Maithil Brahmin
Encyclopedia
Maithil Brahmins form part of ancient Vedic Brahmin
s. Maithil s are a part of Panch-gauda , a group of highest-ranking caste
s among Brahmin, who still strive to follow rites and rituals according to ancient Hindu canons. Maithil Brahmin is a community of highly cohesive, and traditional Brahmins. They have a reputation for orthodoxy and interest in learning. Most of them live in and around Mithila
, which is a portion of North Bihar. A large number of Mathil Brahmins migrated a few centuries back to adjoining areas of South-east Bihar & Jharkhand ,Parts of West Bengal as well as to adjoining Terai regions of Nepal
. Mithila was the name of capital of the ancient kingdom of legendary King Janak. Most of the Maithil Brahmins are Śāktas (worshippers of Śakti) and love Maach (Fish),Choora-dahi (Beaten rice - Curd), Sugar, Pickle, Mangoes and discussions and debate.Maithili
is their mother tongue, though many use Angika (a south-eastern dialect of Maithili
) as their mother tongue.
They have four hierarchically ordered divisions: Śrotiya, Yogya or Joga, Panjibaddha (Pāinj in Maithili
) and Jayawāra or Jaibar (which can be divided into Grihastha and Vamśa according to some scholars). They have no further endogamous divisions but observe a complicated rules for marriage, each of these four divisions may take a wife from the group below it.They are organized into named patrilineal groupings, and the genealogical links within and between these groupings has been an essential feature of Maithil Brahman social life for centuries. A class of genealogists known as panjikaras maintain records of the lineages and marriage links between them for the higher ranking lineages.
অআই
Mithila
is the traditional region associated with Maithil Brāhamanas, but a large number of Maithil Brāhamanas have been living in various parts of Madhya Pradesh (esp. Māndla region) and Chhattisagarh states for millennia. Few Maithil Brāhamanas also reside in Uttarakhand
's Garhwal
region e.g. Uniyal
Brāhamanas. In Uttarakhand, the most famous family of Maithil brahmins was of late Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna, former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, whose ancestors had migrated from Mangalvaani village, now Mangrauni, in Madhubani district of Mithila, and were honoured by the title Bahuguna due to scholarship in many disciplines, by the king of Garhwal. Maithil Brahmans have now migrated to all over the world.
Linguistic Survey Of India by George Grierson gives a map and details of regions and features of Maithili language, this region is now known as Mithila. Mithila
region comprises following districts in India
:Darbhanga
, Saharsa
, Bhagalpur
, Purnea, Madhubani, Samastipur
, Begusarai
, Supaul
, Madhepura
, Sitamarhi
, Sheohar
, Muzzafarpur, Khagaria
, Katihar
, Araria
, Banka
, Godda
, Deoghar
, Jamui
, Munger
and following districts in Nepal
: Morang, Sunsari, Saptari, Siraha
, Dhanusa, Dhanusa, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rauthat, Bara
, Parsa
,etc.
) gives a detailed story of the origin of Maithil Brāhamanas. The King Nimi started a great yajna in which he invited rishi
for performing this yajna. accepted but was busy in another yajna for a long time and therefore could not come in time. In the meantime, King Nimi asked the rishi
(sage) Gotama to perform the yajna. Many other rishi
s were also invited. When came and saw that the yajna was over, he cursed Nimi to live without body. Nimi retorted with a similar curse. By the blessings of his father Brahma, was reborn in a kumbha (pitcher). Bhrigu and other sages asked the disembodied king Nimi whether he wanted to get a body, but Nimi refused and said he wanted to live in the 'pupils'(eyelids, Nimi) of people. Then Nimi's body was churned and a man was created, who came to be called Videha because he was born of a father who had no body (deha), and was also called Maithil because he was produced by churning (manthana). All the present gotras of Maithils are said to start from the sages who participated in the great yajna of Nimi. Yajnayalkya lived in Mithila (according to Brihadaranyaka Upanishada) and proponents of India's six philosophies also lived here, including Gotama (Nyaya), Kapil(Samkhya),etc. Buddhism was widespread here. Later Udyotkata, Kumarila Bhatta, Mandana Mishra
, Prabhakara, Udayanacharya, Gangesh,Ayachi Mishra, Shankar Mishra(Son of Ayachi Mishra), Pakshadhara Mishra, etc reestablished the Vedic religion by defeating Buddhists in debates.
