JacobJamison9 at 04:02, 17 June 2025

2025-06-17T04:02:46Z

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{{Short description|Brahmin community of Gujarat}}
'''Audichya Brahmins''' are a Hindu [[Brahmin]] sub-caste primarily of [[Kanyakubja Brahmin]] origin<ref>{{Cite book|author=Jayantakrishna Dave|title=Bharatiya Vidya Vol xvi|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.127400/page/n277/mode/2up?q=Gujarat+Brahmanas+kanaujias|page=35}}</ref> mainly from the Indian state of [[Gujarat]]. They are the most numerous Brahmin community in Gujarat.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wood |first1=M.R. |title=Changing patterns of family life in urban Gujarat : a study of twelve high-caste working women |date=1972 |publisher=University of British Columbia |location=Canada |pages=43–44 |url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/831/items/1.0101724 |accessdate=11 November 2020}}</ref><ref name="Bhatavadekar1883">{{cite book|author=Gajanan Krishna Bhatavadekar|title=Report on the Census of the Baroda Territories 1881|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4AEJAAAAQAAJ|year=1883|publisher=order of His Highness the Maharajah Gaekwar|pages=145–146}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Roberts|first1=John|title=The Movement of Elites in Western India under Early British Rule|journal=The Historical Journal|date=1971|volume=14|issue=2|pages=241–262|jstor=2637955}}</ref> A minority of them reside in the Indian state of [[Rajasthan]].
[[File:Owditch (or Water) Brahmin.jpg|thumb|1860s photograph of Owditch Brahmins in Gujarat]]
According to tradition, the Audichya Brahmins descend from over a thousand North Indian Brahmin families who were invited by Solanki kings in the 10th century to Gujarat to serve as priests of the [[Rudra Mahalaya Temple|Rudra Mahālaya Temple]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Basu |first=Helene |title=Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online |publisher=Brill |year=2020 |editor-last=Jacobsen |editor-first=Knut A. |chapter=Gujarat |editor-last2=Basu |editor-first2=Helen |editor-last3=Malinar |editor-first3=Angelika |editor-last4=Narayanan |editor-first4=Vasudha}}</ref>
The king Mularaja who conquered Gujarat and Saurashtra, had invited the Northern Brahmins. These Brahmanas were called as Audichyas. Audichyas are primarily [[Kanyakubja Brahmin]]s. [[Georg Bühler]] also refers to Mülaraja of [[Kannauj|Kanyakubja]], who conquered Gujarat, Mülaraja and his successors settled in Gujarat numerous colonies of Brahmins, who down to the present day, are called Audichya.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Jayantakrishna Dave|title=Bharatiya Vidya Vol xvi|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.127400/page/n277/mode/2up?q=Gujarat+Brahmanas+kanaujias|page=35}}</ref>

==Classification==
The caste is divided into two endogamous groups, the Sahasra and the Tolakia. In a census in 1883, the sahasra were numerically a much bigger community than the Tolakia. The sahasra are further subdivided into the Zalawadi, Sihora and Sidhpora groups. The community is at times also differentiated by their geographical location they came from, for example, Marwadi audichya, Kutch audichya or Wagadia audichya. Other differentiation is by the caste that retains them as [[Purohita|purohit]] (family priest) for rituals, for example Darji-gor, Mochi-gor, Kanbi-gor, Koli-gor, Charan- gor, Raj-gor in [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]] and northern Gujarat.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wood |first1=M.R. |title=Changing patterns of family life in urban Gujarat : a study of twelve high-caste working women |date=1972 |publisher=University of British Columbia |location=Canada |pages=43–44 |url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/831/items/1.0101724 |accessdate=11 November 2020}}</ref><ref name="Bhatavadekar1883">{{cite book|author=Gajanan Krishna Bhatavadekar|title=Report on the Census of the Baroda Territories 1881|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4AEJAAAAQAAJ|year=1883|publisher=order of His Highness the Maharajah Gaekwar|pages=145–146}}</ref> The Parajia sub-group of Audichya Brahmins worked as hereditory [[purohita]]s of [[Charan]]as around Junagarh.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Michael |first=S. M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sD8wAQAAIAAJ |title=Dalits in Modern India: Vision and Values |date=1999 |publisher=Vistaar |isbn=978-81-7036-751-2 |language=en}}</ref>

==Society and culture==
In the past, since the Sidhpora sub-caste was considered higher in social ranking, other audichya groups considered it a point of honor to offer their daughters in marriage to Sidhpora men. In the past this custom led to polygamy amongst the Sidhpora group.<ref>Trivedi, R.K., 2016. Village Survey Monograph, Tavadia, Part VI, No-5, Vol-V. page 17[http://lsi.gov.in:8081/jspui/bitstream/123456789/3669/1/23341_1961_TAV.pdf]</ref> During the British colonial rule, the caste was one of the first Gujarati community to take up western education. The community along with the Bhatia also were the first to form a caste association. The caste association's aim was mutual help and support for members in the cities and to promote education.<ref>Shah, Ghanshyam. "Middle Class Politics: Case of Anti-Reservation Agitations in Gujarat.” Economic and Political Weekly 22, no. 19/21 (1987): AN155–72. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4377019.</ref>

In the 19th century, most Audichya Brahmins were priests who lived on alms.

The Audichya Brahmins founded first caste reform organisations in Ahmedabad. In Ahmedabad in 1873, those Sahasra Audichya Brahmins who had received western education founded the Audichya Hitechu Sabha. The Sabha tried to get rid of several caste customs including dowry, child marriage, polygamy, obscene songs at weddings, and heavy expenses at marriage and death. They also supported women's and children's education. These attempts were generally successful and the Sabha spread to other Gujarati cities and Bombay. In 1876, the Tolakiya Audichyas founded the Audichya Tolakiya Subhecchak Sabha with similar goals.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shah |first=Kunjlata |title=Ahmedabad: A Society in Transition (1818-1914) |publisher=Popular Prakashan |publication-date=2016 |pages=202-205}}</ref>

== Notable people ==

* [[Dayananda Saraswati]] (1824–1883), Indian philosopher, socio-religious reformer and founder of the [[Arya Samaj]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Kenneth W. |title=Socio-Religious Reform Movements in British India |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1989 |pages=95-96}}</ref>
* [[Dhirubhai Thaker]] (27 June 1918 – 22 January 2014), Gujarati writer and creator of the [[Gujarati Vishwakosh]]<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=ઠાકર, ધીરુભા પ્રેમશંકર |encyclopedia=[[Gujarati Vishwakosh]] (ગુજરાતી વિશ્વકોશ) |publisher=Gujarati Vishvkosh trust |location=Ahmedabad |last=Śeṭha |first=Candrakānta |date=2008 |editor-last=Thakar |editor-first=Dhirubhai |editor-link=Dhirubhai Thaker |volume=15 |pages= |language=gu |oclc=}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Brahmins]]
[[Category:Priestly castes]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:Social groups of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Brahmin communities of Gujarat]]
{{Social groups of Gujarat}}

Audichya Brahmin - Revision history

JacobJamison9 at 04:02, 17 June 2025