Kayasthas is a caste or community / Tribes of Hindus originating in India. Kayastha means an "Administrator" or a Learned person in Sanskrit, in some some terms it is also described as a scribe , Good writers , reflecting the caste's traditional role as an official writer and administrators of the state.[1] Kayasthas are Indo-Aryan people and have historically occupied high government officials, serving as ministers, Kings , Governors and advisors under several medieval Indian kingdoms and in important administrative positions during the British Raj. In modern times, they have attained success in politics, as well as in the arts and various professional fields. They play a very vital role in this society and hold an important and respected status. [2]
Kayasthas are one the few castes that is mentioned in vedas and puranas and considered as an ancient caste of Hinduism. They are also known as the Devputras , Chitransha or Dharmarajputras ,As According to the Hindu scriptures known as the Puranas, Kayasthas are descended from King Lord Maharaj Chitragupta ji,[3] He is the son of Brahma , The creator of this universe according to hinduism.In the legends of Chitragupta as well as in the Vedas, he is referred to as the greatest king, while the rest are "Rajakas," or little kings. चित्र इद राजा राजका इदन्यके यके सरस्वतीमनु । पजजन्य इव ततनद चि वर्ष्टजया सहस्रमयुता ददत ॥ RIG VEDA Book 8/ Hymn 21/ Stanza 18.Brahma enjoined him with Lord King Yamraj (God of Death) to dispense justice and punish those who violated the dharma , as Dharmaraj.Lord king Chitragupta is the deity responsible for recording the deeds of humanity, upholding the rule of law and judging whether human beings go to heaven or hell. He is holding a pen in his hand and a sword girdled in his waist, by this the pen signifies the fair judgement by protecting the law (Dharma) wisely and systematically and the sword signifies the strong punisher as a king's rule (Raj)and correct punishment strictly with a strong disciplinary , As a result he and his progeny kayasthas are also known as Brahma-Kshatriya(learned warriors). Thus, the Kayasthas were accorded a dual caste status and come under both Brahmin/Kshatriya , according to the Ancient Vedas and scriptures.[4]
Though inspite of several contributions and statements ,The exact varna status of Kayasthas has been a subject of debate.[5] According to multiple accounts, they are a literate and educated class of Kshatriyas,[6][7] and have been referred to as a twice-born sacred thread wearing caste "whose claims to Kshatriya status need not be caviled at".[8] Other sources rank Kayasthas even higher than Kshatriyas, referring to them as "a caste between Brahmins and Kshatriyas"[9] and "a mixed caste" that includes Brahmins and Kshatriyas. The main reasons behind that confusion is because of variations and expansions in this particular caste , as this caste is containing a huge population and covering almost whole of the india. According to deep research through ancient/ modern facts The kayasthas are mainly Divided into three parts
The Brahma Kayasthas - The Raj kayasthas - The Lal kayasthas
The Brahma kayasthas: They are the supreme and superior of of all kayasthas.The direct desendents of god. they are through lord brahma as the direct son of lord chitragupta. Their varna is a supreme form of Brahmans.
All twelve sons of Adi-Purush shree Chitragupta ji maharaj comes under this sect of kayasthas.They are also called Dev-putras.
The Raj Kayasthas: They are the second form and also known as Rajanya kayasthas or Rajyasthas. Basically they are the sons of the devputras who are mainly involved in administrations and governing. Kingship is the main option for them and they are good fighters and warriors and have very advanced knowledge of martial arts with the swords and other weapons.They are having deep knowledge of war. As a result they follow Kshatriya dharma and protect dharmas , by this they are also called Dharma-rajputras.
The lal Kayasthas: They are the third form and they are the sons who are deeply involved with learning and intellectual-ship.They are mainly officers ,teachers and highly learned peoples. Red coloured ink is mostly used by officers of higher grade and authorities for special cause, as a result they got the name lal-kayasthas. Finally, They got the Ansh of lord chitragupta so they are also called Chitr-ansha, A part of chitraguptji.
The common factor is that All Kayasthas believes in Param pita Lord Shree Chitraguptaji maharaj and worshipes Maa chandi devi as Kul devi (lordess form of Maa Durga ji).
[2][10] Apart from them some Kayasthas have claimed Brahmin status,* The Sanskrit dictionary at Hindunet.org defines Kayastha as follows:
ka_yastha, ka_yata a man belonging to the Administrative caste; a tribe of bra_hman.as whose employment is Writing-learning Administrations.
- BRAHMINS by vedah.net is an arcticle on who the brahmins are and the various sub-groups of Brahmins. The Kayastha Brahmins are mentioned at sl.no. 15 (in alphabetic order).