Recently Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Sir Ganganath Jha, Mahamahopadhyaya Balkrishna Mishra, Pandit Dharmadatta Jha(Bachcha Jha),Dr. Amarnath Jha( Son of Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Sir Ganganath Jha),Pandit Markendeya Mishra are the names to conjure with in the field of Sanskrit learning.
According to D.D. Kosāmbi, Śatpath Brāhmana tells that Māthava Videgha, led by his priest Gotama Rahugana, was the first king who originally lived in the land of Sarasvati crossed Sadānirā (supposed to be Gandaka) and founded a kingdom, where the people named videhas lived at the time of composition of Śatpath Brāhmana. Gotama Rahugana was a vedic rishi who composed many hymns of the first mandala of Rgveda. Most notable Rgvedic hymns of Gotama Rahugana are those that praise Sva-rājya, which was the State of Videgha, which later became Videha due to phonetic change. Māthava Videgha, therefore, must belong to the Rgvedic period and must have preceded the period of Śatpath Brāhmana by a considerable gap. Rgveda also mentions hymns by Kāśirāja Pratardana in tenth mandala. Hence, Mithilā and Kāśhi formed part of the region in which Rgvedic people lived. Descendandants of Gotama Rahugana were called Gautama. One such sage lived near Ahilya-sthāna during the age of Rāmāyana.
and Shākhā
s of Maithil Brāhamins :;.
All Maithil brahmins of gotra belong to Sāmveda (), and all remaining Maithil brahmins belong to Yajurveda (Vājasaneyi, Mādhyandina Shākhā
). Other of Vedas in Maithil brahmins have vanished, but names of many villages, such as Riga for Rgveda, Jajuar for Yajurveda, Samaul for Samaveda, Athari for Atharvaveda, etc, still remind that once upon a time brahmins of all lived in Mithila.
Organisation into gotras and mūlas :
All Maithil Brāhamins are divided into organised (vyavasthita) and unorganised (avyavasthita) types. There are 7 gotras among organised and 12 gotras among unorganised Maithil Brāhamanas. There are 7 organised gotras based on 7 rishis and 34 (according to some 36) organised mūlas (mūla means root or origin), and a total of 19 gotras and 180 mūlas. On the basis of three criteria, namely purity of birth, conduct and learning, 20 mūlas were declared to be uttama (best), and 14 or 16 were deemed medium, both taken together were called organised mūlas. In the following table, among the organised mulas, best (uttama) mūlas have been indicated in regular typeface and medium (madhyama) mūlas in italics. Unorganised mūlas do not show such differentiation.
Organisation into Grāma :
Each Mūla was further sub-divided into several Grāmas. Literally, Grāma means village, but in present context it does not mean modern village, but original village. Each Maithil brahmin is expected to remember his/her , Gotra, Pravaras, Mūla and Grāma. The last denotes the village of residence when this organisation was introduced. Last mention of such an organisation or reorganisation dates to cir. 1324 AD, just before Mithilā was conquered by Giasuddin Tughlaq's army and the last independent Hindu king Harisinghdeva fled to Kāthamāndu. For instance, gotra has 172 dispersed in 132 original Grāmas ; these were branches of a mūla, e.g., Gangoli mūla has 14 distributed into 20 Grāmas.
