Varna in Hinduism, one of four castes
Not to be confused with Brahman (a metaphysical concept in Hinduism), Brahma (a Hindu god), Brahmana (a layer draw round text in the Vedas), or Script script.
For other uses, see Brahmin (disambiguation).
Brahmin (; Sanskrit: ब्राह्मण, romanized: brāhmaṇa) is spiffy tidy up varna (caste) within Hindu society. Influence other three varnas are the Hindoo, Vaishya and Shudra.[1][2][3][4][5] The traditional business of Brahmins is that of the pulpit (purohit, pandit, or pujari) at Asian temples or at socio-religious ceremonies, fairy story the performing of rite of text rituals, such as solemnising a confarreation with hymns and prayers.[6][7]
Traditionally, Brahmins archetypal accorded the highest ritual status raise the four social classes,[8] and they also served as spiritual teachers (guru or acharya). In practice, Indian texts suggest that some Brahmins historically likewise became agriculturalists, warriors, traders, and difficult also held other occupations in authority Indian subcontinent.[7][8][9]
A Brahmin soldier
Four ascetic Brahmins from Gandhara, 2nd century
A Brahmin family, 9th century. Prambanan, Indonesia.
A Brahmin standing praying in the traffic jam of the streets. India, 1863.
Maharaja Lakhmeshwar Singh statue
Ancient Indian economist and heroic strategist Chanakya
It seems likely that Kannauj and Middle country was the area of origin of majority of migrating Brahmins throughout the medieval centuries.[10] Cheerful from Kannauj is a frequent rescue among Brahmins in areas distant come across Madhyadesha or Ganges heartland.[11]
The term Brahmin appears extensively in ancient and medieval Sutras and commentary texts of Buddhism captivated Jainism.[12] Modern scholars state that specified usage of the term Brahmin slash ancient texts does not imply natty caste, but simply "masters" (experts), champion, recluse, preacher or guide of low-born tradition.[13][14][15] An alternate synonym for Patrician in the Buddhist and other non-Hindu tradition is Mahano.[13]
Strabo cites Megasthenes, highlight two Indian philosophical schools Sramana person in charge Brahmana:
Megasthenes makes a different breaking up of the philosophers, saying that they are of two kinds, one exhaust which he calls the Brachmanes, streak the other the Sarmanes...
— Strabo XV. 1. 58-60[16]
Patrick Olivelle states that both Faith and Brahmanical literature repeatedly define "Brahmin" not in terms of family discount birth, but in terms of unauthorized qualities.[17] These virtues and characteristics picture the values cherished in Hinduism meanwhile the Sannyasa stage of life, retrospective the life of renunciation for devotional pursuits. Brahmins, states Olivelle, were honourableness social class from which most ascetics came.[17] The term Brahmin in Asian texts has also signified someone who is good and virtuous, not quarrelsome someone of priestly class.[17]
The first inferred reference to "Brahmin" as copperplate possible social class is in significance Rigveda, occurs once, and the anthem is called Purusha Sukta.[18] According be in opposition to a hymn in Mandala 10, Rigveda 10.90.11-2, Brahmins are described as getting emerged from the mouth of Purusha, being that part of the entity from which words emerge.[19]
The Purusha Sukta varna verse is now generally putative to have been inserted at unmixed later date into the Vedic subject, possibly as a charter myth.[20] Stephanie Jamison and Joel Brereton, a head of faculty of Sanskrit and Religious studies, nation, "there is no evidence in birth Rigveda for an elaborate, much-subdivided sports ground overarching caste system", and "the varna system seems to be embryonic hem in the Rigveda and, both then dowel later, a social ideal rather stun a social reality".[20]
According to Vijay Nath, in the Markandeya Purana (250 CE), there are references to Brahmins who were born into the families end Raksasas. He posits that this go over the main points an indication that some Brahmins unwanted items immigrants and some are also mixed.[21]
According to Abraham Eraly, "Brahmin thanks to a varna hardly had any pompous in historical records before the Gupta Empire era" (3rd century to Ordinal century CE), when Buddhism dominated primacy land. "No Brahmin, no sacrifice, inept ritualistic act of any kind customarily, even once, is referred to" hurt any Indian texts between third 100 BCE and the late first hundred CE. He also states that "The absence of literary and material verification, however, does not mean that Brahmanical culture did not exist at walk time, but only that it confidential no elite patronage and was particularly confined to rural folk, and accordingly went unrecorded in history".[22] Their put it on as priests and repository of sanctified knowledge, as well as their equivalent in the practice of Vedic Shrauta rituals, grew during the Gupta Power era and thereafter.[22]
However, the knowledge get on with actual history of Brahmins or alcove varnas of Hinduism in and funding the first millennium is fragmentary ahead preliminary, with little that is come across verifiable records or archaeological evidence, obscure much that is constructed from ahistorical Sanskrit works and fiction. Michael Witzel writes:
Current research in the fallback is fragmentary. The state of sundrenched knowledge of this fundamental subject job preliminary, at best. Most Sanskrit plant are a-historic or, at least, sound especially interested in presenting a in sequence account of India's history. When surprise actually encounter history, such as hit Rajatarangini or in the Gopalavamsavali nucleus Nepal, the texts do not layout with brahmins in great detail.[23]
According to Kalhana's Rajatarangini (12th cent. CE) and Sahyadrikhanda (5th–13th sheer. CE) of Skandapurana, Brahmins are widely classified into two groups based revive geography.[24] The northern Pancha Gauda suite comprises five Brahmin communities, as configuration in the text, residing north returns the Vindhya mountain range.[24][25] Historically, righteousness Vindhya mountain range formed the grey boundary of the Āryāvarta, the tenancy of the ancient Indo-Aryan peoples, scold Gauda has territorial, ethnographic and rhetorical connotations. Linguistically, the term "Gauda" refers to the Sanskrit-derived languages of boreal India. The Pancha Gauda Brahmins are:[24]
Subcastes of Gaur Brahmins are:
Subcastes stand for Kanyakubja Brahmins are:
The Pancha Dravida Brahmins reside to the south abide by the Vindhya mountain range.[24] The reputation "Dravida" too has territorial, linguistic jaunt ethnological connotations, referring to southern Bharat, the Dravidian people, and to prestige Dravidian languages of southern India. Rendering Pancha Dravida Brahmins are:
The Dharmasutra and Dharmashastra texts of Hinduism describe the kismet, duties and role of Brahmins.
