50-465: The Dadheech Brahmins , more usually called Dahima and also spelled Dadhich , which is their preferred spelling, are a subgroup of Brahmins in the Indian states of Rajasthan , Gujarat , Maharashtra and Haryana . Traditional The Dadheech Brahmin caste has a myth of origin which appears first to have been recorded in the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries with the publication of
100-1047: A Brahmin family, Ramananda welcomed everyone to spiritual pursuits without discriminating anyone by gender, class, caste or religion (such as Muslims). He composed his spiritual message in poems, using widely spoken vernacular language rather than Sanskrit, to make it widely accessible. The Hindu tradition recognises him as the founder of the Hindu Ramanandi Sampradaya , the largest monastic renunciant community in Asia in modern times. Other medieval era Brahmins who led spiritual movements without social or gender discrimination included Andal (9th-century female poet), Basava (12th-century Lingayatism), Dnyaneshwar (13th-century Bhakti poet), Vallabha Acharya (16th-century Vaishnava poet), Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (14th-century Vaishnava saint) were among others. Many 18th and 19th century Brahmins are credited with religious movements that criticised idolatry . For example,
150-606: A Buddhist kingdom, states Leider, may have been because Hindu texts provide guidelines for such social rituals and political ceremonies, while Buddhist texts do not. The Brahmins were also consulted in the transmission, development and maintenance of law and justice system outside India. Hindu Dharmasastras , particularly Manusmriti written by the Prajapati Manu, states Anthony Reid, were "greatly honored in Burma (Myanmar), Siam (Thailand), Cambodia and Java-Bali (Indonesia) as
200-735: A huge majority. He was a Member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from 1952 to 1967 and 1984 to 1989 and held several important portfolios in the Government of Rajasthan. He is known for strengthening agriculture and cooperative sectors in Rajasthan. Commencing from 1972, he was returned to the Lok Sabha six times. He served in the Union Council of Ministers in 1979–80 and 1989–90. He served also as
250-523: A struggle for control from some time in the early twentieth century. This struggle became more evident in the 1950s, by which time the Jats had emerged as a significant political force in the state. Nathuram Mirdha , who was a prominent Jat politician, failed in his attempt to establish a boarding school in the temple grounds during the 1950s, then the Jats were upset in the early 1970s when the Dadheech set up
300-706: A teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor, who assisted the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya in his rise to power and is widely credited for having played an important role in the establishment of the Maurya Empire . Historical records from mid 1st millennium CE and later, suggest Brahmins were agriculturalists and warriors in medieval India, quite often instead of as exception. Donkin and other scholars state that Hoysala Empire records frequently mention Brahmin merchants who "carried on trade in horses, elephants and pearls" and transported goods throughout medieval India before
350-403: A trust to run the temple. The latter incident appears eventually to have been settled in the Dadheech's favour after a protracted legal battle. As of 2011, Jats continue to protest about the temple management but the Dadheech community remains dominant and in control, coming together both physically and emotionally from a distance in defence of their origin myth as ancestors of the goddess. One of
400-544: Is from verifiable records or archaeological evidence, and much that is constructed from ahistorical Sanskrit works and fiction. Michael Witzel writes: Current research in the area is fragmentary. The state of our knowledge of this fundamental subject is preliminary, at best. Most Sanskrit works are a-historic or, at least, not especially interested in presenting a chronological account of India's history. When we actually encounter history, such as in Rajatarangini or in
450-532: Is that of priesthood ( purohit , pandit , or pujari ) at Hindu temples or at socio-religious ceremonies, and the performing of rite of passage rituals, such as solemnising a wedding with hymns and prayers. Traditionally, Brahmins are accorded the highest ritual status of the four social classes, and they also served as spiritual teachers ( guru or acharya ). In practice, Indian texts suggest that some Brahmins historically also became agriculturalists , warriors , traders , and had also held other occupations in