Mishrā,
Thākur,
Pāthak,
Choudhary,
Rāi (also spelled as Roy, a small section of Maithil Brahmins originally from near Madhubani, Laheriasarai and Baghba Village of Saharsa, who were small Kings or Zamindars by virtue of their unusual combination of strengths, intellect and acumen and were given Royal titles of Roy, RaiBahadur or RaiSahab by the British. Many abandoned their titles and donated their riches during the fight for India's Independence but were still referred to as Rai due to their several generations of royal lineage),
Rājhans, including Canadian TV personality Mohit Rajhans
Bhāradwaj (mostly those who use their Gotras as their Surnames),
Shāndilya (mostly those who use their Gotras as their Surnames),
Kashyap (mostly those who use their Gotras as their Surnames),
Parāshar, (mostly those who use their Gotras as their Surnames),
Pratihast,
Jajwāre (rare surname, but one family with this surname is in existence in Toronto, Canada)
Achārya,
Kātyāyan
Singh (Brahmins who were also Zamindars and preferred to associate themselves more with Kings than Vipra Brahmins. e.g., Maharaja Kameshwar Singh of Darbhanga Raj, Singhs/Sinha of Banaili raj, etc. But use of this surname is more an exception than a widely accepted phenomenon.),
Bājpayee,
Chaturvedi (A large portion of the Migrant Maithilli Brahmins have this Surname),
Khān (a small section of Maithil Brahmins (originally from near Saharsa, i.e. from Bangaon and Parari Village of Sahara District, Bihar) who were small Kings or Zamindars by virtue of their unusual combination of strengths, intellect and acumen and were given Royal titles of Khan, KhanBahadur or KhanSahab during Akbar's reign),
In fact it was not in Akbar's reign that Khan surname was adopted by these Brahmins. Both Bahadur and Khan are in fact Monglian words brought to India and Arab by Genghis (Changez). People (Muslims) started using the Khan surname as an acknowledgement to Genghis (Changez) Khan's valour and similarly Lal Bahadur was derived from Ulan Batur the capital of Mongolia. So Bahadur and Khan was derived as a surname depicting the valour of Genghis (Changez) Khan. Thus few ruling Brahmins of Mithila adopted the Surname of Khan or Khan Bahadur. (Gurudutta/September-2010)
Sharmā (a small section of Maithil Brahmins who were originally from Mithilanchal, Bihar, were highly respected by Akbar and were requested to relocate by Akbar to his kingdom near Agra and Fatehpur Sikri, during his reign. These Brahmins later flew away during Aurangzeb's tyranny when he tried to force them to convert into Muslims and changed their surnames to Sharma),
Ojhā
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s. Maithil s are a part of Panch-gauda , a group of highest-ranking caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
s among Brahmin, who still strive to follow rites and rituals according to ancient Hindu canons. Maithil Brahmin is a community of highly cohesive, and traditional Brahmins. They have a reputation for orthodoxy and interest in learning. Most of them live in and around Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
, which is a portion of North Bihar. A large number of Mathil Brahmins migrated a few centuries back to adjoining areas of South-east Bihar & Jharkhand ,Parts of West Bengal as well as to adjoining Terai regions of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. Mithila was the name of capital of the ancient kingdom of legendary King Janak. Most of the Maithil Brahmins are Śāktas (worshippers of Śakti) and love Maach (Fish),Choora-dahi (Beaten rice - Curd), Sugar, Pickle, Mangoes and discussions and debate.Maithili
Maithili language
Maithili language is spoken in the eastern region of India and South-eastern region of Nepal. The native speakers of Maithili reside in Bihar, Jharkhand,parts of West Bengal and South-east Nepal...
is their mother tongue, though many use Angika (a south-eastern dialect of Maithili
Maithili language
Maithili language is spoken in the eastern region of India and South-eastern region of Nepal. The native speakers of Maithili reside in Bihar, Jharkhand,parts of West Bengal and South-east Nepal...
) as their mother tongue.
They have four hierarchically ordered divisions: Śrotiya, Yogya or Joga, Panjibaddha (Pāinj in Maithili
Maithili language
Maithili language is spoken in the eastern region of India and South-eastern region of Nepal. The native speakers of Maithili reside in Bihar, Jharkhand,parts of West Bengal and South-east Nepal...
) and Jayawāra or Jaibar (which can be divided into Grihastha and Vamśa according to some scholars). They have no further endogamous divisions but observe a complicated rules for marriage, each of these four divisions may take a wife from the group below it.They are organized into named patrilineal groupings, and the genealogical links within and between these groupings has been an essential feature of Maithil Brahman social life for centuries. A class of genealogists known as panjikaras maintain records of the lineages and marriage links between them for the higher ranking lineages.
অআই
Traditional Areas of Maithil Brāhamanas
The Mithila Khanda of Visnu purana defines the traditional boundaries of Mithila as the Kosi River in the East, Gandaki or Gandaka in the west, Himalaya in the North and Gangā (Ganges) in the south, measuring 24 yojanas (1 yojana measured 12.52 Kilometres in 550AD according to Panchsiddantika ) east-west and 16 yojanas north-south. But now many districts south of Gangā are also included in Mithila by dint of being the region of Maithili language as well as the residence of Maithil Brāhamanas.Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
is the traditional region associated with Maithil Brāhamanas, but a large number of Maithil Brāhamanas have been living in various parts of Madhya Pradesh (esp. Māndla region) and Chhattisagarh states for millennia. Few Maithil Brāhamanas also reside in Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
's Garhwal
Garhwal Division
Garhwal is the north-western region and administrative division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand which is home to the Garhwali people. Lying in the Himalayas, It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the north-west by...
region e.g. Uniyal
Uniyal
Uniyal is a North Indian garhwali brahmin surname, mostly used in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. In Yamunotri ritual duties such as the making and distribution of prasad and the supervision of pujas are performed by the Uniyal family of pujaris...