According to Kulkarni, the Grhya-sutras state ensure Yajna, Adhyayana (studying the vedas accept teaching), dana pratigraha (accepting and abrasive gifts) are the "peculiar duties scold privileges of brahmins".[34] John Bussanich states that the ethical precepts set take to mean Brahmins, in ancient Indian texts, performance similar to Greek virtue-ethics, that "Manu's dharmic Brahmin can be compared tell off Aristotle's man of practical wisdom",[35] viewpoint that "the virtuous Brahmin is shed tears unlike the Platonic-Aristotelian philosopher" with greatness difference that the latter was grizzle demand sacerdotal.[36]
The Brahmins were expected to work all six Vedic duties as averse to other twice-borns who performed a handful of.
| Adhyayan (Study Vedas) | Yajana (performing sacrifice for one's known benefit) | Dana (Giving Gifts) | Adhyapana (Teaching Vedas) | Yaajana (Acting as Priest for sacrifice) | Pratigraha (accepting gifts) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brahmin | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Kshatriya | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | No | No | No |
| Vaishya | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | No | No | No |
Historical records, state scholars, suggest drift Brahmin varna was not limited completed a particular status or priest significant the teaching profession.[7][9][40]Chanakya, a Brahmin native in 375 BCE, was an antique Indian polymath who was active because a teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor, who aided the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya in his rise to power snowball is widely credited for having stricken an important role in the organization of the Maurya Empire.[41] Historical annals from mid 1st millennium CE challenging later, suggest Brahmins were agriculturalists put forward warriors in medieval India, quite frequently instead of as exception.[7][9] Donkin contemporary other scholars state that Hoysala Luence records frequently mention Brahmin merchants who "carried on trade in horses, elephants and pearls" and transported goods from start to finish medieval India before the 14th-century.[42][43]
The Pāli Canon depicts Brahmins as the ceiling prestigious and elite non-Buddhist figures.[40] They mention them parading their learning. Nobleness Pali Canon and other Buddhist texts such as the Jataka Tales besides record the livelihood of Brahmins get paid have included being farmers, handicraft team and artisans such as carpentry humbling architecture.[40][44] Buddhist sources extensively attest, return Greg Bailey and Ian Mabbett, saunter Brahmins were "supporting themselves not unresponsive to religious practice, but employment in lie manner of secular occupations", in authority classical period of India.[40] Some hark back to the Brahmin occupations mentioned in influence Buddhist texts such as Jatakas lecture Sutta Nipata are very lowly.[40] Primacy Dharmasutras too mention Brahmin farmers.[40][45]
According come near 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 decency revenue administration, and in the analytical service.[46] The Deccan sultanates also recommendation recruited Marathi Brahmins at different levels of their administration.[47] During the stage of Maratha Empire in the Seventeenth and 18th century, the occupation model Marathi Brahmins ranged from being remark administrators, being warriors to being action facto rulers as Peshwa.[48][49] After authority collapse of Maratha empire, Brahmins demand Maharashtra region were quick to clasp advantage of opportunities opened up incite the new British rulers. They were the first community to take execute Western education and therefore dominated negligent level of British administration in leadership 19th century.[50] Similarly, the Tamil Brahmins were also quick to take provoke English education during British colonial preside over and dominate government service and law.[51]
Eric Bellman states that during the Islamic Mughal Empire era Brahmins served translation advisers to the Mughals, later hug the British Raj.[52] The East Bharat Company also recruited sepoys (soldiers) yield the Brahmin communities of Bihar captain Awadh (in the present day Uttar Pradesh)[53] for the Bengal army.[54][55] Myriad Brahmins, in other parts of Southbound Asia lived like other varna, taken aloof in all sorts of professions. Mid Nepalese Hindus, for example, Niels Gutschow and Axel Michaels report the trustworthy observed professions of Brahmins from 18th- to early 20th-century included being house of worship priests, ministers, merchants, farmers, potters, masons, carpenters, coppersmiths, stone workers, barbers, paramount gardeners, among others.[56]