- The Brahmins : A List of Brahmin Communities is an extensive list prepared by Kamat.com of all Brahmin communities in India. Kayastha Brahmins are mentioned (in alphabetic order).
- Vyoma Samhita quoted in Shabda−Kalpadrum says:
The Kayasthas have sprung from the kaya or body of Lord Brahma. They are similar in rank to Brahmans.
- Swami Vivekananda speaking on the status of Kayasthas said:
“I am the descendant of that great man at whose feet every Brahmin bows his head.”
The major differences between this ministerial class and the proper priestly class, started around 1500 years ago in the Kingdom of Kashmir, where each accused the other of misusing their power.
Few influential and liberal Kayastha God-men of the 20th century are Swami Prabhupada(Hare Krishna Movement-ISKCON), Maharshi Mahesh Yogi(Transcendental Meditation), Sri Aurobindo(Integral yoga), Paramahansa Yogananda(:of ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ fame & Kriya Yoga) and Swami Vivekananda(Vedanta).
In Bengal, Kayasthas, alongside Brahmins, are regarded as the "highest Hindu castes"[11] that comprise the "upper layer of Hindu society".[12]
In Maharashtra, the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu claim Kshatriya status through descent from a Kshatriya king of the Haihaya clan.[13]
In northern India and Pakistan, Muslim Kayasthas are descended from members of the Hindu Kayastha community that converted to Islam during the 15th-16th centuries.[14]
During the British Raj, British courts classified a mistake considering Some Kayasthas as Shudras, based largely upon the theories of Herbert Hope Risley because of some bengali kayasthas who kept surnames like Das , Das Baabu, Das Gupta etc. However, the Kayasthas of Bengal, Bombay and the United Provinces forcefully and persistently challenged this classification, producing a flood of books, pamphlets, family histories and journals to support their position of holding Brahmin-Kshatriya rank.[15]
Mythological origins
According to the Puranas, after Brahma - the god of creation - created the four varnas (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras), he was requested by Yama - the god of death - for help in recording the good and evil deeds of mankind and administering justice. Brahma went into meditation for 11,000 years, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a man holding a pen and ink-pot in his hands with a sword girdled to his waist. Brahma then spoke:
Thou hast been created from my body (kaya); therefore, shall thy progeny be known as the Kayasthas. Thou hast been conceived in my mind (chitra) and in secrecy (gupta); thy name shall also be Chitragupta.[16]
Brahma then enjoined the newly-named Chitragupta to dispense justice and punish those who violated dharma (law):
Oh son, having obtained my positive commands, thou shall be posted forever in the kingdom of Dharmaraja for the discrimination of virtue and vice! Let the religious duties prescribed for the Kshatriya caste be followed by thee according to rule.[17]
Chitragupta had two wives, Shobhavati (Iravati) and Nandani and had twelve divine sons; eight from the former and four from the latter.[18] The twelve sons started the twelve sub-castes of Kayastha:[19]
According to Kalhana's history of Kashmir, known as Rajatarangini, Kayasthas were Kings ,tax-collectors and financiers under several Kashmiri Kingdoms.[21] King Lalitaditya Muktapida, who ruled Kashmir in middle of the 8th century AD, was a Kayastha emperor of the Karkota Dynasty.
Maharaja Tikait Rai Bahadur (1760–1808) was the Diwan of Awadh from 1791 - 1796 in the regime of Asaf-u-daula. He was a Hindu Kayastha of the Saksena (saxena)sub-caste.[1] Maharaja Tikait Rai commanded the highest positions comparable to that of Raja Newal Rai, among the Hindu Diwans of Asaf-ud-daula. Maharaja Tikait Rai founded the towns of Tikait Nagar and Tikait Ganj. Saxena are part of the Kayastha clan. According to Saxena tradition, their name is derived from "Shakasena" or the "sena" (army) of "Shaka" region. Ancient belief says that Saxenas are concentrated with ancient shakas kingdom and they belongs from them. Saxenas ruled over present Ujhani, Uttar Pradesh (India) and the surrounding areas for a long time. One of the sub-sub caste (Als) of these people were Shahi Plakhnawar which translates into "Royal lineage". Their rule ended with the invasion of the Afghan Kings who later came to be known as the Nawabs of Rampur and later chose to assimilate into Pakistan when India got independence in 1947.
