Maithil Karna Kayastha

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Maithil Karna Kayastha
Regions with significant populations
Flag of India.svg India 785,771 [1]
Flag of Nepal.svg   Nepal 33,502 [2]
Languages
Maithili
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Other Kayastha groups

Maithil Karna Kayastha, Maithili Kayastha [3] or Karna Kayastha [4] is a Maithil Hindu caste that originated from the Mithila, [5] and is one of the twelve subgroups of Kayastha. [6] They are predominantly found in the Indian subcontinent, which includes modern-day India and Nepal. The majority population resides in North Bihar [7] in India, Terai (Madhesh and Koshi) in Nepal. [8]

Contents

The Maithil Karna Kayastha have historically been involved in administration, governance, and record-keeping. [9] They have been granted Forward caste status in the state of Bihar, along with Maithil Brahmin, Rajput, and Bhumihar. [10] In Nepal, they are classified as Madheshi upper class caste, [11] and counted under Minority groups. [2] The main language spoken by Maithil Kayastha is Maithili. [12] [13]

History

The Maithil Karna Kayastha of present-day North Bihar and Terai region in Nepal are of Kashtriya varna, after a decision ruled by Patna High Court in 1927. [14] [15] According to the Hindu texts and traditions, they are descended from a Hindu god, Chitragupta, [16] [17] who is responsible for writing down human deeds. The early written record shows that they came from South India along with Karnat king, Nanyadeva (r. 1097 to 1147 CE) to Simraungadh. [18]

During the reign of Karnat king, Gangadeva, the Maithil Kayastha were spreaded into different rural settlements of Mithila, present day Darbhanga and Madhubani. [19] [20] The last king of the Karnata dynasty was Harisimhadeva, who introduced the Panji system in 1327 CE amongst Maithil Brahmin and Karna Kayastha to maintain the genealogical records. [21] [22] The Kayastha were served as Tehsildar (transl. "Revenue collector"), Patwari (transl. "Recordkeeper"), Amin (transl. "Land surveyer"), and Dewan (transl. "Accountant") during the British Raj, and Raj Darbhanga time period. [23] [24]

In the Modern era, the Maithil Kayastha were among the most literate, urbanized, and mobile caste of Bihar [25] and Nepal. [26] They played a leading role in the separation of Bihar from Bengal presidency, [27] actively participated in Champaran Satyagraha and controlled the leadership of the Bihar Congress in the pre-independent era. [25]

Demography

According to 2022 Caste-based survey, the Karna Kayastha population was 785,771 [1] in Bihar and 33,502 [2] in the 2021 Nepal census.

Language and Writing system

The main language spoken by Karna Kayastha is Maithili. [25] This caste used Kaithi, a historical Brahmic script, [28] in writing, record-keeping and administration during the Mughal period. The script derives its name from the word "Kayastha". In recent times, the script has only been used for religious purposes. [29]

Panji Prabandh

Panji Prabandh are extensive genealogical records maintained among Maithili Kayastha and Maithil Brahmins. [30] It is important to obtain the "Aswajan" (transl. "Non relative") certificate between the bride and groom to perform Maithil Vivah. [31]

