Maithil Brahmin

Not to be confused with Meitei Brahmins, who are also known as Manipuri Brahmins.

Maithil Brahmin
मैथिल ब्राह्मण
Languages
Maithili, Angika[1]
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Other Brahmin groups
Chhathihar, Mundan and Maithil Upanayan are the mandatory sanskars among the Maithil Brahmins community

Maithil Brahmins are the Indo-Aryan Hindu Brahmin community originating from the Mithila region of the Indian subcontinent that comprises Tirhut, Darbhanga, Kosi, Purnia, Munger, Bhagalpur and Santhal Pargana divisions[a] of India and parts of Nepalese Terai.[2] They are one of the five Pancha-Gauda Brahmin communities.[3][4] The main language spoken by Maithil Brahmins is Maithili.

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. Among the total number of Maithil Brahmins, around twenty five percent Brahmins belong to Chhandog and remaining belong to Vajasaneyi.[8] They are also further classified by four main categories, the Shrotriyas (Soit), the Yogyas (Bhalmanush), the Painjas and the Jaiwars.[9] They are also divided into various Mools or Clan's name. On the basis of mools, they are categorised into three classes. They are Atyant Shrestha, Dwitiya Shreni and Madhyammul.[10] And every mool is further divided into upamool or sub clans called as Moolgram.[11]

Religious practices

They are mainly practitioners of Shaktism in various forms, however there are also Vaishnavites and Shaivites.[12][13] A male child of Maithil Brahmin family gets the status of a Brahmin only after completion of the sacred ceremony Maithil Upanayan.[14]

Panjis

Panjis or Panji Prabandh are extensive genealogical records maintained among Maithil Brahmins similar to the Hindu genealogy registers at Haridwar.[15] While marriage they obtain the “Aswajan”(Non-relative) certificate from the panjikars,this system was started by Harisinghdeva.[16]

See also

Notes

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

References

  1. ^ Sarkar, Prabhat Ranjan (2020). "Bihar". In Avadhúta, Vijayánanda; Brahmacarii, Párthasárathi; Avadhúta, Acyutánanda; Avadhúta, Vimalánanda (eds.). Prout in a Nutshell. Vol. 4 (2nd ed.). Ananda Nagar, Purulia: Ananda Marga Publications. p. 363. ISBN 978-81-941215-3-4. In the Mithila area of Bihar, Maethil Brahmins, Kayasthas and Dogamayas speak Maethili, and the rest of the population, including the Bhuhimars speak Angika. ... The Maethil Brahmans speak Maethili at home but Angika outside the home.
  2. ^ Jha, Pankaj Kumar (2010). Sushasan Ke Aaine Mein Naya Bihar. Bihar (India): Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 9789380186283.
  3. ^ James G. Lochtefeld (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z. Rosen. pp. 490–491. ISBN 9780823931804.
  4. ^ D. Shyam Babu and Ravindra S. Khare, ed. (2011). Caste in Life: Experiencing Inequalities. Pearson Education India. p. 168. ISBN 9788131754399.
  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. ^ Jhā, Sahadeva (1999). Maṇḍana Miśra aura unakā Advaita Vedānta (in Hindi). Maṇḍana-Santati.
  9. ^ Jha, Makhan (1982). Civilizational Regions of Mithila & Mahakoshal. Capital Publishing House.
  10. ^ Singh, Ravi S.; Dahiya, Bharat; Singh, Arun K.; Poudel, Padma C. (20 May 2022). Practising Cultural Geographies: Essays in Honour of Rana P. B. Singh. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-981-16-6415-1.
  11. ^ पाण्डेय, शिववंश; झा, शशिनाथ; झा, सतीशचन्द्र (1997). "सारस्वत-सुषमा": अक्षर पुरुष आचार्य पण्डित आद्याचरण झा-अभिनन्दन ग्रन्थः (in Hindi). Suśīla Kumāra Jhā.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ Maitra, Asim (1986). Religious Life of the Brahman: A Case Study of Maithil Brahmans. Inter-India Publications. p. 54. ISBN 9788121001717.
  14. ^ Jhā, Mohanānanda (1989). Mithilā saṃskr̥tika paramparā meṃ lokagīta: śaikshika-samājaśāstrīya pariprekshya meṃ adhyayana (in Hindi). Jānakī Prakāśana. ISBN 978-81-85078-41-0.
  15. ^ "Culture of the Mithila region". Archived from the original on 17 July 2007. Retrieved 16 September 2007.
  16. ^ Jha, Makhan (1997). Anthropology of Ancient Hindu Kingdoms: A Study in Civilizational Perspective. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. p. 118. ISBN 978-81-7533-034-4.
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