Bengali Brahmins are those Brahmins who traditionally reside in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, currently comprising the Indian state of West Bengal, and Bangladesh. When the British left India in 1947, carving out a separate nation (see partition) of East Pakistan (which became Bangladesh in 1971), a number of families moved to be within the borders of the newly defined secular Indian Republic, and continued to migrate for several decades thereafter. Bengali Brahmins are generally well-educated, and a number of prominent figures of India belong to this community. Young Indian brahmachari Brahmin A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. ... Bengal, known as Bôngo (Bengali: বঙ্গ), Bangla (বাংলা), Bôngodesh (বঙ্গদেশ), or Bangladesh (বাংলাদেশ) in Bangla, is a region in the northeast of South Asia. ... Satellite image of the Indian subcontinent Map of South Asia (see note) The Indian subcontinent is a peninsular landmass of the Asian continent occupying the Indian Plate and extending into the Indian Ocean, bordered on the north by the Eurasian Plate. ... India is subdivided into twenty-eight states, six union territories and the National Capital Territory. ... Britains holdings on the Indian subcontinent were granted independence in 1947 and 1948, becoming four new independent states: India, Burma (now Myanmar), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and Pakistan (including East Pakistan, modern-day Bangladesh). ...

Rabindranath Tagore

The community has several family names. Baidyas of Bengal constitute one of the sub-caste of Bengali Brahmins. Some of the Baidyas consider themselves to be a separate social group. Image File history File links Rabindranath-Tagore-India-Postage7-May-1961. ... Image File history File links Rabindranath-Tagore-India-Postage7-May-1961. ... Rabindranath Tagore in Kolkata, c. ... A family name, or surname, is that part of a persons name that indicates to what family he or she belongs. ... In sociology, a group is usually defined as a collection consisting of a number of people who share certain aspects, interact with one another, accept rights and obligations as members of the group and share a common identity. ...

History

A large scale migration of Brahmins from Kanyakubja region occurred during Pala and Sena periods. However historical evidence attests significant presence of Brahmins in Bengal since the Maurya period. The Jain Acharya Bhadrabahu, regarded to be the the preceptor of Chandragupta Maurya is said to have been born in Brahmin family of Pundravardhana. A copperplate grant from the Gupta period found in the vicinity of Somapura mentions a Brahmin donating land to a Jain vihara at Vatagohali. Kanauj, or Kannauj, is an ancient city of Uttar Pradesh state of India (1991 pop. ... This article is about a village in Estonia. ... The word sena literally means army in many South Asian languages. ... Chandragupta Maurya (ruled 322–298 BC), known to the Greeks as Sandracottus, was the first emperor of the Mauryan empire. ... JAIN is an activity within the Java Community Process, developing APIs for the creation of telephony (voice and data) services. ... An acharya is a prominent guru, teacher and scholar who teaches by his own example (from Sanskrit achara, behavior). ... Bhadrabahu was a Jain saint. ... Chandragupta Maurya (ruled 322–298 BC), also known as Sandrokottos to the Greeks, was the founder of the Mauryan Empire. ... Silver coin of the Gupta King Kumara Gupta I (414-455 CE). ... Somapura Mahavihara was among the best known Buddhist viharas in India. ...

The three main divisions are

• Radhi from Radh (region south-west of Ganga)
• Varendra, from Varendra region (North-East)
• Vedika

Traditional accounts

The traditional accounts of the origin are given in texts termed Kulagranthas, composed around the 17th century. They mention a ruler named Adishura who invited five Brahmins fron Kanyakubja, so that he could conduct a yajna. These five Brahmins and their five Kayasth 'servants' formed the Kulin Brahmin and Kayasth clans. Another account mentions a king Shyamal Varma who invited five Brahmins from Kanyakubja who became the progenitors of the Vedika Brahmins. (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... In Hinduism, Yajña यज्ञ (Sanskrit yajñá worship, prayer, praise; offering, oblation, sacrifice) is a Vedic ritual of sacrifice performed to please the Devas, or sometimes to the Supreme Spirit Brahman. ... Kayastha or Kayasth is a caste in South Asia, they are placed outside the four Varnas or main castes. ...

Historians have located a ruler named Adishura, ruling in north Bihar, but not in Bengal. Thus it is likely the Brahmins from Kanyakubja may have first arrived in Mithila, and then moved to Bengal. It is believed that the Brahmins of Bengal adapted kulinism from a similar hierarchical system used by the the Brahmins of Mithila. For other uses, see Bihar (disambiguation). ... Mithila (Sanskrit: मिथिला, mithilā) was a kingdom in ancient India. ...

Kulinism in Bengal

Both Brahmins and Kayasthas in Bengal have followed a system that ranks the clans hierarchically. The Kulinas formed the higher ranking clans.

The system degenerated during the 18-19th century and is no longer popular.

Impact of British occupation

The British occupation of Bengal radically transformed the Bengali culture. Bengal has now gone through two century of missionary efforts and a quarter century of a Marxist government. Eastern Bengal became an Muslim majority region in mid-19th century which resulted in the first partition of Bengal in 1905, and then final partion in 1947. Although the interaction with the British resulting in what is termed the Bengal Renaissance, it altered the hold of traditional Brahminical Hinduism in the religion. The Partition of Bengal in 1905, was made on 16 October by then Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon. ... The Partition of Bengal in 1947 divided Bengal into the two separate entities of West Bengal belonging to India, and East Bengal belonging to Pakistan. ... Bengal renaissance is the period of time that saw surge in creative and social activity in Bengal. ...