Brāhamanas. In Uttarakhand, the most famous family of Maithil brahmins was of late Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna, former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, whose ancestors had migrated from Mangalvaani village, now Mangrauni, in Madhubani district of Mithila, and were honoured by the title Bahuguna due to scholarship in many disciplines, by the king of Garhwal. Maithil Brahmans have now migrated to all over the world.
Linguistic Survey Of India by George Grierson gives a map and details of regions and features of Maithili language, this region is now known as Mithila. Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
region comprises following districts in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
:Darbhanga
Darbhanga
Darbhangā is a twin city and a municipal corporation and the capital city of the Darbhanga district and Darbhanga Division in the state of Bihar, India. It is one of the most important districts of North Bihar situated in the very heart of Mithilanchal. According to the latest 2011 census, the...
, Saharsa
Saharsa
Saharsa is a city and a municipality in the Saharsa district in the Indian state of Bihar in north India, east of the Kosi River. It is the administrative headquarters of the Saharsa District, and is in the Kosi Division. Sahrasa is also the name of the Parliamentary constituency, which contains...
, Bhagalpur
Bhagalpur
Bhagdattpuram was one of the most influential towns in "Aryavarta" . It is supposed to have been concurrent to Patliputra or Patna. Bhagdattpuram finds its mention in the Vedas and Ramayana as well. It is supposed to be the kingdom of Daanvir Karna, the son of Kunti and the Sun God...
, Purnea, Madhubani, Samastipur
Samastipur
Samastipur is a city and a municipality in Samastipur district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is headquarters of the Samastipur district.It is situated on the banks of Burhi Gandak River.-Demographics:...
, Begusarai
Begusarai
Begusarai is a city and a municipal council in Begusarai district in the state of Bihar, India. Begusarai had traditionally been a communist stronghold and it was earlier also referred to as the Leningrad of Bihar.- Recent history :...
, Supaul
Supaul
Supaul is a town and a municipality that is headquarters of Supaul district in the Indian state of Bihar. Not far from this place is the Indian border connecting Nepal. The Supaul Town is the administrative headquarters of this district....
, Madhepura
Madhepura
Madhepura is a city and a municipality in Madhepura district in the Indian state of Bihar. Madhepura as it stands now was carved out of Saharsa district and got the status of revenue district on 9 May 1981. Prior to that, Madhepura was a sub-division under Bhagalpur district with effect from 3...
, Sitamarhi
Sitamarhi
Sitamarhi is a town and the district headquarters of Sitamarhi district, Bihar, India.-History:The name Sitamarhi, derives from "Sitamahi", meaning "hermitage of Sita". It is the mythological birthplace of Sita, and the spiritual centre of many sages and saints.This district is often bereaved by...
, Sheohar
Sheohar
Sheohar is headquarters of Sheohar district.-Geography:Sheohar is located at coor 26.52N, 85.3E. It has an average elevation of 53 metres .The district contains five blocks: Piprahi, Purnahiya, Sheohar, Taryani and Dumri Katsari....
, Muzzafarpur, Khagaria
Khagaria
Khagaria is a city in India, and the administrative headquarter of Khagaria district. Khagaria is a part of Munger division. The town has a major railway junction on the Barauni Guwahati section of the Indian Railways. National Highway 31 which connects rest of the India to North Eastern region...
, Katihar
Katihar
Katihar is a town situated in the north eastern part of Bihar state in India. It is headquarters of Katihar district.- Geography :Katihar is located at...
, Araria
Araria
Araria is a town and a municipality that is headquarters of Araria district in the state of Bihar, India.-Geography:Araria is located at . It has an average elevation of 47 metres . Araria is situated at the northern part of Purnia and Madhepura in Bihar...
