There are few references of Sibi or Sivi tribe in the Mahabharata epic. There was a king named Shivi, whose kingdom was also named after him. He was known for for his caring attitude. The legend about his truthfulness and compassion goes as follows: King Shivi protected a dove who was chased by a hawk (which wanted to eat the dove as its midday meal), and gave flesh from his thigh, as a substitute meal to the hawk. It is also mentioned in Mahabharata that Jayadratha also belonged to this tribe and ruled Sauvira which was close to Shivi kingdom. Jayadratha subsequently conquered Shivi also which is located in western Rajsthan. Jayadratha was an ally Duryodhan, and husband of Duryodhan’s sister Dussala. Yudhishtra’s wife (Devika) was also from Sivi tribe. Yudhishtra was king of hastinapur after the kurukshetra war. She later later begot a son to him, Yaudheya, who founded Yaudheya tribal kingdom.
The circumstances that led the Malavas in the 2nd century, B.C. to migrate towards Rajasthan seem to have compelled their neighbours, the Śivis, also to do the same. Their presence in Rajasthan is known from their coins found at Nagari near Chittor. These coins are struck in the name of the country (or Nation) of the Sibis of Madhyamika’. Dr. Tarn’s hypothesis that the Sibis “must, it seems, have been settled at Madhyamikä by Apollodotus”, does not sound convincing. Simultaneous migration of the neighbouring tribes to adjoining areas can be attributed to identical causes. No record of theirs of a period subsequent to the first century B.C. has yet been discovered.”
