Maithil Brahmin

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Maithil Brahmin
Languages
Maithili
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Other Brahmin groups

Maithil Brahmins are the Hindu Brahmin community originating from the Mithila region of the Indian subcontinent that comprises Tirhut, Darbhanga, Kosi, Purnia, Munger, Bhagalpur and Santhal Pargana divisions [lower-alpha 1] of India [1] and some adjoining districts of Nepal. They are one of the five Pancha-Gauda Brahmin communities. [2] [3] Apart from the Mithila region, they also inhabit various other places in India, including Agra, Aligarh, Hathras And Mathura of Western Uttar Pradesh [4] The main language spoken by Maithil Brahmins is Maithili .

Contents

Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh, a Maithil Brahmin King of Raj Darbhanga Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh statue - Kolkata.JPG
Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh, a Maithil Brahmin King of Raj Darbhanga

History

Some of the dynastic families of the Mithila region, such as the Oiniwar Dynasty and Khandwal Dynasty (Raj Darbhanga), [5] were Maithil Brahmins and were noted for their patronage of Maithil culture. [6]

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Maithil Brahmins became politically significant in Bihar. Binodanand Jha and Lalit Narayan Mishra emerged as prominent political leaders of the community. Under the Chief Ministry of Jagannath Mishra many Maithil Brahmins assumed important political positions in Bihar. [7]

Divisions

According to the Vedic Samhita, Maithil Brahmins are divided into the Vajasaneyi (Yajurvedic) and the Chandogya(Samavedic) and each group is strictly exogamous. They are also further classified by four main categories, the Srotriyas (Soit), the Yogyas (Bhalmanush), the Painjas and the Jaiwars. They are all expected to be morganatic (anuloma) however these days this is no longer enforced strictly. They are also divided into various Mools or Clan's name. And every mool is further divided into upamool or sub clans. [8]

Brajastha Maithil Brahmin

Brajastha Maithil Brahmins are those Brahmins who settled in the then capital of India Agra from Tirhut (Mithila) from the reign of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq to Akbar and later settled in three districts of Central Braj after being oppressed by the misrule of Aurangzeb. Maithil Brahmins found in Braj have been migrating to Braj since that time. Which, after research by eminent scholars of Mithila, came to be known as Brajastha Maithil Brahmins. These Brahmins mainly live in Agra, Aligarh, Mathura and Hathras of Central Braj. After migrating from here, they are living in places like Delhi, Ajmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Baroda, Dahoud, Lucknow, Kanpur etc. Mughal ruler Aurangzeb tortured the entire India including Mithila during his rule. Suffering from his atrocities, many Brahmins of Mithila migrated from Mithila and settled in other states. The movement of Maithils living in Braj region with the Maithils living in Mithila also stopped. This continued from 1658 AD till the revolution of 1857. After 1857 AD, Indian social reformers dreamed of an independent India. The Brahmin community of Mithila also started dreaming of independent India. 'Swami Brahmanand Saraswati raised the voice of caste upliftment at this very time. He contacted the Mithila residents settled all over India for the upliftment of the caste, the result of which was that the relations which had broken between the Mithila residents and the migrant Maithil Brahmins during the time of Aurangzeb were resumed. It was due to his efforts that it became possible for the Maithil Brahmins of Aligarh to go to Mithila and the people of Mithila to come to Aligarh. At the same time, Swami ji returned from Mithila and organized Maithil Siddhant Sabha in Aligarh. Correspondence between the workers of Siddhant Sabha and Mithila resident Runa Jha started between 1882 and 1886. [ citation needed ]

Religious practices

They are mainly practitioners of Shaktism in various forms, however there are also Vaishnavites and Shaivites. [9] [10]

Panjis

Panjis or Panji Prabandh are extensive genealogical records maintained among Maithil Brahmins similar to the Hindu genealogy registers at Haridwar. [11]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Santhal Pargana division is headquartered at Dumka and the cited source mentions the division as "Dumka division"

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Shiva Simha Singh was the King of Oiniwar dynasty in Mithila. He is also known as Sivasimha. He was also referred to as Rūpanārāyana. He was the King of Mithila. He declared himself independent and stopped paying taxes to Jaunpur Sultanate. Due to his decision to challenge the authority of the Sharqi empire, Ibrahim Shah Sharqi attacked Mithila but was defeated.

References

  1. ↑ Jha, Pankaj Kumar (2010). Sushasan Ke Aaine Mein Naya Bihar. Bihar (India): Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN   9789380186283.
  2. ↑ James G. Lochtefeld (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z . Rosen. pp.  490–491. ISBN   9780823931804.
  3. ↑ D. Shyam Babu and Ravindra S. Khare, ed. (2011). Caste in Life: Experiencing Inequalities. Pearson Education India. p. 168. ISBN   9788131754399.
  4. ↑ hamare pravaas ka itihas By Pt. Phool bihari sharma & Brahmin Vanshon ka Itihas By Pt. Dori Lal Sharma Shrotriya
  5. ↑ Jha, Makhan (1997). Anthropology of Ancient Hindu Kingdoms: A Study in Civilizational Perspective. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. pp. 60–61. ISBN   9788175330344.
  6. ↑ Jha, Makhan (1982). "Civilizational Regions of Mithila & Mahakoshal". p. 64.
  7. ↑ Verma, Ravindra Kumar (May 1991). "Caste and Bihar Politics". Economic and Political Weekly. 26 (18). Sameeksha Trust: 1142–4. JSTOR   41498247.
  8. ↑ Jha, Makhan (1997). Anthropology of Ancient Hindu Kingdoms: A Study in Civilizational Perspective. p. 32. ISBN   9788175330344 . Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  9. ↑ Jha, Makhan (1997). Anthropology of Ancient Hindu Kingdoms: A Study in Civilizational Perspective. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. pp. 38–. ISBN   978-81-7533-034-4.
  10. ↑ Maitra, Asim (1986). Religious Life of the Brahman: A Case Study of Maithil Brahmans. Inter-India Publications. p. 54. ISBN   9788121001717.
  11. ↑ "Culture of the Mithila region". Archived from the original on 17 July 2007. Retrieved 16 September 2007.
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