BRAHMINS OF INDIA
The Brahmins of India constitue a little less than 5% of the total population but still they became very powerful. Let us take a trip down the much cliched memory lane. The brahmins were originally concentrated along the river Saraswathi in the north west of the country. As the river started drying, they started migrating to other parts of this huge land. Some people settled along the Ganga and some more travelled along to the east to the Brahmaputra basin. Many migrated to the hills to the origin of the river Saraswathi. Many more traveled along the coast to reach the peninsular part of the country. This movement and migration possibly prior to the rule of Rama resulted in their classification into two major parts, viz. pancha gaudas and pancha dravidas. The pancha gaudas are those brahmins who reside north of Narmada river and panch dravidas reside south of the same. The geographical indentation of Vindhya mountains made transition of one set of people to the other side difficult but still people undertook pilgrimage to places on the other side.
This also created a separation among the various sects of brahmins, in terms of style, study of Vedas, food habits etc. both in north and in the south. Those who were living along the the river Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi had to bear the nature's fury at times of flooding and live only on the food available in plenty in the river, i.e. fish. Most of these brahmins and their descendants came to be known as Machili Brahmins who live even today along the banks of the river Ganga. The drying up of the river Sarawathi drove the brahmins who were settled along the banks to go in search of other river banks to continue to perform their rituals without any hindrance. Thus the migration of brahmins from the north west India along the banks of Saraswathi to places on the banks of Godavari (Gowthami), Krishna (Krishnaveni), Kavery etc. in the southern plains and to Yamuna, Ganga, Sarayu etc. in the northern plains. There is a sect of Brahmins along the river Sarayu known as Saryuparin. These were the Brahmins who welcomed Rama on his return to Ayodhya after his fourteen years exile.
The brahmins who traveled to south started settling along the coast to start with and later migrated inland beyond the mountains. Thus there is a set of brahmins who became dependent on the seafood in times of floods and rains when the availability of vegetables became scarce. Even today, the brahmins of Konkan coast, though not all of them, on the western shore of the country are seafood eaters. Those who settled down along the river banks were able to maintain their satvik food habits and also the daily rituals without any hindrance. Even in the larger Tamil kingdoms in the peninsular India, the Brahmins settled along many rivers from the Penna in the north to Tamirabharani in the south.
Howsoever, the brahmins came to be respected by almost all the kings who were ruling different parts of the country, be it the Guptas, Mauryas, Rashtrakutas, Vijayanagara empire, Chera, Chozha Pandyas or the Nayakkars of the south. The Maurya dynasty was formed by the famous Chandragupta Maurya with the help of the famous Brahmin, Chanakya whose Artha Shastra is being referred to even today in many social and functional works. Like that, Vijayanagar empire was built by Harihar and Bukkar on the advise of the then peetathipathi of the Sringeri Shankara Matam Vidhyaranya. The Nayakkars had the glorious Neelakanta Deekshitar as his pradhan while ruling the southern part of today's Tamilnadu. Raja Raja Chola had Anriudhdha Brahmarayar as his minister. All these kings donated lands and villages to the learned brahmins. Thus many villages became clusters of learning as many brahmins settled down in such villages and started imparting the Vedas to others. The study and propagation of Veda was in such a glorious state in those days.
With the advent of Mughals in the northern India, the Muslim sultanate started in Delhi and this proved a death knell to the Hindus in general and brahmins in particular. The people who resisted converting to Islam were slaughtered like cattle and the women folk were raped and taken as sex slaves to the harems of the sultans. The study and propagation of Vedas in many of the north Indian cities suffered as many brahmins were killed or forcibly converted and their palm leaf manuscripts were burnt. It is reported that Bhaktiyar Khilji was responsible for the decline of the globally famed Nalanda University. He not only destroyed the physical structure, he reportedly burnt all the books in palm leaves thereby the entire literature of the HIndus and Budhdhists were lost to humanity forever.
