Karan Kayastha

Last updated

Karan Kayastha is a community of Kayasthas that inhabit Orissa and the Mithila region, a region now divided between India and Nepal. [1]

Contents

Origin

According to Manu , a Hindu scripture, the Karans are regarded as bratya (degraded) Kshatriyas. [2]

Culture and profession

The archeologist B. P. Sinha says that the duty of Karanas was rajaseva and durgantapuraraksha. [1] [ page needed ][ clarification needed ]

Epigraphist Dineshchandra Sircar mentions that several historial edicts and inscriptions have been found in the relevant geographic locations that show that the terms Karana, Karanin, Karaneeka, Karanakas and Karaneegars are used to represent a bureaucratic range from clerks to ministers. Significant among these are Minor Rock Edict No. II, the Kanas plates of Lokavigraha, the Ghugrahati copperplate of Samacharadeva and the Tipper copperplate of Lokanath etc. [3] [ page needed ]

Karn of Mithila

The Karna Kayasthas are viewed as the most pure and ancient embodiment of Mithila culture along with Maithil Brahmins. They do not fit in four varna system but still became a dominant caste of this region. [4] [ page needed ]

Karan of Bengal

The Karan caste group can also be found in Bengal region from the mediaeval era. The post of Karan used to be a professional designation that was occupied by literate people. [5] They exclusively served the ruling powers as their ministers, advisors, governors, military commanders, accountants, record keepers and diwans. [6] [7] [8] [ page needed ] According to Historian Ramesh Chandra Majumdar the Karan merged themselves into the Kayastha caste who performed the same profession. [9]

Karana of Odisha

Karanas in Odisha are referred to as members of writer caste community, they are a prosperous and influential community of Odisha and rank next to Brahmins in the social hierarchy. [10] Karanas received land grants in mediaeval period and held feudatory status in Odisha. [11] Karanas also held high positions in government during mediaeval period. [12] As per Sircar the Bhajas inscription, mentions a list of individuals involved in land records and contains a phrase 'Brahmana-Karana-Puroga-Nivasi' which is a good indication of their social status. [3] Historian RS Sharma has also mentioned that Loknatha, a Karana, was also referred to as a Brahmin in inscriptions, even in current scenario they hold good political power in Odisha including several Chief Ministers in recent years. [13] [ page needed ] Karanas consider themselves as a separate group distinct from Kayasthas. [14] Karanas had also developed their own unique "Karani" script named after their community to write documents in Odisha. [15] [16] [17] Additionally Karanas are also mentioned as "Grama Karana" and "Mandala Karana" in Ganga and Gajapati records having authority over a large number of villages, similarly the "Chamu Karana" and "Deula Karana" of Gajapati period were the private secretary of the king and the chief administrator of Jagannath Temple respectively. [18] Karanas emerged from the community of Kshatriyas. [19]

Karanam or Sistakarnam of Andhra and Telangana

Karanam (Telugu: కరణం) or Karnam was an office and title native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Traditionally, Karanam was an official who maintained the accounts and records of the villages and collected the taxes. [20] [21] Sircar mentions that they mostly dealt with accounting, bureaucracy, teaching etc. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalinga (region)</span> Historical region of India

Kalinga is a historical region of India. It is generally defined as the eastern coastal region between the Ganges and the Godavari rivers, although its boundaries have fluctuated with the territory of its rulers. The core territory of Kalinga now encompasses all of Odisha and some part of northern Andhra Pradesh. At its widest extent, the Kalinga region also included parts of present-day Chhattisgarh, extending up to Amarkantak in the west. In the ancient period it extended until the bank of the Ganges river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kayastha</span> Community of India

Kayastha denotes a cluster of disparate Indian communities broadly categorised by the regions of the Indian subcontinent in which they were traditionally located—the Chitraguptavanshi Kayasthas of North India, the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhus of Maharashtra, the Bengali Kayasthas of Bengal and Karanas of Odisha. All of them were traditionally considered "writing castes", who had historically served the ruling powers as administrators, ministers and record-keepers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sena dynasty</span> Hindu dynasty of Bengal region, ruled 10th to 12th century

The Sena dynasty was a Hindu dynasty during the early medieval period on the Indian subcontinent, that ruled from Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. The empire at its peak covered much of the north-eastern region of the Indian subcontinent. The rulers of the Sena Dynasty traced their origin to the south Indian region of Karnataka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bengali Brahmin</span> Hindu caste originating from the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent

Bengali Brahmins are the community of Hindu Brahmins, who traditionally reside in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, currently comprising the Indian state of West Bengal and the country of Bangladesh.

