of the CKP caste. The Brahmin migration to the South features in the legends of sage Agastya. [44], During the British colonial era, the two literate communities of Maharashtra, namely the Brahmins and the CKP were the first to adopt western education with enthusiasm and prospered with opportunities in the colonial administration. The Kayasthas are regarded in Bengal, along with the Brahmins, as being the "highest Hindu castes". [34], In 17th century Maharashtra, during Shivaji's time, the so-called higher classes i.e. They used their training in law, literature, court language, accounting, litigation and many other areas to fulfil responsibilities in all these venues. [2], When the prominent Marathi historian Vishwanath Kashinath Rajwade contested their claimed Kshatriya status in a 1916 essay, the CKP writer Prabodhankar Thackeray wrote a text outlining the identity of the caste, and its contributions to the Maratha empire. [28] The suffix vanshi is derived from the Sanskrit word vansh (वंश) which translates to belonging to a particular family dynasty. Historians, while analyzing the gramanyas state "As statesmen, they were engulfed in the court intrigues and factions, and, as a result, were prone to persecution by opposing factions. [26][full citation needed]. The analysis of gramanyas against the CKP was done in depth by historians from the University of Toronto. 15 (in alphabetic order). The conversion happened after being taken as prisoners in war campaigns. The basis of the age-old veneration of Brahmans is the belief that they are inherently of greater ritual purity than members of other castes and that they alone are capable of … Kayastha Brahmins are mentioned in the alphabetic order. Brahmin is the highest Varna in Vedic Hinduism. We are obviously rich in samples from South India. 15 (due to alphabetic order). [25][26][27], According to Merriam-Webster, the word Kāyastha is probably formed from the Sanskrit kāya (body), and the suffix -stha (standing, being in). When any of my extended family children marry out of caste or religion, I may not hotly oppose but I would not encourage either…Internally I would thank my stars that my children did not do the same.” he … In fact, epigraphical evidences i.e. Gradually, the North Indian branch of Kayasthas consolidated into a distinct caste-like community somewhere around the 11th- 12th centuries CE[5] maintaining Chitragupta - the divine scribe as their grand ancestor. Bhatnagar, Mathur,Srivastava, Sinha,Ghosh, Bose, Mazumdar, Hazarika are the prominent gotras in Kayastha. "dispute involving the supposed violation of the Brahmanical ritual code of behavior" were very common in that era and some Chitpawans, at times, initiated Gramanyas against other communities – Prabhu communities(CKP, Pathare Prabhu), Saraswats and Shukla Yajurvedis. Ritually ranked very high, they may be considered socially proximate to the Maharashtrian Brahmin community. A Kayastha, two Rajputs, a Jat, a Vokaligga and a Khatri became Prime Ministers but did not last beyond a year or two. [23] The earliest epigraphic mention of Chitragupta having any connection with the Kayasthas also appears around the same period from a royal charter (dated 1115 AD) of Govindachandra of Kannauj written by a Vāstavya-Kayastha Thakkura (i.e. South Asian intellectuals and social change: a study of the role of vernacular-speaking intelligentsia by Yogendra K. Malik, page 63. However, in this time period, these three as well as other communities, depending on caste, also contributed their share to Shivaji's "Swaraj"(self-rule) by being cavalry soldiers, commanders, mountaineers, seafarers etc. Modern scholars quote statements that show that they were due to political malice – especially given that the Gramanya was started by a certain Yamaji Pant who had sent an assassin to murder a rival CKP. [6], Over the centuries, the occupational histories of Kayasthas largely revolved around scribal services. Kayastha Brahmins are mentioned (in alphabetic order). [12][13] They held the posts such as Deshpandes and Gadkaris and according to the historian, B.R. Except these three castes, education for all other castes and communities was very limited and consisted of listening to stories from religious texts like the Puranas or to Kirtans and thus the common masses remained illiterate and backward. [14][58][59], They have Vedic thread ceremonies("munja" in Marathi) for male children and a death pollution period of 10 days. [60], They worship Ganesh, Vishnu and other Hindu gods. [45][46][full citation needed], The British era of the 1800s and 1900s saw the publications dedicated to finding sources of CKP