As the invasion of the Delhi sultanate was limited to many parts of north India and some parts of central plateau, there was not much of a damage to the learning of Veda or propagation of the same in southern most part of the country. Moreover, the study and propagation of the Vedas was by word of mouth and therefore, it survived the onslaught of the invading armies of Allaudin Khilji and his commander Malik Kafur. However, the Muslim rule of India was the darkest days for the survival of the study and propagation of Vedas and the consequent survival of brahmins, who depended on the same and getting rewards from the rulers.
With the Europeans arriving in the country, the problems became even worse for the brahmins as the Europeans were accompanied by the missionaries whose interest was to convert maximum population to Christianity. To a large extent the missionaries succeeded in their effort in the north east and in the south west adjoining the western sea shore. Still the brahmins were able to cope up, though diluting their original duty of study and propagation of Vedas, by learning the new languages of the Europeans, their way of education and mastering that. Therefore, the brahmins irrespective of where they came from, be it north most Kashmir to south most Kerala, became an integral part of the administration during the European rule be it the limited French administration in some scattered parts, Danish in some other scattered parts, Portuguese in Goa, Daman and Diu, or British in large part of the country.
Thus the Brahmins became an integral part of the administration during and post independent struggle in the country. Though the brahmins are only a minuscule part of the total population, their hold on administration is largely due to their up bringing in the study of Vedas and their rigorous ritual oriented simple and frugal living. They could master easily the nuances of administration both under the British and later in the independent India. They had become not just an important integral part of the society but also a power to reckon with in different administrations. The works of brahmins were used in writing our country's constitution also. The Mitakshara of Yagnavalkya and the Dayabhaga influenced many parts of the Mitakshara law in the constitution as these were relied upon heavily by British courts in India during the pre independence days. The suggestions of the Kanchi Acharya the 68th pontiff of Kamakotipeetam were mainly responsible for the religious freedom that we enjoy today. He reportedly sent word through his emissaries to the constituent assembly which looked into the suggestions and were incorporated into the constitution. Thus the HIndus in the country enjoy freedom to practice religion and also the study and propagation of Veda in the country. Thus, the brahmins have come a long way from their original path of study and propagation of Vedas and frugal and simple living to be the principal advisers to the rulers or rulers themselves in many places in the country. In this process, the study of Vedas and propagation of the same is the sufferer and the society in general is the loser on this count.
This also created a separation among the various sects of brahmins, in terms of style, study of Vedas, food habits etc. both in north and in the south. Those who were living along the the river Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi had to bear the nature's fury at times of flooding and live only on the food available in plenty in the river, i.e. fish. Most of these brahmins and their descendants came to be known as Machili Brahmins who live even today along the banks of the river Ganga. The drying up of the river Sarawathi drove the brahmins who were settled along the banks to go in search of other river banks to continue to perform their rituals without any hindrance. Thus the migration of brahmins from the north west India along the banks of Saraswathi to places on the banks of Godavari (Gowthami), Krishna (Krishnaveni), Kavery etc. in the southern plains and to Yamuna, Ganga, Sarayu etc. in the northern plains. There is a sect of Brahmins along the river Sarayu known as Saryuparin. These were the Brahmins who welcomed Rama on his return to Ayodhya after his fourteen years exile.
The brahmins who traveled to south started settling along the coast to start with and later migrated inland beyond the mountains. Thus there is a set of brahmins who became dependent on the seafood in times of floods and rains when the availability of vegetables became scarce. Even today, the brahmins of Konkan coast, though not all of them, on the western shore of the country are seafood eaters. Those who settled down along the river banks were able to maintain their satvik food habits and also the daily rituals without any hindrance. Even in the larger Tamil kingdoms in the peninsular India, the Brahmins settled along many rivers from the Penna in the north to Tamirabharani in the south.