Raja Sitaram Ray (Bengali: রাজা সীতারাম রায়) (1658–1714) was an autonomous king, vassal to the Mughal Empire, who revolted against the Empire and established a short lived sovereign Hindu dominion in Bengal.Sitaram came from the Kashyap Das clan, one of the nine clans that constitute the Uttar Rarhi Kayasthas. The clan was settled in the Fatehsingh region of Murshidabad. Ramdas Khan Gajdani who became famous in the early 15th century by donating a golden elephant at his mother's sraddha, belonged to this family. When he grew up he used to frequent Dhaka, the provincial capital of Bengal. Shaista Khan was very much impressed with his courage and work. At that time a Pathan rebel named Karim Khan was wreaking havoc in the pargana of Satair. The Mughal faujdar had failed to suppress him and Shaista Khan was wondering how to crush the rebellion. When Sitaram came forward to subdue the rebel the governor sent him on the mission with a few thousand infantry and cavalry. Sitaram fought valiantly and Karim Khan was killed. Shaista Khan, much impressed with the success rewarded Sitaram with the jagir of Naldi pargana.
Hazarika warriors from Assam, India: Originally the title was conferred by the Ahom kingdom of medieval Assam. The Assamese community has a naming system which is loosely based on their ancestors' profession during Ahom kings' reign. During Ahom reign, a Hazarika was commander over 1000 soldiers (Hazar=1000). The surname is common to Hindu and Muslim in Assam. The great musician Dr Bhupen Hazarika is the most renowned personality making the surname well known in rest of India/world. The surname belong to Kayastha/Kshatrya caste commonly known as "Kalita" caste in Assam.
In Bengal, during the reign of the Gupta Empire beginning in the 4th century AD, when systematic and large-scale colonization by Aryan Kayasthas and Brahmins first took place, Kayasthas were brought over by the Guptas to help manage the affairs of state.[22] Prior to the 13th century AD, during the rule of Hindu kings, Kayasthas dominated public service and had a near-monopoly on appointments to government positions.[23]
According to Abu al-Fazl, Emperor Akbar's prime minister, Kayasthas were rulers of the Pala Empire, one of the major Middle Kingdoms of India that originated in Bengal.[24]
The rulers of the Sena Empire, which reigned over Bengal during the 11th-12th centuries AD, were Kayasthas belonging to the Gaur sub-caste.[25] The Sena Empire (Bengali: সেন, Shen) was a Hindu dynasty that ruled from Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. At its peak the empire covered much of the north-eastern region in the Indian Subcontinent. They were called Brahma-Kshatriyas,[1] as evidenced through their surname, which is derived from the Sanskrit, for "army". The Senas belonged to the 'Gaur Kayastha' sub-caste of the Chitraguptvanshi Kayastha[2] and they were Brahma-Kshatriyas. The dynasty's founder was Hemanta Sen, who was part of the Pala dynasty until their empire began to weaken. He usurped power and styled himself king in 1095 AD. His successor Vijay Sen (ruled from 1096 AD to 1159 AD) helped lay the foundations of the dynasty, and had an unusually long reign of over 60 years. Ballal Sena conquered Gaur from the Pala, became the ruler of Bengal and Delhi as well as made Nabadwip the capital. Lakshman Sen succeeded Ballal Sena in 1179 and ruled Bengal for approximately 20 years. He expanded the Sena Empire to Assam, Orissa, Bihar and probably to Varanasi. In 1203–1204 AD, the Turkic general Bakhtiyar Khilji attacked Nabadwip. Though he defeated Lakshman Sen, he failed to conquer Bengal. The Sena rulers were Hindu Kayasthas.Guha Thakurta or Guhathakurta (pronounced [ˈɡuhoʈʰakuɾt̪a]) is an Indian family name and surname found amongst Bengali Hindus.