500-637: The Brachmanes , and the other the Sarmanes ... Patrick Olivelle states that both Buddhist and Brahmanical literature repeatedly define "Brahmin" not in terms of family of birth, but in terms of personal qualities. These virtues and characteristics mirror the values cherished in Hinduism during the Sannyasa stage of life, or the life of renunciation for spiritual pursuits. Brahmins, states Olivelle, were
550-588: The Dadhimathi Puranam , a Sanskrit text comprising 966 verses. The publication was typical of its time, when many castes in India were forming organisations and promoting mythical origins as a response to the social and economic changes under the British Raj administration. Prior to this, the only records of Dadheech people were those of traditional geneaologist communities. The work attempts to fuse
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#1732798447382600-464: The Dadhya , may have been significant evidence in the Dadheech victory but at least equally important was the relative sophistication of the Dadheech, who by then were already entering their cosmopolitan phase and had contacts that the less privileged Parasars could not match. There is a significance to control of the temple that goes beyond the building itself, since control of that also gives control of
650-550: The Gopalavamsavali of Nepal, the texts do not deal with brahmins in great detail. According to Kalhana 's Rajatarangini (12th cent. CE) and Sahyadrikhanda (5th–13th cent. CE) of Skandapurana, Brahmins are broadly classified into two groups based on geography. The northern Pancha Gauda group comprises five Brahmin communities, as mentioned in the text, residing north of the Vindhya mountain range . Historically,
700-506: The Gupta Empire era" (3rd century to 6th century CE), when Buddhism dominated the land. "No Brahmin, no sacrifice, no ritualistic act of any kind ever, even once, is referred to" in any Indian texts between third century BCE and the late first century CE. He also states that "The absence of literary and material evidence, however, does not mean that Brahmanical culture did not exist at that time, but only that it had no elite patronage and
750-623: The 14th-century. The Pāli Canon depicts Brahmins as the most prestigious and elite non-Buddhist figures. They mention them parading their learning. The Pali Canon and other Buddhist texts such as the Jataka Tales also record the livelihood of Brahmins to have included being farmers, handicraft workers and artisans such as carpentry and architecture. Buddhist sources extensively attest, state Greg Bailey and Ian Mabbett, that Brahmins were "supporting themselves not by religious practice, but employment in all manner of secular occupations", in
800-718: The Brahmins Raja Ram Mohan Roy led Brahmo Samaj and Dayananda Saraswati led the Arya Samaj . Some Brahmins formed an influential group in Burmese Buddhist kingdoms in 18th- and 19th-century. The court Brahmins were locally called Punna . During the Konbaung dynasty , Buddhist kings relied on their court Brahmins to consecrate them to kingship in elaborate ceremonies, and to help resolve political questions. This role of Hindu Brahmins in
850-586: The Dadheech and the Parasar community, who were priests of the Dadhimati Mata Temple and probably had been for at least a century. The Parasars attempted to obtain legal recognition of their rights regarding custodianship of the temple, perhaps in reaction to a sensing that the Dadheech were becoming a more organised, mobilised community. This led to a court ruling in 1918 that they had no such rights. The inscription dating from 608 CE, which mentions
900-503: The Indian subcontinent. It seems likely that Kannauj and Middle country was the place of origin of majority of migrating Brahmins throughout the medieval centuries. Coming from Kannauj is a frequent claim among Brahmins in areas distant from Madhyadesha or Ganges heartland. The term Brahmin appears extensively in ancient and medieval Sutras and commentary texts of Buddhism and Jainism . Modern scholars state that such usage of
950-892: The Mughals, later to the British Raj. The East India Company also recruited sepoys (soldiers) from the Brahmin communities of Bihar and Awadh (in the present day Uttar Pradesh) for the Bengal army . Many Brahmins, in other parts of South Asia lived like other varna, engaged in all sorts of professions. Among Nepalese Hindus, for example, Niels Gutschow and Axel Michaels report the actual observed professions of Brahmins from 18th- to early 20th-century included being temple priests, ministers, merchants, farmers, potters, masons, carpenters, coppersmiths, stone workers, barbers, and gardeners, among others. Other 20th-century surveys, such as in