, Banka
Banka
Banka may refer to:* Banka, Bihar, a town in Bihar, India* Banka district, Bihar, India* Bankə, Azerbaijan*Banka, Cameroon* the Banka Gold Mining Project operated by Mwana Africa plc, in Ghana...
, Godda
Godda
Godda is a city and a municipality in Godda district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. The district has an area of 2110 km². The district headquarter is Godda.-Geography:...
, Deoghar
Deoghar
Deoghar is the headquarters city of Deoghar District in the Santhal Parganas division of the state of Jharkhand, India. It is an important Hindu pilgrimage centre, having in Baidyanath Temple one of the twelve Shiva Jyothirlingams in India and also one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in India.-Origin of...
, Jamui
Jamui
Jamui is a city and a municipality in Jamui district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is the district headquarters of Jamui district.-Geography:Jamui is located at...
, Munger
Munger
Munger town is the headquarters of Munger district, in the Indian state of Bihar. Historically, Munger is known for its manufacturing of iron articles such as firearms and swords. One of the major institutions in Munger is Bihar School of Yoga. It is one of the foremost learning center in the...
and following districts in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
: Morang, Sunsari, Saptari, Siraha
Siraha
Siraha Nepal is the headquarters of Siraha District, a part of Sagarmatha Zone, Nepal. The town is located at an altitude of 64 metres .It has the population of 572,399 according to the statistics of 2001.It is not event the town or the cities,a small BAZAAR.The political condition is not well of...
, Dhanusa, Dhanusa, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rauthat, Bara
Bâra
Bâra is a commune in Neamţ County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Bâra, Negreşti and Rediu.-References:...
, Parsa
Parsa
Parsa may refer to the following places:* Persepolis, a city built by Darius the Great, serving as capital of the Achaemenid Empire.*the Old Persian name for Fars, a province in Iran.*the Parsa District in Nepal.*Parsa, a village in Janakpur Zone, Nepal....
,etc.
Origin of Maithil Brāhamanas
Uttarakānda of Vālmiki Rāmāyana (RamayanaRamayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
) gives a detailed story of the origin of Maithil Brāhamanas. The King Nimi started a great yajna in which he invited rishi
Rishi
Rishi denotes the composers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic tradition, the rishi is a "seer" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis were prominent when Vedic Hinduism took shape, as far back as some three thousand years...
for performing this yajna. accepted but was busy in another yajna for a long time and therefore could not come in time. In the meantime, King Nimi asked the rishi
Rishi
Rishi denotes the composers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic tradition, the rishi is a "seer" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis were prominent when Vedic Hinduism took shape, as far back as some three thousand years...
(sage) Gotama to perform the yajna. Many other rishi
Rishi
Rishi denotes the composers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic tradition, the rishi is a "seer" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis were prominent when Vedic Hinduism took shape, as far back as some three thousand years...
s were also invited. When came and saw that the yajna was over, he cursed Nimi to live without body. Nimi retorted with a similar curse. By the blessings of his father Brahma, was reborn in a kumbha (pitcher). Bhrigu and other sages asked the disembodied king Nimi whether he wanted to get a body, but Nimi refused and said he wanted to live in the 'pupils'(eyelids, Nimi) of people. Then Nimi's body was churned and a man was created, who came to be called Videha because he was born of a father who had no body (deha), and was also called Maithil because he was produced by churning (manthana). All the present gotras of Maithils are said to start from the sages who participated in the great yajna of Nimi. Yajnayalkya lived in Mithila (according to Brihadaranyaka Upanishada) and proponents of India's six philosophies also lived here, including Gotama (Nyaya), Kapil(Samkhya),etc. Buddhism was widespread here. Later Udyotkata, Kumarila Bhatta, Mandana Mishra
Mandana Mishra
was a Hindu philosopher, who wrote on the Mīmāmsā and Advaita systems of thought, and was a student and follower of Ādi Śankara. Maṇḍana Miśra, also known as Suresvaracharya, was a follower of the Karma Mimamsa school of philosophy and a staunch defender of the holistic sphota doctrine of language...
, Prabhakara, Udayanacharya, Gangesh,Ayachi Mishra, Shankar Mishra(Son of Ayachi Mishra), Pakshadhara Mishra, etc reestablished the Vedic religion by defeating Buddhists in debates.