Guhathakurtas warriors: belong to the Kayastha community, a class of Kshatriyas that originated from Kannauj, India's capital during much of the classical period, and immigrated to eastern India during the 11th century AD. Guhathakurtas are Kulin Kayasthas, the highest social rank amongst Bengali Kayasthas, and were originally accorded kulin status by King Ballal Sena. Since the Sena Dynasty, which ruled Bengal during the 11th and 12th centuries, until the Partition of India in 1947, Guhathakurtas lived in the Barisal District of present-day Bangladesh. As zamindars, the family had extensive landholdings in the region, and were prominent and influential members of Bengali society. Since 1947, most of the family has resided in the Indian state of West Bengal.Many years ago, a king named Adishura decided to perform a yajna for his son. But none of the Brahmins of the Bengal were ready to participate in that yajna, so they suggested the king to call Brahmins from Uttar Pradesh. So five Brahmins came from Kannauj to perform the yajna. To protect the Brahmins, five Kshatriya came with them. Later on, these five Kshatriyas came to known as the Kayasthas. Guha (गुह) is the surname; another name for lord Kartikeya and Thakurta is the title, which means "Protector of the God". Guhathakurta dynasty was founded by Birat Guha who came from Kanyakubja and is a descendent of Saint Kashyap. Caste Theory Among the castes found in Bengal, besides Brahmana, the highest is the Kayastha. This caste is said to have sprung from the Kshatriya caste. The Kayasthas were divided into the Uttara Rarhis, the Dakshina Rarhis and the Bangajas; the last being the original Kayastha inhabitants of Bengal and they now chiefly live in East Bengal. The Dakshina Rarhis at present have largely spread over this part of Bengal; they are subdivided into three classes, the Kulins and the Mauliks and the Bangajas. The Ghoshes, the Boses and the Mitras (three surnames of the Kayasthas) are the Kulins. The Mauliks are the Deys, the Dutts, the Kars, the Palits, the Sens, the Sinhas, the Dasses and the Guhas(Bangaja) are of the first class, the rest (which number 72) being of the 2nd class. The Guhathakurtas of the Bangaja Kayasthas are Kulin, which means royal.
The Kayastha's affinity for learning and socio-economic status, both enabled and dictated that the community develop expertise in the changing administrative policies and official languages, as different empires were established in India. With the Muslim conquest of India, the community learned and adapted to Persian, Turkic, Arabic and later Urdu. Importantly, the community created, maintained and developed empire-wide administrative practices in monetary policy, jurisprudence and taxation.[citation needed]
One of the most notable Kayasthas of the period was Raja Todar Mal, Emperor Akbar's finance minister and one of the court's nine Navaratnas, who is credited with establishing the Mughal revenue system.[26] He also translated the Bhagavata Purana from Sanskrit into Persian.[27]
Government service roles continued into the British colonial era, where many Kayasthas were the first to learn English and become civil servants, tax officers, junior administrators, teachers, legal helpers and barristers. During this period, Kayasthas were more likely than members of other communities to undertake academic training in England and often rose to the highest positions accessible to Indians. As a consequence of their relatively large proportion amongst Indian students abroad, and because many hit ceilings of progression because of racial status, community members played pivotal roles in the early political groups that questioned British rule in India.[citation needed]
The Kaithi script, developed during the 16th century and used for legal and administrative purposes in parts of North India during Mughal and British rule, derives its name from Kayastha, the community that was the script's most prevalent user.
In Bengal, Kayasthas attained very high administrative positions under Mughal rule, serving as governors, prime ministers and treasury officials. During the subsequent British Raj, Kayasthas continued to proliferate in public administration, qualifying for the highest executive and judicial offices open to Indians.[28]
As a result of their exalted status amongst Muslim sultans, many Bengali Kayasthas became zamindars and jagirdars. According to Abu al-Fazl, most of the Hindu zamindars in Bengal were Kayasthas.[29]
Maharaja Pratapaditya, the legendary King of Jessore who declared independence from Mughal rule in the early 17th century, was a Kayastha.[30]
Bengali Kayasthas also took on the role occupied by merchant castes in other parts of India and directly profited from business contacts with the British. In 1911, for example, Kayasthas and Brahmins owned 40% of all the Indian-owned mills, mines and factories in Bengal.[31]
Today, there are an estimated 800,000 Kayasthas in India, mostly engaged in professional fields such as law, business, engineering and medicine. Kayasthas that have risen to prominence since independence include the country's first president, Dr. Rajendra Prasad and former prime minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri.[2]
Kayasthas are considered a Forward Caste, as they do not qualify for any of the reservation benefits administered by the Government of India.[citation needed]
Kayastha surnames and family names include the following:
- ^ Surinder Mohan Bhardwaj (1983). Hindu Places of Pilgrimage in India: A Study in Cultural Geography. University of California Press. p. 231–. ISBN 978-0-520-04951-2. http://books.google.com/books?id=D6XJFokSJzEC&pg=PA231. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
- ^ a b c Arnold P. Kaminsky, Roger D. Long (2011). India Today: An Encyclopedia of Life in the Republic. ABC-CLIO. pp. 403–404. ISBN 978-0-313-37462-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=wWDnTWrz4O8C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA404#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
- ^ Sir Herbert Hope Risley (1892). The Tribes and Castes of Bengal: Ethnographic Glossary. Bengal Secretariat Press/British Library. p. 438. ISBN 978-1-240-90710-6. http://books.google.com/books?id=5yk-AAAAYAAJ&dq. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ D.C. Baillie, India Census Commissioner (1894). Census of India, 1891, Volume 16, Part 1. North-Western Provinces and Oudh Government Press. p. 219. http://books.google.com/books?id=JC5RAAAAYAAJ. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
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- ^ M.K. Prasad, S. Dusre (1877). The Kayastha Ethnology, an Inquiry into the Origin of the Chitraguptavansi and Chandrasenavansi Kayasthas. American Methodist Mission Press/Kessinger Publishing. pp. 8–9 (Preface). ISBN 978-1-104-31197-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=AH0IAAAAQAAJ&dq=The+Kayastha+ethnology&source=gbs_navlinks_s. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
- ^ Romesh Chunder Dutt (1893). A History of Ancient Civilization in India, Volume 2. Kegan Paul, Trench Trubner & Co. Ltd.. p. 216. http://books.google.com/books?id=fnccAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
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- ^ Nagendranath Basu, comp., Bishvakosh (repr., Delhi, 1988)
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- ^ Kumar Suresh Singh. People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part 2. p. 1046.
