, the ancient law maker, recognized Khasas as Kashtriyas.
✓Khasa community, today is distributed in Shimla,Sirmour,parts of Kullu and Kinnaur districts.
✓The majority of Khasa is a peasant and pastoral community.
3. Kunindas (or Kulindas)
✓Kulindas were hill people who lived in the area lying between the rivers Beas-Sutlej and the Yamuna (present day Shimla and Sirmour hills) and between Ambala and Saharanpur in the plains.
✓ They can be identified with present day Kanets or Kunets.
✓They had a republican form of administration.
4. Kirats
✓Kirats were low caste people who lived in the region across Yamuna and Sutlej in lower Shivaliks during the pre-Aryan times.
✓They were a well organised society with a law and order system.
✓They lived in towns and built forts.
5. Kinners or Kinnauris
✓In the puranic text and account of Hindu mythology, Kinners are described as demigods who the mountainous tracks in the high Himalayas, west of mountain Kailash.
✓Presently Kinners are located in the high altitude areas of the Kinnaur district and combines the Hindu traditions and the Lamaistic beliefs of the Buddhism.
✓The look of a Kinnaura is that of a 'half man and half horse' means the people
with 'Ashwamukha'.
✓A Kinner girl unable to find a match becomes a Jomo (a Buddhist Nun).
6. Nagas
✓Nagas were known as worshipers of serpents living in the Himalayan region.
✓The powerful kings such as Kali, Takshaka and Vasuki established their settlements.
7. Yakshas
✓Yakshas having mysterious super human powers known as tree gods, are worshiped as Jakhas by the hill people in the Himalayan region.
8. Pishachas
✓They were inhabitants of north-west frontier of Chitral, Gilgit and Kufaristan and were consumers of rawflesh.
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