Das is a common last name in South Asia, among adherents of Hinduism and Sikhism, as well as those who converted to Islam or Christianity. It is a derived from the Sanskrit word Dasa meaning servant, devotee, or votary. "Das" may be inferred to be one who has surrendered to God. The surname is often used by those in the Vaishnav community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odia people</span> Ethnic group

The Odia (ଓଡ଼ିଆ), formerly spelled Oriya, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group native to the Indian state of Odisha who speak the Odia language. They constitute a majority in the eastern coastal state, with significant minority populations existing in the neighboring states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

The Karan or Karana is a community found in the state of Odisha in India. The post of Karana used to be a professional designation that was occupied by literate peoples. They held Karanam posts in some parts of Andhra Pradesh, where they speak Odia and played a similar role in Odisha to that of the Kayasthas of West Bengal and Bihar. In the social hierarchy of Odisha they rank next to Brahmins. They exclusively served the ruling powers as their ministers, advisors, governors, military commanders, record keepers and dewans. They owned most Zamindaris in Odisha. They have the highest literacy caste-wise and are highly prosperous. Today they are a politically dominant community and have reigned over the politics of Odisha for 50 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Odisha</span>

The history of Odisha begins in the Lower Paleolithic era, as Acheulian tools dating to the period have been discovered in various places in the region. The early history of Odisha can be traced back to writings found in ancient texts like the Mahabharata, Maha Govinda Sutta and some Puranas. The region was also known to other kingdoms in region of East Indies due to maritime trade relations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gajapati dynasty</span> Medieval Indian dynasty (1434–1541)

The Gajapati dynasty, also called the Suryavamsa dynasty was a medieval Hindu dynasty in the Indian subcontinent, originally from the region of Trikalinga. At its peak, it ruled over an empire stretching from the Ganges in the north to the Kaveri in the south, comprising large parts of Andhra Pradesh and some parts of western regions of West Bengal. It succeeded the Eastern Gangas.

Ambashtha or Ambastha is a caste or sub-caste or a community of Hindus in India. According to Hindu scriptures, the term Ambastha refers to the offspring of a Brahmin father and a Vaishya mother, whose traditional occupation was the practice of medicine.

Khandayat, also spelled Khandait, is a cultivating caste, as well as a peasant militia or landed militia caste from Odisha, East India. Some of them had earlier served as feudal chiefs as well as zamindars apart from being land holders and agriculturalists. Numerically they are the largest caste of the state.

Baidya or Vaidya is a Bengali Hindu community located in the Bengal region of Indian subcontinent. A caste (jāti) of Ayurvedic physicians, the Baidyas have long had pre-eminence in society alongside Brahmins and Kayasthas. In the colonial era, the Bhadraloks were drawn primarily, but not exclusively, from these three upper castes, who continue to maintain a collective hegemony in West Bengal.

Kamrupi literature is the literature written in the modern Kamrupi dialects of Assamese language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bengali Kayastha</span> Bengali Hindu of the Kayastha caste

Bengali Kayastha is a Bengali Hindu caste originated from the Bengal region of Indian subcontinent, and is one of the main subgroups of the Kayastha community. The historical caste occupation of Kayasthas throughout India has been that of scribes, administrators, ministers and record-keepers; the Kayasthas in Bengal, along with Brahmins and Baidyas, are regarded among the three traditional higher castes that comprise the "upper layer of Hindu society". During the British Raj, the Bhadraloks of Bengal were drawn primarily, but not exclusively, from these three castes, who continue to maintain a collective hegemony in West Bengal.

Karanam or Karnam was an office and title native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Traditionally, Karanam was an official who maintained the accounts and records of the villages and collected the taxes. Karanam was one of the two village-level administrative posts that existed in Andhra along with 'Munasabu' (Munsiff). The Karanam kept an elaborate system of village accounts.

Chasa is a caste in India natively residing in the Indian state of Odisha. Chasas were traditionally cultivators but are now engaged in several professions. The Odia word chasa means farmer. They are third largest caste by population in Odisha.

The Bhauma dynasty, also known as Kara dynasty, ruled in eastern India between 8th and 10th centuries. Their kingdom, called Toshala, included parts of present-day Odisha.