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- ^ Mukkamala Radhakrishna Sarma; K. D. Abhyankar; S. G. Moghe (1987). History of Hyderabad District, 1879-1950 A.D., Yugabda 4981-5052. Bharatiya Itihasa Sankalana Samiti. p. 29. http://books.google.com/books?id=6kduAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- ^ William Crooke (1990). The Tribes and Castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Volume 3. Office of the superintendent of government printing. p. 187. ISBN 978-1-141-91749-5. http://books.google.com/books?id=61Y2M9ppW64C. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
- ^ Kumar Suresh Singh; Anthropological Survey of India (2005). People of India. Anthropological Survey of India. p. 763. ISBN 978-81-7304-114-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=aBMwAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
- ^ The report on the census of Oudh. OUDH Government Press. 1869. pp. 91–. http://books.google.com/books?id=Zf0IAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA91. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- ^ Frontiers in Migration Analysis. Concept Publishing Company. pp. 175–. GGKEY:05S9DJB5SXH. http://books.google.com/books?id=mcvhwD5QZKEC&pg=PA175. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
- ^ Romesh Chunder Dutt (1893). A History of Ancient Civilization in India, Volume 2. Kegan Paul, Trench Trubner & Co. Ltd.. p. 216. http://books.google.com/books?id=fnccAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ U. A. B. Razia Akter Banu (1992). Islam in Bangladesh. Brill Academic Publishers. pp. 5–6. ISBN 978-90-04-09497-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=XyzqATEDPSgC&dq. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya (1896). Hindu Castes and Sects. Thacker, Spink & Co./Nabu Press. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-143-93343-1. http://books.google.com/ebooks?id=xlpLAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
- ^ Andre Wink (1991). Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World, Volume 1. Brill Academic Publishers. p. 269. ISBN 978-90-04-09509-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=bCVyhH5VDjAC. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
- ^ William Crooke (1990). The Tribes and Castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Volume 3. Office of the superintendent of government printing. p. 192. ISBN 978-1-141-91749-5. http://books.google.com/books?id=61Y2M9ppW64C. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
- ^ Hugh Tinker (1990). South Asia: A Short History. University of Hawaii Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-8248-1287-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=n5uU2UteUpEC&dq. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ Rahman, M.M. (2006). Encyclopaedia of Historiography. Anmol Publications. p. 168. ISBN 978-81-261-2305-6. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=RZCv3d2XUeUC&pg=PA168. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya (1896). Hindu Castes and Sects. Thacker, Spink & Co./Nabu Press. pp. 176–177. ISBN 978-1-143-93343-1. http://books.google.com/ebooks?id=xlpLAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
- ^ U. A. B. Razia Akter Banu (1992). Islam in Bangladesh. Brill Academic Publishers. pp. 24–25. ISBN 978-90-04-09497-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=XyzqATEDPSgC&dq. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ E. Lethbridge, ed. (1876). The Calcutta Review, Volume 63. Thomas S. Smith, City Press. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-154-28288-7. http://books.google.com/books?id=zm8oAAAAYAAJ. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
- ^ Raymond Lee Owens, Ashis Nandy (1978). The New Vaisyas. Carolina Academic Press. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-89089-057-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=CqUcAAAAMAAJ&q. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f Nripendra Kumar Dutt (1965). Origin and Growth of Caste in India, Volume 2. Firma K. L. Mukhopadhyay. pp. 18–19. ISBN 978-1-4437-3590-2. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=N0AwAQAAIAAJ&q. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
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