history[47] These are the Goud Saraswat Brahmin and the CKP. [29] Educationally and professionally, 20th century research showed that the Saraswat, CKP, Deshastha and Chitpawan were quite similar. in fact i would like to share … Kayastha (also referred to as Kayasth or Kayeth) is a caste or community of Hindus originating in India. The Kayastha Brahmins are mentioned at sl.no. Newar caste system is the system by which Newārs, the historical inhabitants of Kathmandu Valley, are divided into groups on the basis of Vedic varna model and divided according to their hereditary occupations. [14], Traditionally, in Maharashtra, the caste structure was headed by the Brahmins castes – the deshasthas, chitpawans, karhade, saraswats and the CKPs. [15] Other than the Brahmins, the Prabhus (CKPs and Pathare Prabhus) were the communities advanced in education. Every Brahmin Prime Minister completed his term. [1][c]Historically, they made equally good warriors, statesmen as well as writers. [43], In 1801-1802 CE (1858 Samvat), a Pune-based council of 626 Brahmins from Maharashtra, Karnataka and other areas made a formal declaration that the CKPs are twice-born (upper caste) people who are expected to follow the thread ceremony(munja). The Kayastha Brahmins are mentioned at sl.no. [10][11], According to Romila Thapar, Kayastha were a "powerful component of the upper bureaucracy and.... (though ranked lower than Brahmins) were on occasions highly respected as royal biographers and composers of lengthy inscriptions" and "inviting Kayasthas as professional scribes was (another) indicator of an established kingdom" in the early North India. The Bengali Brahmin is more like the North Indians. Kayastha (otherwise called Lala/Kaith) is an upper-level caste of Hindu people group living in India. He also cited documents from Banares and Pune Brahmins ratified by Bajirao II himself that proved their rights over the Vedas. one scripture that explicitly called them Chandraseniya Kshatriyas. The Kayastha Brahmins are mentioned at sl.no. It has a large database of NRI Hindu Matrimonial profiles from different countries like Australia, Pakistan, USA etc. The reasoning is simple. According to P. K. Varma, "education was a common thread that bound together this pan Indian elite" and almost all the members of these communities could read and write English and were educated "beyond school"[55], The mother tongue of most of the community is now Marathi, though in Gujarat they also communicate with their neighbours in Gujarati, and use the Gujarati script,[56] while those in Maharashtra speak English and Hindi with outsiders, and use the Devanagari script. The CKPs, described as a traditionally well-educated and intellectual group, came into conflict with Marathi Brahmins at least 350 years ago over their rights to be teachers and scholars. [24], The CKPs have traditionally been placed in the Kshatriya varna[25][26][27][28] and also followed Brahmin rituals, like the sacred thread (Janeu) ceremony[1][29][a] As another example of similarity with the Brahmin rituals, the observation of the period of mourning and seclusion by person of a deceased's lineage by the CKPs has traditionally been for 10 days although Kshatriyas generally observe it for 12 days. [3][4][5][6][7] They have traditionally been an elite and literate but a numerically small community. The Gaekwads of Baroda and the Bhosale of Nagpur gave preference to CKPs in their administration. the new generation brahmins espectially … Chitraguptavanshi Kayastha, also referred as North Indian Kayastha, denotes a subgroup of Hindus of the Kayastha community that are mainly concentrated in the Hindi Belt of North India. Rahul Sankrityayana, Naye Bharat ke Naye Neta, 1943, Allahabad, page 327-335. Srivastava branch of Kayastha) named Jalhaṇa. [38] They did not come to fruition however. Sale of liquor was banned by the Brahmin administrators to the Brahmins, CKPs, Pathare Prabhus and Saraswat Brahmins but there was no objection to other castes drinking it or even to the castes such as Bhandaris from manufacturing it. [29] According to Brahmanical literature, Chitragupta had two wives- Shobhavati, who was daughter of a Brahmin Susharma, and Nandini, who was daughter of a Kshatriya Shradhadev Manu, respectively and the descendants of their 12 sons form the 12 sub-groups of this community. [10][32]University of Toronto historians and Professors Emeriti, Milton Israel and N.K Wagle opine about this as follows in their analysis: The CKP could undertake the six functions (satkarma) because they had the expertise to do so. The Saraswats are a sub-group of Hindu Brahmins of India who trace