Howsoever, the brahmins came to be respected by almost all the kings who were ruling different parts of the country, be it the Guptas, Mauryas, Rashtrakutas, Vijayanagara empire, Chera, Chozha Pandyas or the Nayakkars of the south. The Maurya dynasty was formed by the famous Chandragupta Maurya with the help of the famous Brahmin, Chanakya whose Artha Shastra is being referred to even today in many social and functional works. Like that, Vijayanagar empire was built by Harihar and Bukkar on the advise of the then peetathipathi of the Sringeri Shankara Matam Vidhyaranya. The Nayakkars had the glorious Neelakanta Deekshitar as his pradhan while ruling the southern part of today's Tamilnadu. Raja Raja Chola had Anriudhdha Brahmarayar as his minister. All these kings donated lands and villages to the learned brahmins. Thus many villages became clusters of learning as many brahmins settled down in such villages and started imparting the Vedas to others. The study and propagation of Veda was in such a glorious state in those days.
With the advent of Mughals in the northern India, the Muslim sultanate started in Delhi and this proved a death knell to the Hindus in general and brahmins in particular. The people who resisted converting to Islam were slaughtered like cattle and the women folk were raped and taken as sex slaves to the harems of the sultans. The study and propagation of Vedas in many of the north Indian cities suffered as many brahmins were killed or forcibly converted and their palm leaf manuscripts were burnt. It is reported that Bhaktiyar Khilji was responsible for the decline of the globally famed Nalanda University. He not only destroyed the physical structure, he reportedly burnt all the books in palm leaves thereby the entire literature of the HIndus and Budhdhists were lost to humanity forever.
As the invasion of the Delhi sultanate was limited to many parts of north India and some parts of central plateau, there was not much of a damage to the learning of Veda or propagation of the same in southern most part of the country. Moreover, the study and propagation of the Vedas was by word of mouth and therefore, it survived the onslaught of the invading armies of Allaudin Khilji and his commander Malik Kafur. However, the Muslim rule of India was the darkest days for the survival of the study and propagation of Vedas and the consequent survival of brahmins, who depended on the same and getting rewards from the rulers.
With the Europeans arriving in the country, the problems became even worse for the brahmins as the Europeans were accompanied by the missionaries whose interest was to convert maximum population to Christianity. To a large extent the missionaries succeeded in their effort in the north east and in the south west adjoining the western sea shore. Still the brahmins were able to cope up, though diluting their original duty of study and propagation of Vedas, by learning the new languages of the Europeans, their way of education and mastering that. Therefore, the brahmins irrespective of where they came from, be it north most Kashmir to south most Kerala, became an integral part of the administration during the European rule be it the limited French administration in some scattered parts, Danish in some other scattered parts, Portuguese in Goa, Daman and Diu, or British in large part of the country.
Thus the Brahmins became an integral part of the administration during and post independent struggle in the country. Though the brahmins are only a minuscule part of the total population, their hold on administration is largely due to their up bringing in the study of Vedas and their rigorous ritual oriented simple and frugal living. They could master easily the nuances of administration both under the British and later in the independent India. They had become not just an important integral part of the society but also a power to reckon with in different administrations. The works of brahmins were used in writing our country's constitution also. The Mitakshara of Yagnavalkya and the Dayabhaga influenced many parts of the Mitakshara law in the constitution as these were relied upon heavily by British courts in India during the pre independence days. The suggestions of the Kanchi Acharya the 68th pontiff of Kamakotipeetam were mainly responsible for the religious freedom that we enjoy today. He reportedly sent word through his emissaries to the constituent assembly which looked into the suggestions and were incorporated into the constitution. Thus the HIndus in the country enjoy freedom to practice religion and also the study and propagation of Veda in the country. Thus, the brahmins have come a long way from their original path of study and propagation of Vedas and frugal and simple living to be the principal advisers to the rulers or rulers themselves in many places in the country. In this process, the study of Vedas and propagation of the same is the sufferer and the society in general is the loser on this count.
Comments
Post a Comment