Kayastha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Castes of India | |
| Kayasthas | |
| Classification | Caste/Brahmin/Kshatriya |
| Subdivisions | twelve main clans |
| Significant populations in | Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Assam and Nepal |
| Languages | Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Oriya and Assamese |
| Religions | Hinduism |
Kāyastha or Kayasth (scribe / administrator) is a Indo-Aryan clan (Maha-parivar).
Contents |
[edit] Mythological Origins
The Kayastha trace their genealogy from “Adi Purush” Shri Chitraguptaji Maharaj. It is said that after Lord Brahma had created the four Varnas (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras), Yama requested Lord Brahma to help him record the deeds, good and evil, of men, and administer justice.
Lord Brahma went into meditation for 11, 000 years and when he opened his eyes he saw a man holding pen and ink-pot in his hands and a sword girdled to his waist. Lord Brahma 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.” Brahma then enjoined him to dispense justice and punish those who violated the dharma (duties). Thus, the Kayasthas were accorded a dual caste, Brahmin (learned)/Kshatriya (warrior).
In the legends of Shree Chitraguptaji Maharaj, he is referred to as Kshatriya of great prowess and a king, while the rest are rajakas or little kings. In the Garud Puran, Chitragupta is hailed as the first man to give the script.
- "Chitragupta namastubhyam vedaksaradatre"
- (Obeisance to Chitragupta, the giver of letters)
The Rig Veda mentions an invocation to be made to Chitragupta before offering sacrifice. There is also a special invocation to Chitragupta as Dharmraj (Lord of Justice) to be made at the performance of shradh ot other rituals.
- "Om tat purushaya vidmahe Chitragupta dhimahi tena lekha prachodayata."
The priests also pay reverence to Shri Chitragupta :
- "Yamam Dharmarajya Chitraguptaya vain namah."'
[edit] History
The Anthropological Survey of India, conducted during the pre-independence British era states that the Kayastha community arose during the Mauryan period as administrators.
The economic status of the kayastha community escalated when the Muslims conquered India. The Brahmins would typically not find employment under the Muslim rulers, as they could not learn the Muslim languages of Farsi and Arabi. On the other hand, the Kayastha community as a whole traditionally put a lot of emphasis on education and prospered during the Islamic period of India. The kayasthas also adopted some of the habits of the Islamic rulers, such as drinking wine and eating meat, these habits eventually became widespread in many hindu communities.
[edit] Kayasthas down the ages
It is important to note that like Jews in Medieval Europe, Kayasthas were valued in the second millennia by most kingdoms and princely states as desired citizens or immigrants within India. They were treated more as a race rather than a caste because they developed expertise in Persian (the state language in Islamic India), learnt Turkish and Arabic, economics, administration and taxation. This gave them an edge over the Brahmins (the priestly caste), who traditionally had reserved the study of Sanskrit shastras to themselves. The Kayasthas' primary attachment was to their knowledge and not to the dictum of priests. They successfully adapted themselves as scribes and functionaries under Islamic rule and later on under the British. Their secular viewpoint to life, adaptability and lifestyle was an asset which allowed them to succeed. The Kayastha community also adapted to changes, such as the advent of the British rule in India. They learnt English, the more affluent ones sent their children to England, they became civil servants, tax officers, junior administrators, teachers, legal helpers and barristers. They rose to the highest positions accessible to natives in British India.
[edit] Kayasthas in modern India
Post independence Kayasthas rose to the highest positions including the first President of India, judges, top civil servants and high ranking officers in the Indian armed forces. Kayasthas also emigrated to the West in the 1970s and 80s, most of them as knowledge workers in medicine, academia, engineering, computing etc.
[edit] Subcastes
Modern day Kayasthas probably number around 5-7 million. They are subdivided into following 12 main sub-castes:
- Srivastava
- Asthana
- Bhatnagar
- Ambashtha
- Karna
- Guod
- Saxena
- Nigam
- Kulshreshtha
- Mathur
- Surdhwaja
- Valmik
- ghosh
[edit] Aspects of Kayastha culture
[edit] Endogamy
In older days, Kayasthas practiced family exogamy and caste endogamy preferring to marry only within their sub-castes. While things have changed and inter-caste marriages are common now, people still prefer to marry in the same caste or sub-caste.
[edit] Worship
Kayasthas worship Chitragupta and on Bhai-Dooj (two days after Diwali and Holi), they celebrate Kalam-Dawaat Pooja (pen, ink-pot and sword worship), a ritual in which pens, papers and books are worshipped. They devote this day to Chitragupta.
[edit] Geographic distribution
[edit] Prominent Kayasthas
[edit] See also
- Forward Castes
- Srivastava
- Brahma
- Chitragupta
- Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu
- Mathur, Kayastha
- Bhatnagar
- Kayastha castes
[edit] References
- "Yama Samhita" : Brahmkayasamudrabhuto kayastho brahmsangyakah
Kalaouhi kshatriyastamsaya jayaeyagayu rajatam - "Garur Purana" : Dharmraja Chitraguptah shravano bhaskaradayah
Kayastha tatra pashyanti papam punyam cha sarva - "Yajur Veda", Astambh Shakha, Chaturkhanda, Yama Vichar Prakaran" : Savarochisentare purvam chaitravansam smudbhavah
Suratho nama raja bhutam samaste chitimandale - "Justice Jawala Prasad and Justice Buckmill" : AIR 1927, Patna 145