their ancestry to the banks of the Rigvedic Sarasvati River.The Saraswat Brahmins are mentioned as one of the five Pancha Gauda Brahmin communities. These individuals based their opinion on the belief that no true Kshatriyas existed in the Kali Yuga; however the upanayana for CKPs were supported by prominent Brahmin arbitrators like Gaga Bhatt and Ramshastri Prabhune who gave decisions in the favor of the community. Aba Parasnis the CKP[in the early 1800s] could easily hold his own and argue intricate points from the vedas, puranas and the dharmasastras in a debate which resulted in his composition of the siddhantavijaya in sanskrit.He prepared the sanskara manual(karmakalpadruma), which was published by Pratapsimha. For example, a Shilahara inscription around A.D. 1088 mentions the names of a certain Velgi Prabhu. According to Historian and researcher S.Muley, these epigraphs might be the first available evidences of the existence of the CKP in Maharashtra. [36][37], During the Peshwa era, the CKP's main preceptor or Vedic Guru was a Brahmin by the name of Abashastri Takle, who was referred to by the CKP community as "Gurubaba". the Marathi Brahmins, CKPs and Saraswat Brahmins, due to social and religious restrictions were the only communities that had a system of education for males. engravings from the Shilahara times have been found in Deccan to prove that many CKPs held high posts and controlled the civilian and military administration. The book 'Prabhu Kul Deepika' gives the gotras (rishi name) and pravaras etc. [20][21], The name Chandraseniya may be a corruption of the word Chandrashreniya, meaning from the valley of the Chenab River (also known as "Chandra"). [1][e][61] Many CKP clans have Ekvira temple at Karle as their family deity whereas others worship Vinzai, Kadapkarin, Janani as their family deity[62], The CKPs share many common rituals with the upper-caste communities and the study of Vedas and Sanskrit. On the other hand, their influence in the court meant that they could wield enough political clout to effect settlements in favor of their caste.". The large majority of the Kayastha practice Hinduism, the ancient religion of the Indian subcontinent. Similarly, the famous jurist Ramshastri Prabhune also supported the CKPs Vedokta. I have no faith in religious rituals practised nor I have a thread…Yet internally I have a feeling of superiority as I belong to this class due to birth in a brahmin family. quote on page 8: They have the "upanayana" ceremony, and so, they have the Vedadhikar – the right to read the Vedas. That’s approximately 4.3 percent of the total Indian population. [9], Apparently, the emergence of Kayasthas challenged the monopoly of Brahmins on intellectual occupations. According to Christian Novetzke, in medieval India, Kayastha in certain parts were considered either as Brahmins or equal to Brahmins. The Brahmin families that migrated made an impact peacefully by example rather than converting people by any means. He claims to be Vālabha-Kayastha as he hailed from Vallabhi. [14] Many are devotees of Sai Baba of Shirdi. Unlike most upper-caste Marathi communities however, the CKPs, through their interaction with Muslims and residence in the coastal Konkan region, have adopted a diet which includes meat, fish, poultry and eggs. Several religious councils and institutions have subsequently stated the varna status of Chitraguptvanshi Kayasthas to … This was noted by Gangadharshastri Dikshit who gave his verdict in favor of the CKPs. [14], The CKP claim descent from Chandrasen, an ancient kshatriya king of Ayodhya and of the Haihaya family of the lunar Kshatriya Dynasty. [8] The CKP also performed three Vedic karmas (duties) which in sanskrit are called: Adhyayan- studying of the Vedas, yajna- ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras and dāna – alms or charity. Kayasthas are considered to be members of the … However, she also criticizes these communities by concluding that until the 20th century, the Marathi Brahmin, CKP and Saraswat Brahmin communities, due to their upper-caste ritualistic norms, traditionally discouraged widow remarriage. The Sanskrit dictionary at Hindunet.org defines Kayastha as follows: ka_yastha, ka_yata a man belonging to the writer-caste; a tribe of bra_hman.as whose employment is writing (Ka.)