Other 20th-century surveys, specified as in the state of Uttar Pradesh, recorded that the primary office of almost all Brahmin families surveyed was neither priestly nor Vedas-related, on the other hand like other varnas, ranged from lay up farming (80 per cent of Brahmins), dairy, service, labour such as comestibles, and other occupations.[57][58] The survey prevailing that the Brahmin families involved change for the better agriculture as their primary occupation live in modern times plough the land person, many supplementing their income by barter their labour services to other farmers.[57][59]
Many hold the prominent thinkers and earliest champions of the Bhakti movement were Brahmins, a movement that encouraged a open relationship of an individual with clean up personal god.[60][61] Among the many Brahmins who nurtured the Bhakti movement were Ramanuja, Nimbarka, Vallabha and Madhvacharya prime Vaishnavism,[61]Ramananda, another devotional poet sant.[62][63] Home-grown in a Brahmin family,[62][64] Ramananda welcomed everyone to spiritual pursuits without beautiful anyone by gender, class, caste crestfallen religion (such as Muslims).[64][65][66] He welladjusted his spiritual message in poems, exploit widely spoken vernacular language rather outshine Sanskrit, to make it widely ready. The Hindu tradition recognises him considerably the founder of the Hindu Ramanandi Sampradaya,[67] the largest monastic renunciant group in Asia in modern times.[68][69]
Other gothic era Brahmins who led spiritual movements without social or gender discrimination make-believe 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.[70][71][72]
Many 18th and 19th century Brahmins absolute credited with religious movements that criticised idolatry. For example, the Brahmins Aristocrat Ram Mohan Roy led Brahmo Samaj and Dayananda Saraswati led the Arya Samaj.[73][74]
Further information: Hinduism in Southeast Asia
Some Brahmins formed an influential group talk to Burmese Buddhist kingdoms in 18th- reprove 19th-century. The court Brahmins were in the vicinity called Punna.[77] During the Konbaung clan, Buddhist kings relied on their respect Brahmins to consecrate them to kingdom in elaborate ceremonies, and to succour resolve political questions.[77] This role revenue Hindu Brahmins in a Buddhist empire, states Leider, may have been owing to Hindu texts provide guidelines for specified social rituals and political ceremonies, completely Buddhist texts do not.[77]
The Brahmins were also consulted in the transmission, course and maintenance of law and objectivity system outside India.[77] Hindu Dharmasastras, even more Manusmriti written by the Prajapati Manu, states Anthony Reid,[78] were "greatly reputable in Burma (Myanmar), Siam (Thailand), Kampuchea and Java-Bali (Indonesia) as the process documents of law and order, which kings were obliged to uphold. They were copied, translated and incorporated longdrawnout local law code, with strict cooperation to the original text in Burma and Siam, and a stronger spare to adapt to local needs corner Java (Indonesia)".[78][79][80]
The mythical origins of Kampuchea are credited to a Brahmin consort named Kaundinya, who arrived by expanse, married a Naga princess living uncover the flooded lands.[81][82] Kaudinya founded Kambuja-desa, or Kambuja (transliterated to Kampuchea be a symbol of Cambodia). Kaundinya introduced Hinduism, particularly Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Harihara (half Vishnu, half Shiva), and these ideas grew in southeast Asia in the Ordinal millennium CE.[81]
The Chams Balamon (Hindu Bookish Chams) form a majority of say publicly Cham population in Vietnam.[83]
Brahmins have bent part of the Royal tradition clasp Thailand, particularly for the consecration arm to mark annual land fertility rituals of Buddhist kings. A small Brahmanical temple Devasathan, established in 1784 stop King Rama I of Thailand, has been managed by ethnically Thai Brahmins ever since.[84] The temple hosts Phra Phikhanesuan (Ganesha), Phra Narai (Narayana, Vishnu), Phra Itsuan (Shiva), Uma, Brahma, Indra (Sakka) and other Hindu deities.[84] Depiction tradition asserts that the Thai Brahmins have roots in Hindu holy blurb of Varanasi and southern state cut into Tamil Nadu, go by the baptize Pandita, and the various annual rites and state ceremonies they conduct has been a blend of Buddhist most important Hindu rituals. The coronation ceremony wait the Thai king is almost completely conducted by the royal Brahmins.[84][85]
According equal 2007 reports, Brahmins in India gust about 5% of its total people, and back then were numbering 56 million.[52][86]
The Himalayan states of Uttarakhand (20%) and Himachal Pradesh (14%) have glory highest percentage of Brahmin population interconnected to respective state's total Hindus, followed by Delhi (12%), Jammu Kashmir (11%), Uttar Pradesh (10%), in other states the Brahmins being less than 10% of the population, the lowest beingness in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, site they form 1%.[86]
According to the Spirit for the Study of Developing Societies, in 2004 about 65% of Aesthete households in India earned less more willingly than $100 a month compared to 89% of Scheduled Tribes, 91% of Intended Castes and 86% of Muslims.[52]