Recently Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Sir Ganganath Jha, Mahamahopadhyaya Balkrishna Mishra, Pandit Dharmadatta Jha(Bachcha Jha),Dr. Amarnath Jha( Son of Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Sir Ganganath Jha),Pandit Markendeya Mishra are the names to conjure with in the field of Sanskrit learning.
According to D.D. Kosāmbi, Śatpath Brāhmana tells that Māthava Videgha, led by his priest Gotama Rahugana, was the first king who originally lived in the land of Sarasvati crossed Sadānirā (supposed to be Gandaka) and founded a kingdom, where the people named videhas lived at the time of composition of Śatpath Brāhmana. Gotama Rahugana was a vedic rishi who composed many hymns of the first mandala of Rgveda. Most notable Rgvedic hymns of Gotama Rahugana are those that praise Sva-rājya, which was the State of Videgha, which later became Videha due to phonetic change. Māthava Videgha, therefore, must belong to the Rgvedic period and must have preceded the period of Śatpath Brāhmana by a considerable gap. Rgveda also mentions hymns by Kāśirāja Pratardana in tenth mandala. Hence, Mithilā and Kāśhi formed part of the region in which Rgvedic people lived. Descendandants of Gotama Rahugana were called Gautama. One such sage lived near Ahilya-sthāna during the age of Rāmāyana.
Migration to Agra
Akbar always had a deep respect towards the talents & knowledge of Phalit Jyotish,so he had invited, in his Darbar, the most talented & well-versed Maithil pandits from Bihar. These pandits lived happily & respectfully in the regime of Akbar, which continued and gradually decreased in Jahangir's and then Shahjahan's rule.In the meantime, these pandits were cut off from their basic origin, i.e., Bihar.Then afterwards in the reign of Aurangzeb these once respectful pandits were treated unrespectfully and were tortured. They were forced to accept Islam by Aurangzeb. Among them who dared to oppose this were brutally killed while all the others had to fled away to distant villages to save their lives. Since then they are living in Agra, Aligarh, Mathura & distant villages and started calling themselves "BRAJASTHA MAITHIL BRAHMAN" as a new identity.Even after so many years the fear of Aurangzeb is still there in the un-conscious mind of them.Due to this fear some of the Maithils have even changed their surname to "SHARMA," a local Brahmin surname.Brajastha Maithil Brahmans have little connections with their own origin Bihar's Maithil Brahmins.Even after changing their surname to "SHARMA" local brahmins too had little affinity with them. This migration information is also depicted in Akbar's autobiography "EIN-E-AKBARI".Organisation
VedasVedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
and Shākhā
Shakha
A shakha , is a Hindu theological school that specializes in learning certain Vedic texts, or else the traditional texts followed by such a school. An individual follower of a particular school or recension is called a ...
s of Maithil Brāhamins :;.
All Maithil brahmins of gotra belong to Sāmveda (), and all remaining Maithil brahmins belong to Yajurveda (Vājasaneyi, Mādhyandina Shākhā
Shakha
A shakha , is a Hindu theological school that specializes in learning certain Vedic texts, or else the traditional texts followed by such a school. An individual follower of a particular school or recension is called a ...
). Other of Vedas in Maithil brahmins have vanished, but names of many villages, such as Riga for Rgveda, Jajuar for Yajurveda, Samaul for Samaveda, Athari for Atharvaveda, etc, still remind that once upon a time brahmins of all lived in Mithila.
Organisation into gotras and mūlas :
All Maithil Brāhamins are divided into organised (vyavasthita) and unorganised (avyavasthita) types. There are 7 gotras among organised and 12 gotras among unorganised Maithil Brāhamanas. There are 7 organised gotras based on 7 rishis and 34 (according to some 36) organised mūlas (mūla means root or origin), and a total of 19 gotras and 180 mūlas. On the basis of three criteria, namely purity of birth, conduct and learning, 20 mūlas were declared to be uttama (best), and 14 or 16 were deemed medium, both taken together were called organised mūlas. In the following table, among the organised mulas, best (uttama) mūlas have been indicated in regular typeface and medium (madhyama) mūlas in italics. Unorganised mūlas do not show such differentiation.