(Ka.lex.). The Vindhya mountain range in central India continued to grow higher showing its might and obstructed cloud movement causing draught. For example, Kshemendra's 11th century work Narmamālā narrates the adventures of an ambitious, greedy and ignorant Kayastha who manages to become a minister and as a result ruined the whole country. In the pre-colonial era of Bengal, Baidyas were regarded as the highest Hindu castes, along with Bengali Brahmins and Kayasthas.. History. [48], Rango Bapuji Gupte, the CKP representative of the deposed Raja Pratapsinh Bhosale of Satara spent 13 years in London in the 1840s and 50s to plead for restoration of the ruler without success. This theory states that the word Kayastha originates from the term Kaya Desha, an ancient name for the region around Ayodhya. many attempts are made to tamper the kayastha status by rest of people for nothing. In this text, Gramanyachya Sadhyant Itihas, he wrote that the CKPs "provided the cement" for Shivaji's swaraj (self-rule) "with their blood". The population of India that is considered a member of the Brahmin caste according to the article “The Joshua project” is about 60,481,000 people. Click to enlarge! What Are Their Beliefs? In the final Gramanya, started by Neelkanthashastri and his relative Balaji Pant Natu, a rival of the CKP Vedic scholar V.S.Parasnis at the court of Satara, the Shankaracharya himself intervened as arbiter and he gave his verdict by fully endorsing the rights over Vedas for the CKP. Traditionally, the CKPs have the upanayana (thread ceremony) and have been granted the rights to study the vedas and perform vedic rituals along with the Brahmins. The evidence so far shows that it has not been possible to forge a durable consensus on a caste other than the Brahmin for the job of Prime Minister of India. 15 (in alphabetic order). [1], The Kayasthas are mentioned as an office (not a caste) as early as the first century C.E. [49], At times, there were Gramanyas, also known as "Vedokta disputes", initiated by certain individuals who tried to stop CKP rights to Upanayana. Initially, the term Kayastha seems to have referred to an occupational class[4] and not a distinct social group. This resulted in distress in the lives of widows from these castes as opposed to widows from other Marathi Hindu castes. [29][30], According to a letter written by the Shankaracharya, who confirmed the 'Vedadhikar' of the CKPs, the title Prabhu, which means high official, must have been given to the CKPs by the Shilahar kings of Konkan. [22], During the times of the Shilahara dynasty of Konkan (around the 10th century), the Silhara kings were known to invite for settlement into their lands, Brahmins and Kshatriyas of the northern Indo-Gangetic valley. [12] She also notes that "as recipients of office and holders of grants of land, brahmanas, kayasthas, and sreshtins (wealthy merchants) were moving into a cultural circle which attempted to diffuse a Sanskritic culture but not invariably with impressive results." More than 1 lakhs NRI Hindu Brides and NRI Hindu Grooms are registered on India’s most trusted matchmaking site MatrimonialsIndia.Com. The gramanyas during the Peshwa eras finally culminated in the favor of the CKPs as the Vedokta had support from the Shastras and this was affirmed by two letters from Brahmins from Varanasi as well as one from Pune Brahmins ratified by Bajirao II himself. As indicated by the Puranas, the Kayasthas release managerial capacities. The Sanskrit dictionary at Hindunet.org defines ‘Kayastha’ as follows: After their escape, conversions back to Hinduism were done using Brahminical rituals performed after authorization by the Brahmins, under the minister "Panditrao". Saptahik Vivek, 2009. p. 271, आधुनिक महाराष्ट्राची जडणघडण : शिल्पकार चरित्रकोश, खंड ३, भाग १, विज्ञान व तंत्रज्ञान, (in Marathi). According to tradition the Kayastha were created by Brahmin to help the god of death Dharamraj keep records of good and bad deeds. Thus, they were accepted back not only into Hinduism but also the CKP community. The Bengali Kayasthas are subdivided into numerous clans in that region, of which the Kulin is a high-ranking example. They even demanded privileges of the Brahmin order – the rights to conduct the vedic rituals(all by themselves) and satkarma(all six karmas of the Brahmin order) for which they were opposed especially by the Chitpawans. Abashastri Takle had used the scriptures to establish their "Vedokta". ), and Brahmin groups (e.g., Pandits) in their area who are theoretically higher in caste status. The CKP as an educated elite therefore, were a serious challenge to the Brahman monopoly of Vedokta. [2][39][40][41], As the Maratha empire/confederacy expanded in the 18th century, and given the nepotism of the Peshwa of Pune towards their own Chitpavan Brahmin caste, CKP and other literal castes migrated for administration jobs to the new Maratha ruling states such as the Bhosale of Nagpur, the Gaekwads, the Scindia, the Holkars