1000-611: The Nagpaur area nowadays, with many of them having already begun a process of moving away from it by the time that the Puranam was published. They were relatively well educated and so could get work as professionals or in service jobs, and it may have been their gradual dispersal that in part gave rise to the publication. Babb refers to it was a "window into the mindset of the caste's identity theorists as they found themselves confronting certain problems", including maintaining caste unity in
1050-552: The Rigveda and, both then and later, a social ideal rather than a social reality". According to Vijay Nath, in the Markandeya Purana (250 CE), there are references to Brahmins who were born into the families of Raksasas . He posits that this is an indication that some Brahmins are immigrants and some are also mixed. According to Abraham Eraly , "Brahmin as a varna hardly had any presence in historical records before
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#17327984473821100-522: The Royal tradition of Thailand , particularly for the consecration and to mark annual land fertility rituals of Buddhist kings. A small Brahmanical temple Devasathan , established in 1784 by King Rama I of Thailand, has been managed by ethnically Thai Brahmins ever since. The temple hosts Phra Phikhanesuan (Ganesha), Phra Narai (Narayana, Vishnu), Phra Itsuan (Shiva), Uma , Brahma , Indra ( Sakka ) and other Hindu deities. The tradition asserts that
1150-673: The Thai Brahmins have roots in Hindu holy city of Varanasi and southern state of Tamil Nadu, go by the title Pandita , and the various annual rites and state ceremonies they conduct has been a blend of Buddhist and Hindu rituals. The coronation ceremony of the Thai king is almost entirely conducted by the royal Brahmins. According to 2007 reports, Brahmins in India are about five per cent of its total population. The Himalayan states of Uttarakhand (20%) and Himachal Pradesh (14%) have
1200-564: The Vindhya mountain range formed the southern boundary of the Āryāvarta , the territory of the ancient Indo-Aryan peoples , and Gauda has territorial, ethnographic and linguistic connotations. Linguistically, the term "Gauda" refers to the Sanskrit-derived languages of northern India. The Pancha Gauda Brahmins are: Subcastes of Gaur Brahmins are: Subcastes of Kanyakubja Brahmins are: The Pancha Dravida Brahmins reside to
1250-579: The claim to be Brahmin. The Dadheech are named after their patron goddess, Dadhimati, and were once prevalent around the Dadhimati Mata Temple that lies between the villages of Goth and Manglod in Nagaur district , Rajasathan. An inscription dating from 608 CE at that temple refers to a community called the Dadhya , whom the Dadheech believe to be ancestors of their own community. They have both gotras and khampas as subdivisions. Examples of
1300-437: The claim to be Brahmin. The temple of Dadhimati is remotely situated and usually sparsely visited but many Dadheech people, and others, attend it around the time of the spring and autumn melas . Dadhichi-Jayanti, the birth date of Dadhichi, is celebrated each year among Dadheech Brahmins by the offering of prayers to the gods, the organisation of kirtans and havans in temples and also sports events for children. Dadeech are
1350-659: The classical period of India. Some of the Brahmin occupations mentioned in the Buddhist texts such as Jatakas and Sutta Nipata are very lowly. The Dharmasutras too mention Brahmin farmers. According to Haidar and Sardar, unlike the Mughal Empire in Northern India, Brahmins figured prominently in the administration of Deccan sultanates . Under Golconda Sultanate Telugu Niyogi Brahmins served in many different roles such as accountants, ministers, in
1400-553: The creation of the caste itself, based on a genealogy of Hindu mythology, with the origin and deeds of Dadhimati as recounted both in well-known Hindu texts and regional story-telling. It is, according to Lawrence Babb, "a manifestation of an effort on the part of an educated and activist element among the Dadhich Brahmins to reconfigure their identity as a community in a way that diverged significantly from older traditions". Further, it contains problematic logic that undermines
1450-470: The defining documents of law and order, which kings were obliged to uphold. They were copied, translated and incorporated into local law code, with strict adherence to the original text in Burma and Siam, and a stronger tendency to adapt to local needs in Java (Indonesia)". The mythical origins of Cambodia are credited to a Brahmin prince named Kaundinya, who arrived by sea, married a Naga princess living in