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- Table of 7 Organised Gotras
Gotra Pravaras Mūlas (organised) Mūlas (unorganised) , Asit, Deval. Sarisab, Paboli, Pagulwar, Khandvālā, Gangoli(also called as Gangoulee),Sodarpur, Jajiwāl, Dighabaya (also called as Dighabe). Mahuā, Jamugām, Karion, Suari, Sajhuār, Marārh, Pandaul, Dahibhāt, Tilaimāhar, Simba-lābh, Simh-āshrama, Karahiyā, Telhanpur, Parisarā, Parsandā, Biranāma, Uttamapur, Kodariā, Chhatiman, Barebā, Machhwāl,Gangor, Mataur, Budhaur,Brahmapur, Ganguāl, Ghosiām, Chhatauni, Bhiguāl, Nanauti, Tapanpur, Hoiār, Ahpur shākhā of Vatsa-gotriya Chhattis Karmahā mūla. Kāśyapa Kāshyap, Avatsār, Naidhruva. , Dariharā, Khauār(Khauāl), Sakrārhi, Baliās, Satlakhā, Panduā, Bisaphi (often Oini too). Jagati, Pachāot, Katayi, Mālichh, Merandi, Bhaduāl, Budhwāl, Pakaliā, Pibhuā, Mauri, Janak bhuthari, Chhādan, Thariā, Dosati, Bharehā, Kusumāl, Narwāl, Lagudadah, dahulā, Surimahā, Dadhihare Mautaina. Pārāśara , Pārāśara,Shakti. Naruon, Surgan. Sakuri, Suari, Sambuāl, Pihwāl, Nadām, Mahesāri, Sakarhol, Sauni, Tilapi, Barewā. Kātyāyana Āngiras,,Kātyāyana. Kujauli , Kujiwar Nanauti, Ratigām, Jallaki. Bhārdvāja Āngiras, Bārhspatya,Bhārdvāja,. Belauch, Ekharā. Deām, Kaligām, Bhuthari, Gorhār, Dam Katāir, Sauni, Dhanauli, Barebā. Vatsa Bhārgava,Chyavana,Aurva, Āpnavana,Jāmdagnya. Arirhbare,Ghosaut, Tisaut, Karmahā, Budhwāl,Budhware bodhram, Baherārhi, Pāli, Hariamb, Alayi, Bambhaniam,Paliwar Hati, Tankwal, Jallaki Ujati, (often Phanandah & Shakona too). Tisuri, Rājorh, Jajuār, Pohaddi, Bhanwāl, Koiār, Karahiyā, Jalewar, Nanaur,usrauli Darhār, Marārh, Lāhi, Sauni, Mohari, Bandhwāl, Baruāli, Pandaul,Mangrauna, Barewā, Bhandāirsom, Tapanpur, Bithuār, Narwāl, Chitrapal, Jarhatiyā, Ratwāl, Brahmapurā, Sarauni. Bhārgava, Vaitahavya,Savedasa. Panichobh Sāndepur, Barebā, Nanaur, Merandi. - Table of 12 Unrganised Gotras
Gotra Pravaras Mūlas (unorganised) Gārgya Angirasa,Barhaspatya,Bharadvaja,Shainya,Gārgya. Bashā, Basāmaya, Brahmapurā, Surauro, Budhaurā, Oriyā. Kaushika Vishwamitra,Aghamarshana,Kaushika. Nikuti. Vishnuvriddha Vishnuvriddha, Angirasa, Kutsa Kauthue. Krishnātreya Krishnātreya,Archanasya,Shyavashwa. Busawala, Sāndupadoli, Alhonā. Gautama Angirā, Vamadeva, Gautama. Brahmapurā, Uttamapur, Koiāra, Budhaurā, Auribā, Karamā, Khandavalā, Panduā. Maudagalya Maudagalya, Angirasa, Trakshya. Ratwāl, Mālichha, Digho, Jallaki, Meni. Vashishtha Vashishtha eka pravara. Nānpur, Pandauli, Barebā, Kothuā, Vrishti-waal. Kaundinya Vasishtha,Mitravaruna Kaundinya. Kothuā, Naruon, Ekharā. Upamanyu Tripravara-Vasishtha,Indrapramada,Abharadwasu. Ekharā. Kapila Tripravara but names NA. Piparauna. Alambukaksha Three Pravaras, names NA. Katayi, Brahmapura. Tandi Tripravara but names NA. Parasandā, Katāya.