Prominent Bengali Brahmins

Many Bengali Brahmin family names are written in two different ways. Thus Chattopadhyay is the Sanskrit word, anglicized form of the Prakrit word takes the form Chatterjee. Note that "Chatta" was the name of the village where the family served as upadhyaya (i.e. priest). The word upadhyaya is ovajhaya in Prakit which contracts to -jee or -jya. Tagore is anglicised form of Thakur, meaning "lord". Anglicized refers to foreign words, often surnames, that are changed from a foreign language into English. ... Tagore is the name of a prominent Bengali family of intellectuals, writers and artists. ... ...

Pre-1947

• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486 - 1534), ascetic, founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism
• Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833), Hindu reformer and founder of Brahmo Samaj
• Debendranath Tagore (1817-1905) A leading proponent of Brahmo Samaj
• Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820 - 1891) Polymath
• Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894), author and one of the founders of Indian nationalism
• Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), poet, philosopher and nationalist
• Jatindra Nath Mukherjee (Bagha Jatin) (1879-1915), revolutionary leader
• Gadadhar Chattopadhyay (Ramakrishna Paramahansa) (1836-1886), Revered Religious leader, led hindu revivalism
• Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay (1876-1938) popular and sometimes controversial novelist
• Rakhal Das Banerjee (1885-1930) archaeologist, Mohenjo‑daro excavations
• Manabendra Nath Roy (1887-1954), a founder of Indian Communism

Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534) Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya, IAST ) (Bangla ) (1486 - 1534), was an ascetic vaishnava monk and the volcano of resplendent and divine love and also a social reformer in 16th century Bengal, India (present-day West Bengal and Bangladesh). ... Gaudiya Vaishnavism, (Bengal) Vaishnavism, is a sect of Hinduism founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. ... Indian reformer Ram Mohan Roy died in Bristol, England, where this statue of him stands. ... Brahmo Samaj is a social and religious movement founded in Kolkata, India in 1828 by Raja Ram Mohan Roy. ... Debendranath Tagore (Bangla:দেবেন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর, Debendronath Ţhakur)(May 15, 1817 - January 19, 1905) was a Bengali philosopher from current-day West Bengal, in India. ... Brahmo Samaj is a social and religious movement founded in Kolkata, India in 1828 by Raja Ram Mohan Roy. ... Indian postal stamp on Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (Bangla: ঈশ্বর চন্দ্র বিদ্যাসাগর) (1820-1891) was a polymath. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Vande Mataram (in Bangla: বন্দে মাতরম)is the national song of India. ... Rabindranath Tagore in Kolkata, c. ... Jatindranath Mukherjee, popularly known as Bagha Jatin Bagha Jatin, born Jatindranath Mukherjee (8 December 1879–10 September 1915) was a Bengali Indian revolutionary activist against British rule. ... Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (Bangla: রামকৃষ্ণ পরমহংস), born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay (Bangla: গদাধর চট্টোপাধ্যায়) , (February 18, 1836 - August 16, 1886) was one of the most important Hindu religious leaders of India, and is deeply revered by many Hindus and non-Hindus to this date. ... Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay, also known as Sharat Chandra Chatterjee (15 September 1876 - 16 January 1938) was a popular Bengali novelist of early 20th century India. ... Categories: Stub | Indian politicians | 1887 births | 1954 deaths ...

Post-1947

• Buddhadeb Bhattacharya Chief Minister of West Bengal since 2000.
• Sourav Ganguly, captain of Indian cricket team

Some promienent religious leaders from Bengal, Vivekananda (a Kayasth) and Srila Prabhupada (a Suvarna Vanika) are often thought to have been Brahmin although they were not Brahmin. Both were however disciples of Brahmin scholars. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya (or Buddhadev Bhattacharya) is the Chief Minister of West Bengal (India) since 2000-2001. ... West Bengal (পশ্চিম বঙ্গ, Poshchim Bôngo) is a state in the eastern region of India. ... Sourav Chandidas Ganguly (the first name occasionally spelt Saurav) is an Indian cricketer. ... Introduction Swami Vivekananda (Narendranath Dutta) (January 12, 1863 - July 4, 1902) is considered one of the most famous and influential spiritual leaders of the Hindu religion. ... Kayastha or Kayasth is a caste in South Asia, they are placed outside the four Varnas or main castes. ... Srila Prabhupada under a painting of Krishna A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (September 1, 1896–November 14, 1977) was born Abhay Charan De, in Calcutta, West Bengal. ...

Links

• Jainism in Bengal
• Varendra Brahmins

References

• Rajah Surindo Mohun Tagore, The Caste Customs of the Hindus, 1880. Reprinted by Indological Book House, 1963.

• Harikrishna Shastri, ब्राह्मणोत्पत्ति मार्तण्ड, 1871.
• Devendra Nath Shukla, ब्राह्मण समाज का ऐतिहासिक अनुशीलन, 1990