Gopal or Gouda is an Indian caste, from Odisha State in East India. Their traditional occupations include dairy farming, cattle herding, cultivation and carrying palanquins of deities. They also worked as Paikas (soldiers) under the kings. Gopal is the name of the milkmen or herdsmen caste in Odisha, which is known by other names in various parts of India.

Gudia or Guria or Gudiya is a caste found in the Indian state of Odisha and Chhatishgarh, also a small population in Andhra Pradesh. Traditionally their occupation is making of various type of sweets for village ceremonies and festive occasion and subsist on this business. They are also supplier of offerings for village deity. Nowadays they have opened their modern sweet stalls in markets for better business.

Govinda Vidyadhara was the founder of Bhoi Dynasty in Eastern India.

References

  1. 1 2 Sinha, Bindeshwari Prasad (2003). Kayasthas in Making of Modern Bihar. Impression Publication.
  2. ↑ Mandal, Mahitosh (2022). "Dalit Resistance during the Bengal Renaissance: Five Anti-Caste Thinkers from Colonial Bengal, India". CASTE: A Global Journal on Social Exclusion. 3 (1): 11–30. doi: 10.26812/caste.v3i1.367 . ISSN   2639-4928. JSTOR   48674170. S2CID   249027627.
  3. 1 2 3 Sircar, Dineshchandra (1960–61). Epigraphia Indica- Volume XXXIV. Delhi: Archaeological Survey Of India.
  4. ↑ Chatterji, Roma (1 December 2014). Wording the World: Veena Das and Scenes of Inheritance. Fordham Univ Press. ISBN   978-0-8232-6187-1.
  5. ↑ Pati, Rabindra Nath (2008). Family Planning. APH Publishing. ISBN   978-81-313-0352-8.
  6. ↑ Mohanty, Ramesh P.; Biswal, Durgesh Nandini (2007). Culture, Gender and Gender Discrimination: Caste Hindu and Tribal. Mittal Publications. ISBN   978-81-8324-199-1.
  7. ↑ Sircar, D. C. (1 January 2017). Indian Epigraphy. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN   978-81-208-4103-1.
  8. ↑ Mohanty, Pramod Kumar (2007). Colonialism and South Asia: Cuttack, 1803-1947. R.N. Bhattacharya. ISBN   978-81-87661-52-8.
  9. ↑ MAJUMDAR, R. C. (1971). HISTORY OF ANCIENT BENGAL. G. BHARADWAJ , CALCUTTA.
  10. ↑ Pati, Rabindra Nath (2008). Family Planning. APH Publishing. ISBN   978-81-313-0352-8.
  11. ↑ Panda, Shishir Kumar (2000). New Perspectives on the History and Culture of Orissa. Punthi Pustak. ISBN   978-81-86791-23-3.
  12. ↑ Chakraborty, Rabindra Nath (1985). National Integration in Historical Perspective: A Cultural Regeneration in Eastern India. Mittal Publications.
  13. ↑ Singh, Pradeep (2020). Urban Ecology: Emerging Patterns and Social-Ecological Systems. Elsevier Science.
  14. ↑ Institute, West Bengal (India) Cultural Research (1980). Bulletin of the Cultural Research Institute. Cultural Research Institute.
  15. ↑ Williams, Joanna (22 December 2023). The Two-Headed Deer: Illustrations of the Ramayana in Orissa. Univ of California Press. ISBN   978-0-520-32182-3.
  16. ↑ Orissa Society of Americas 25th Annual Convention Souvenir: For Annual Convention Held in 1994 at Pamona, New Jersey. Odisha Society of the Americas.
  17. ↑ The Orissa Historical Research Journal. Superintendent of Research and Museum. 2004.
  18. ↑ Das, Biswarup (1985). Orissa: Social, Cultural, and Religious Aspects. Sundeep Prakashan. p. 50.
  19. ↑ Das, Biswarup (1980). "Kayasthas and Karanas in Orissa—a Study on Inscriptions—". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 41: 940–944. ISSN   2249-1937. JSTOR   44141924.
  20. ↑ Community Development and Panchayati Raj Digest, Volumes 3-5. National Institute of Community Development. 1971. p. 334. Patwari / Karanam shall be the additional secretary to the gram panchayat for keeping the record concerning lands
  21. ↑ Andhra Pradesh District Gazetteers. Government of Andhra Pradesh. 2000. pp. 185, 186.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.