In the upaparva title ‘Jayadratha-vadha’, in Mahābhārata, two communities called ‘Dārva’ and Abhisāra are found to be fighting with Arjuna – dārvābhisārā daradāḥ puṇḍrāścaiva sahasrasaḥ
Elsewhere in Mahābhārata, the Abhisāra community is mentioned along with other Kashmiri tribes. They were probably living on the frontiers of Kāśmīra (Kashmir).
Elsewhere, they are mentioned along with the Dārva community, and they were together fighting on the side of Duryodhana.
Probably these people lived in the hilly region of the rivers, Jhilam and Chenub. The ancient land of Abhisāra was consisted of Punch in modern Kashmir, along with some adjacent districts, and a part of the north-western region of Punjab. During his digvijaya, Arjuna conquered this land.. That land is mentioned as Ramya (beautiful), but the name is mentioned as Abhisārī. But in the previous śloka, the name of the land called Dārva is also mentioned. They are all referred to as Kāśmiraka (belonging to Kashmir).
According to Varāhamihira, a region in north-eastern India was called Abhisāra, although the name here comes after Kāśmīra.
Another separate community called Abhiṣāha or Abhīṣāha can be found, and according to some scholars, this community is identical with ‘Abhisāra’, but here the ‘Abhīsāha; people are mentioned together with Śūrasena, Śivi and Vasāti. Arrian has probably referred to them as Abissareans. It is to be noted that they they were a hill-dwelling tribe, and they fought on the side of king Puru, against Alexander.In Rājataraṅginī, there are repeated mentions of this tribe, and they probably lived in the hilly area called Rajpuri or Rajauri.
These people were professional warriors, āyudhajvī (people who lived by the use of arms) or mercenary. So they were also found as fighting for the Pāṇḍavas, and against Bhīṣma.
In later times, an Abhisāra king, with the help of Alexander, became the king of entire Kāśmīra.