Rigvedic tribes

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The Indo-Aryan tribes mentioned in the Rigveda are described as semi-nomadic pastoralists, subdivided into villages (vish) and headed by a tribal chief (raja) and administered by a priestly caste. They formed a warrior society, engaging in endemic warfare and cattle raids among themselves and against the Dasa.

The size of a typical tribe was probably of the order of a few thousand people. The account of the Dasharajna battle (Battle of the Ten Kings) in Mandala 7 mentions 6,666 casualties in a devastating defeat of a confederation of ten tribes, suggesting that a single tribe could muster at maybe some 700-2,000 warriors on average, which would indicate an average size of maybe 3,000-6,000 of a whole tribe. While the number of 6,666 cannot of course be taken literally, and may possibly be an exaggeration, this order of magnitude is consistent with the typical size of tribes of Eurasian nomads.

List of tribes: (incomplete, please expand)

Alina (RV 7.18.7) - They were probably one of the tribes defeated by Sudas at the Dasarajna, and it was suggested that they lived to the north-east of Nurestan, because the land was mentioned by the Chinese pilgrim Hiouen Thsang.
Anu
Bhāratas
Bhrigus
Matsya
Meenas
Parsu - The Parsus have been connected with the Persians, though this view is disputed by some. This is based on the evidence of an Assyrian inscription from 844 BC referring to the Persians as Parsu, and the Behistun Inscription of Darius I of Persia referring to Parsa as the origin of the Persians.
Puru
Tritsu
Dasa, Dasyu (Dahae?, Dahyu?)
Druhyus, Ghandari
Panis (Parni?)

Rigvedic tribes

References

See also