etc.,[33][42] A number of CKP families also served the semi-independent princely states in Maharashtra and other regions of India, such as Baroda. Lakshmana Prabhu is mentioned as a MahaDandanayaka (head of military) and MahaPradhana (prime minister); Ananta-Prabhu is mentioned as a MahaPradhana (prime minister), Kosadhikari (Head of treasury) and Mahasandhivigrahika (charge of foreign department). Historian Bijay Chandra Mazumdar suggests that the Baidyas owe … [57], The CKP historically performed three "vedic karmas"(studying vedas, fire sacrifice, giving alms) as opposed to full("Shatkarmi") Brahmins who performed six vedic duties which also include accepting gifts, teaching Vedas to other and performing vedic rites for others. [14] Indeed, Kayasthas had earned some reputation for being deceitful and thus became a target of many works of medieval Indian satire. [7][8] Kayasthas were also responsible for writing Indic eulogies, known as prashastis for Hindu kings prior to Turkic invasions of North India. Divekar, V.D., 1978. quote from page 14: Rubbing shoulders with the portraits of the Gods and Goddesses would be pictures of Ram Maruti Maharaj or Gajanan Maharaj(both CKP Swamis, whose samadhis are at Kalyan and Nasik respectively)....Almost every C K.P home will have either a coloured or a black-and-white portrait of Sai Baba of Shirdi... CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (. The Brahmin wrath that Gandhi perhaps feared has been tempered over the decades; from 25 per cent of MPs in 1952, Brahmins make up less than 10 per cent of Parliament now. The CKP as an educated elite therefore, were a serious challenge to the Brahman monopoly of Vedokta. Nonetheless, the overall trend is clear. Dec 1930) gives a list of north Indian princely families that belonged to the CKP caste. But there is a subtle skew toward the distant Bangladesh cluster. [24] Similar epigraphic records mention Māthuranvaya-Kayastha (Mathur) and Naigama-Kayastha (Nigam) holding important administrative positions under the Chahamana and Paramara dynasties. [16], According to K. Leonard, "Kayasthas are an example of the social mobility of a caste through association with a ruler, rather than through Sanskrtization (emulation of Brahmin culture) or through military conquest (like Rajputs)". Gramanyas i.e. For example, Dr.Christine Dobbin's research concludes that the educationally advanced communities in the 1850s – the CKPS, Pathare Prabhus, Saraswats, Daivadnya Brahmin and the Parsis were the first communities in the Bombay Presidency that allowed female education. greater scrutiny and competition for state largesse, not least from within the Chitnis household ... ‘The Maratha Brahmin Model in South India’; Kruijtzer, ‘Madanna, Akanna, and the ... of Kayastha service within the Maratha bureaucratic apparatus. [64], "CKP" redirects here. They are also known as the Kulina Kayasthas. At the time of the Indian rebellion of 1857, Rango tried to raise a rebel force to fight the British but the plan was thwarted and most of the conspirators were executed.However, Rango Bapuji escaped from his captivity and was never found. The Shankaracharya's letter is addressed to all Brahmins and he refers to various Shastras, earlier verdicts in the favour of the CKPS as well as letters about the lineage of the CKP to make his decision and void the dispute started by Natu. This individual seems less East Asian than even the typical Bengali Brahmin, but I think Bengali Brahmins can be modeled as North Indian Brahmin with non-Brahmin (and therefore East Asian) ancestry. Another publication, "Kayastha-mitra"(Volume 1, No.9. The decline in the proportion of Brahmins in the Lok Sabha has been especially sharp since 1984, when it was 19.9 per cent; the figure fell to 12.44 per cent in 1998 and 11.3 per cent in 1999. Hence Shivaji was compelled to use people from these three educated communities - Marathi Brahmins, CKPs and Saraswat Brahmins - for civilian posts as they required education and intellectual maturity. [52][53][54], According to the studies by D.L.Sheth, the former director of the Center for the Study of Developing Societies in India (CSDS), educated upper castes and communities - Punjabi Khatris, Kashmiri Pandits, CKPs, the Chitpawans, Nagar Brahmins, South Indian Brahmins, Bhadralok Bengalis, etc., along with the Parsis and upper crusts of the Muslim and Christian society were among the Indian communities in 1947, at the time of Indian independence, that constituted the middle class and were traditionally "urban and professional" (following professions like doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, etc.).