References

  1. 1 2 General Administration Department (2022). Caste based survey Report 2022 (PDF). Government of Bihar (.pdf).
  2. 1 2 3 "National Population and Housing Census 2021 National Report on Caste/ethnicity, Language & Religion" (PDF).
  3. ↑ Jha, Ugra Nath (1980). The Genealogies and Genealogists of Mithila: A Study of the Panji and the Panjikars. Kishor Vidya Niketan. pp. 5, 6 and 46.
  4. ↑ Singh, K. S. (1993). People of India: Bio-cultural Dimensions : a K.S. Singh Festschrift. Inter-India Publications. p. 245. ISBN   978-81-210-0325-4.
  5. ↑ Heinz, Carolyn Brown (August 18, 2023). Bihar Days. Austin Macauley Publishers. ISBN   979-8-88693-815-9.
  6. ↑ Bellenoit, Hayden J. (2017). The Formation of the Colonial State in India: Scribes, Paper and Taxes, 1760–1860. Routledge. pp. 69–70. ISBN   9781134494361.
  7. ↑ Bishop, Cletus James (1972-08-01). "Sachchidananda Sinha and the Making of Modern Bihar; a Study in Constitutional Agitation at the Provincial Level, 1905-1919". libraetd.lib.virginia.edu. University of Virginia, Corcoran Department of History. doi:10.18130/v3kd13 . Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  8. ↑ Jha, Hari Bansh (1993). The Terai Community and National Integration in Nepal. Centre for Economic & Technical Studies. pp. 3, 6 and 17.
  9. ↑ North Indian Notes and Queries. Pioneer Press. 1893.
  10. ↑ "Bihar caste census survey: 112 EBC castes under reserved category. See full list". Hindustan Times. October 2, 2023. Retrieved 2025-11-11. There are a total of 203 notified castes in Bihar mentioned in the report. Out of these, four Hindu castes (Rajput, Kayastha, Brahmin and Bhumihar) and three Muslim castes (Sheikh, Pathan and Syed) have been notified as unreserved or general category.
  11. ↑ Sah, Krishna Kumar. "Eight years of federalism in Madhesh". ekantipur.com. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  12. ↑ Kumar, Ajay; Kumari, Kavita (2005). Rural Women in Bihar: Problems and Prospects. Janaki Prakashan. p. 28.
  13. ↑ Guneratne, Arjun (August 6, 2018). Many Tongues, One People: The Making of Tharu Identity in Nepal. Cornell University Press. p. 17. ISBN   978-1-5017-2530-2. The Brahman-Kayastha caste elite in North Bihar to have Maithili recognized as one of the national languages of India.
  14. ↑ "Ishwari Prasad And Ors. vs Rai Hari Prasad Lal on 23 February, 1926". indiankanoon.org. Archived from the original on 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
  15. ↑ Kālīprasada (Munshi.) (1877). The Kayastha Ethnology: Being an Inquiry Into the Origin of the Chitraguptavansi and Chandrasenavansi Kayasthas. American Methodist Mission Press. p. 27.
  16. ↑ Stout, Lucy Carol (1976). The Hindustani Kayasthas: The Kayastha Pathshala, and the Kayastha Conference, 1873–1914. University of California, Berkeley. p. 14.
  17. ↑ Census of India, 1901. 1902. p. 223.
  18. ↑ Mandal, R. B. (1981). Frontiers in Migration Analysis. Concept Publishing Company. p. 175.
  19. ↑ Mishra, Vijayakanta (1979). Cultural Heritage of Mithila. Mithila Prakasana. p. 13.
  20. ↑ O'Hanlon, Rosalind (July 1, 2025). Lineages of Brahman Power: Caste, Family, and the State in Western India, 1600–1900. State University of New York Press. ISBN   979-8-8558-0323-5. By the start of the twelfth century, and probably very much earlier, northern India's Kayasthas were divided into regional lineage groupings.
  21. ↑ Delhi, All India Radio (AIR), New (1983). AKASHVANI: Vol. LIV, No.11 ( 13 MARCH, 1983 ). All India Radio (AIR),New Delhi.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ↑ Mishra, Amar Kant (November 23, 2018). Ruling Dynasty Of Mithila: Dr.Sir Kameswar Singh. Notion Press. ISBN   978-1-64429-762-9. He was social reformer and introduced the Panji system amongst the Brahmans and Karna Kayastha.
  23. ↑ Sahu, Kishori Prasad (1973). Some Aspects of North Indian Social Life, 1000-1526 A.D. (with a Special Reference to Contemporary Literatures). Punthi Pustak. p. 25. The Kayasthas of Northern India monopolized a large proportion of jobs in the Mughal bureaucracy.
  24. ↑ Sinha, Bindeshwari Prasad (2003). Kayasthas in Making of Modern Bihar. Impression Publication. p. 11.
  25. 1 2 3 Kumar, Ashwani (2008). Community Warriors: State, Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar. Anthem Press. p. 33. ISBN   978-1-84331-709-8.
  26. ↑ Dhakal, Amit. "यी हुन् अग्रणी दस जातिहरु" [These are the top ten castes in Nepal: Kayastha is the number one caste, Brahmin is the number two.]. Setopati (in Nepali). Retrieved 2025-11-13.
  27. ↑ "Bihar Day: How Bihar was carved out of the Bengal Presidency in 1912". The Indian Express. March 23, 2023. Retrieved 2025-11-13.
  28. ↑ Grierson, Sir George Abraham (1881). A Handbook to the Kaithi Character. Thacker, Spink, and Company.
  29. ↑ Rai, Alok (2001). Hindi Nationalism (Tracts For The Times). Orient Blackswan. p. 51. ISBN   978-81-250-1979-4.
  30. ↑ Jha, Makhan (1982). Civilizational Regions of Mithila & Mahakoshal. Capital Publishing House. p. 135.
  31. ↑ Jha, Ugra Nath (1980). The Genealogies and Genealogists of Mithila: A Study of the Panji and the Panjikars. Kishor Vidya Niketan. p. 43.
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