- Table of 7 Organised Gotras
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Organisation into Grāma :
Each Mūla was further sub-divided into several Grāmas. Literally, Grāma means village, but in present context it does not mean modern village, but original village. Each Maithil brahmin is expected to remember his/her , Gotra, Pravaras, Mūla and Grāma. The last denotes the village of residence when this organisation was introduced. Last mention of such an organisation or reorganisation dates to cir. 1324 AD, just before Mithilā was conquered by Giasuddin Tughlaq's army and the last independent Hindu king Harisinghdeva fled to Kāthamāndu. For instance, gotra has 172 dispersed in 132 original Grāmas ; these were branches of a mūla, e.g., Gangoli mūla has 14 distributed into 20 Grāmas.
Surnames Of Maithil Brahmins
Jhās (the most common Surname of Maithil Brahmins),Mishrā,
Thākur,
Pāthak,
Choudhary,
Rāi (also spelled as Roy, a small section of Maithil Brahmins originally from near Madhubani, Laheriasarai and Baghba Village of Saharsa, who were small Kings or Zamindars by virtue of their unusual combination of strengths, intellect and acumen and were given Royal titles of Roy, RaiBahadur or RaiSahab by the British. Many abandoned their titles and donated their riches during the fight for India's Independence but were still referred to as Rai due to their several generations of royal lineage),
Rājhans, including Canadian TV personality Mohit Rajhans
Mohit Rajhans
Mohit Rajhans is a Canadian writer, director, producer and reporter for multiple media outlets. He has many television and film credits to his name....
Bhāradwaj (mostly those who use their Gotras as their Surnames),
Shāndilya (mostly those who use their Gotras as their Surnames),
Kashyap (mostly those who use their Gotras as their Surnames),
Parāshar, (mostly those who use their Gotras as their Surnames),
Pratihast,
Jajwāre (rare surname, but one family with this surname is in existence in Toronto, Canada)
Achārya,
Kātyāyan
Singh (Brahmins who were also Zamindars and preferred to associate themselves more with Kings than Vipra Brahmins. e.g., Maharaja Kameshwar Singh of Darbhanga Raj, Singhs/Sinha of Banaili raj, etc. But use of this surname is more an exception than a widely accepted phenomenon.),
Bājpayee,
Chaturvedi (A large portion of the Migrant Maithilli Brahmins have this Surname),
Khān (a small section of Maithil Brahmins (originally from near Saharsa, i.e. from Bangaon and Parari Village of Sahara District, Bihar) who were small Kings or Zamindars by virtue of their unusual combination of strengths, intellect and acumen and were given Royal titles of Khan, KhanBahadur or KhanSahab during Akbar's reign),
In fact it was not in Akbar's reign that Khan surname was adopted by these Brahmins. Both Bahadur and Khan are in fact Monglian words brought to India and Arab by Genghis (Changez). People (Muslims) started using the Khan surname as an acknowledgement to Genghis (Changez) Khan's valour and similarly Lal Bahadur was derived from Ulan Batur the capital of Mongolia. So Bahadur and Khan was derived as a surname depicting the valour of Genghis (Changez) Khan. Thus few ruling Brahmins of Mithila adopted the Surname of Khan or Khan Bahadur. (Gurudutta/September-2010)
Sharmā (a small section of Maithil Brahmins who were originally from Mithilanchal, Bihar, were highly respected by Akbar and were requested to relocate by Akbar to his kingdom near Agra and Fatehpur Sikri, during his reign. These Brahmins later flew away during Aurangzeb's tyranny when he tried to force them to convert into Muslims and changed their surnames to Sharma),
Ojhā
See also
- Brahmins
- Forward Castes
- Brahmin gotra systemBrahmin gotra systemThe word "gotra" means "lineage" in the Sanskrit language. Among those of the Brahmin caste, gotras are reckoned patrilineally. Each gotra takes the name of a famous Rishi or sage who was the patrilineal forebearer of that clan...
- List of Brahmin gotras
- gotraGotraIn the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
- PravarasPravarasLiterally, Pravara means the most excellent . Pravara is the number of the most excellent rishis who belonged to that particular gotra to which the wearer of sacred thread belongs. Gotra is the name of the founding father...
- PanjisPanjisPanjis or Panji Prabandh are extensive genealogical records maintained among Maithil Brahmins, Karna Kayasthas of Mithila region of north Bihar, India, similat to the Hindu genealogy registers at Haridwar.-History:...