▁modern ▁Mah ar as ht ra ▁region ▁and ▁the ▁terms ▁Ras ht ri ka ▁and ▁Pet en ika ▁appear ▁to ▁be ▁two ▁different ▁disp la ced ▁r uling ▁tribes . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁noted ▁by ▁another ▁scholar ▁that ▁r uling ▁cl ans ▁called ▁R ath is ▁and ▁Mah ar ath is ▁were ▁in ▁power ▁in ▁parts ▁of ▁present - day ▁K arn ata ka ▁as ▁well ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁centuries ▁of ▁the ▁Christian ▁era , ▁which ▁is ▁known ▁ins cri ptions ▁from ▁the ▁region ▁and ▁further ▁proven ▁by ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁lead ▁co ins ▁from ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁ 3 rd ▁century ▁bearing ▁Sad ak ana ▁Kal al aya ▁Mah ar ath i ▁in ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁modern ▁K arn ata ka ▁region ▁near ▁Ch it rad urg a . ▁In ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁these ▁facts ▁it ▁is ▁claimed ▁it ▁can ▁no ▁longer ▁be ▁maintained ▁that ▁the ▁R ath i ▁and ▁Mah ar ath i ▁families ▁were ▁conf ined ▁only ▁to ▁present ▁day ▁Mah ar as ht ra . ▁It ▁is ▁claimed ▁there ▁is ▁sufficient ▁ins cription al ▁evidence ▁that ▁several ▁Mah ar ath i ▁families ▁were ▁related ▁to ▁K ann ad iga ▁families ▁by ▁marriage ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁n aga ▁ ▁wor sh ipp ers , ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁worship ▁very ▁popular ▁in ▁the ▁Mys ore ▁region ▁( mod ern ▁K arn ata ka ). ▁Also , ▁no ▁evidence ▁to ▁confirm ▁that ▁these ▁families ▁were ▁either ▁A ry an ▁or ▁non - A ry an ▁is ▁available . ▁ ▁The ▁ep ith