1500-403: The difference that the latter was not sacerdotal. The Brahmins were expected to perform all six Vedic duties as opposed to other twice-borns who performed three. Historical records, state scholars, suggest that Brahmin varna was not limited to a particular status or priest and the teaching profession. Chanakya , a Brahmin born in 375 BCE, was an ancient Indian polymath who was active as
1550-403: The face of this dispersal and potential challenges to their claimed Brahminic status once they moved into more cosmopolitan areas. A Dadheech caste association was formed in 1910. It soon ran into difficulties with other castes who worshipped Dadhimati, who is a goddess for many, perhaps all, castes of the region even though little known elsewhere. Thus, probably in 1912, a dispute evolved between
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1600-563: The flooded lands. Kaudinya founded Kambuja-desa, or Kambuja (transliterated to Kampuchea or Cambodia). Kaundinya introduced Hinduism, particularly Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Harihara (half Vishnu, half Shiva), and these ideas grew in southeast Asia in the 1st millennium CE. The Chams Balamon (Hindu Brahmin Chams) form a majority of the Cham population in Vietnam . Brahmins have been part of
1650-538: The guru of Maheshwari community with different clans being guru of different Maheshwari clans. Citations Bibliography Brahmins Traditional Brahmin ( / ˈ b r ɑː m ɪ n / ; Sanskrit : ब्राह्मण , romanized : brāhmaṇa ) is a varna ( caste ) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the Kshatriya , Vaishya , and Shudra . The traditional occupation of Brahmins
1700-505: The highest percentage of Brahmin population relative to respective state's total Hindus. According to the Center for the Study of Developing Societies, in 2004 about 65% of Brahmin households in India earned less than $ 100 a month compared to 89% of Scheduled Tribes , 91% of Scheduled Castes and 86% of Muslims. Nathuram Mirdha Nathuram Mirdha (20 October 1921 – 30 August 1996)
1750-401: The inconsistences in the Puranam noted by Babb is the imposition of a gotra system. He says that few Dadheech even now know of which gotra they belong and that their patriclan exogamy predates it in marriage customs. Gotra knowledge seems never to have previously been a prerequisite for marriage but the introduction of a gotra system was seen by the Puranam intellectuals as a necessary part of
1800-675: The land surrounding it and income from shops and stalls. This appears to have been the cause of another dispute involving the Dadheech, this time with a clan of the Jat people called the Bidyasar , who also claim Dadhimati as an ancestor in an origin myth. Much of the history of this comes from word-of-mouth. As with the Parasars, the Bidyasars were initially at a disadvantage due to their rustic status but nonetheless seem to have become embroiled in
1850-583: The land themselves, many supplementing their income by selling their labour services to other farmers. Many of the prominent thinkers and earliest champions of the Bhakti movement were Brahmins, a movement that encouraged a direct relationship of an individual with a personal god. Among the many Brahmins who nurtured the Bhakti movement were Ramanuja , Nimbarka , Vallabha and Madhvacharya of Vaishnavism, Ramananda , another devotional poet sant . Born in
1900-460: The latter include Gothecha, Mangalodya, Asopa, Inanya, Khatoda, Borada, and Didawanya, all of which refer to ancient villages or localities. The temple inscription mentions gotras but not khampas, which may suggest the khampas were a later development. The Puranam mythology notes 144 Hindu sages who originate the alleged 144 exogamous and patrilineal clans of the Dadheech, although in fact there have never been 144 such clans. Few Dadheech live in
1950-519: The mouth of Purusha , being that part of the body from which words emerge. The Purusha Sukta varna verse is now generally considered to have been inserted at a later date into the Vedic text, possibly as a charter myth . Stephanie Jamison and Joel Brereton, a professor of Sanskrit and Religious studies, state, "there is no evidence in the Rigveda for an elaborate, much-subdivided and overarching caste system", and "the varna system seems to be embryonic in
2000-544: The new British rulers. They were the first community to take up Western education and therefore dominated lower level of British administration in the 19th century. Similarly, the Tamil Brahmins were also quick to take up English education during British colonial rule and dominate government service and law. Eric Bellman states that during the Islamic Mughal Empire era Brahmins served as advisers to
2050-553: The revenue administration, and in the judicial service. The Deccan sultanates also heavily recruited Marathi Brahmins at different levels of their administration. During the days of Maratha Empire in the 17th and 18th century, the occupation of Marathi Brahmins ranged from being state administrators, being warriors to being de facto rulers as Peshwa . After the collapse of Maratha empire, Brahmins in Maharashtra region were quick to take advantage of opportunities opened up by
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2100-532: The social class from which most ascetics came. The term Brahmin in Indian texts has also signified someone who is good and virtuous, not just someone of priestly class. The earliest inferred reference to "Brahmin" as a possible social class is in the Rigveda , occurs once, and the hymn is called Purusha Sukta . According to a hymn in Mandala 10 , Rigveda 10.90.11-2, Brahmins are described as having emerged from
2150-572: The south of the Vindhya mountain range. The term "Dravida" too has territorial, linguistic and ethnological connotations, referring to southern India, the Dravidian people, and to the Dravidian languages of southern India. The Pancha Dravida Brahmins are: The Dharmasutra and Dharmashastra texts of Hinduism describe the expectations, duties and role of Brahmins. According to Kulkarni, the Grhya-sutras state that Yajna , Adhyayana (studying
2200-407: The state of Uttar Pradesh , recorded that the primary occupation of almost all Brahmin families surveyed was neither priestly nor Vedas-related, but like other varnas, ranged from crop farming (80 per cent of Brahmins), dairy, service, labour such as cooking, and other occupations. The survey reported that the Brahmin families involved in agriculture as their primary occupation in modern times plough
2250-459: The term Brahmin in ancient texts does not imply a caste, but simply "masters" (experts), guardian, recluse, preacher or guide of any tradition. An alternate synonym for Brahmin in the Buddhist and other non-Hindu tradition is Mahano . Strabo cites Megasthenes, highlighting two Indian philosophical schools Sramana and Brahmana : Megasthenes makes a different division of the philosophers, saying that they are of two kinds, one of which he calls
2300-500: The vedas and teaching), dana pratigraha (accepting and giving gifts) are the "peculiar duties and privileges of brahmins". John Bussanich states that the ethical precepts set for Brahmins, in ancient Indian texts, are similar to Greek virtue-ethics, that "Manu's dharmic Brahmin can be compared to Aristotle's man of practical wisdom", and that "the virtuous Brahmin is not unlike the Platonic-Aristotelian philosopher" with
2350-566: Was Chairman of Maharaja Suraj Mal Institute, New Delhi for ten years. Mirdha passed his matriculation from Darbar High School, Jodhpur . He earned an M.A. (Economics) and completed an LLB degree in 1944 from Lucknow University . Mirdha organised a massive farmer gathering at Jodhpur under the Chairmanship of Chhotu Ram . He joined the Institution of farmers "Kisan Sabha" founded by Baldev Ram Mirdha as Secretary in 1946. He
2400-494: Was an Indian politician, freedom fighter , social reformer and popular farmer leader from Marwar region in Rajasthan . He was elected as member of Lok Sabha for six terms between 1971 and 1997 from Nagaur . He served as member of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly . He was a popular face of Jat Politics in Rajasthan. He is also Known as Gandhi of Rajasthan. He served in the Union Council of Ministers in 1979–80 and 1989–90. He
2450-487: Was largely confined to rural folk, and therefore went unrecorded in history". Their role as priests and repository of sacred knowledge, as well as their importance in the practice of Vedic Shrauta rituals, grew during the Gupta Empire era and thereafter. However, the knowledge about actual history of Brahmins or other varnas of Hinduism in and after the first millennium is fragmentary and preliminary, with little that
2500-648: Was made the Revenue minister in the Jodhpur state. Nathuram Mirdha had an intimate association with Justice Kan Singh Parihar . On 15 August 1947, with the independence of India, a popular Ministry was installed in Jodhpur. Recognising the importance of the Kisan Sabha, Mirdha, as its general secretary, was included in the Ministry. He won his first assembly election in 1952 from Merta assembly constituency with
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