Kamal Guha at 09:37, 11 July 2023

2023-07-11T09:37:25Z

New page

{{EngvarB|date=September 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2013}}
'''Maithil Brahmins''' are a [[Hindu]] [[Brahmin]] community from the [[Mithila (region)|Mithila region]] of the [[Indian subcontinent]] that comprises [[Tirhut division|Tirhut]], [[Darbhanga division|Darbhanga]], [[Kosi division|Kosi]], [[Purnia division|Purnia]], [[Munger division|Munger]], [[Bhagalpur division|Bhagalpur]] and [[Santhal Pargana division]]s{{efn|Santhal Pargana division is headquartered at [[Dumka]] and the cited source mentions the division as "Dumka division"}} of India<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O49ZDwAAQBAJ&pg=RA1-PR20|title=Sushasan Ke Aaine Mein Naya Bihar|first=Pankaj Kumar|last= Jha|date=2010 |publisher=Prabhat Prakashan|location=Bihar (India)|isbn=9789380186283}}</ref> and some adjoining districts of Nepal.
They are one of the five [[Pancha-Gauda]] Brahmin communities.<ref name="JGL_2002">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch |url-access=registration |title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z |author=James G. Lochtefeld |publisher=Rosen |year=2002 |isbn=9780823931804 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/490 490]–491 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lXyWE6KbG8oC&pg=PA168 |title=Caste in Life: Experiencing Inequalities |editor=D. Shyam Babu and [[R. S. Khare|Ravindra S. Khare]] |publisher=Pearson Education India |year=2011 |isbn=9788131754399 |page=168 }}</ref> They are the part of [[Indo-Aryan peoples|Indo-Aryan]] ethnic group and speak [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] languages like [[Maithili language|Maithili]].

==History==
Some of the dynastic families of the Mithila region, such as the [[Oiniwar Dynasty]] and [[Raj Darbhanga|Khandwal Dynasty]] (Raj Darbhanga),<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A0i94Z5C8HMC&pg=PA60-61 | title=Anthropology of Ancient Hindu Kingdoms: A Study in Civilizational Perspective | first=Makhan |last=Jha|publisher=M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd|pages=60–61|year=1997|isbn=9788175330344}}</ref> were Maithil Brahmins and were noted for their patronage of Maithil culture.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bu61AAAAIAAJ&q=oinwars+maithil+brahmin | title=Civilizational Regions of Mithila & Mahakoshal | page=64| last1=Jha | first1=Makhan | year=1982 }}</ref>

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]].
<ref>{{cite journal | last=Verma | first=Ravindra Kumar | title=Caste and Bihar Politics | journal=Economic and Political Weekly |date=May 1991 | volume=26 | issue=18 | pages=1142–4 | publisher=Sameeksha Trust| jstor=41498247 }}</ref>

==Divisions==
According to the Vedic ''Samhita'', Maithil Brahmins are divided into the Vajasaneyi and the Chandogya and each group is strictly [[exogamous]]. They are also further classified by four main categories, the Srotiyas, the Yogs, the Panjis and the Jaiwars. They are all expected to be endogamous however these days this is no longer enforced strictly.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A0i94Z5C8HMC&q=hierarchy+maithil+brahmins&pg=PA32 | title=Anthropology of Ancient Hindu Kingdoms: A Study in Civilizational Perspective | access-date=6 April 2017 | pages=32| isbn=9788175330344 | last1=Jha | first1=Makhan | year=1997 }}</ref>

==Religious practices==
They are mainly practitioners of [[Shaktism]] in various forms, however there are also [[Vaishnavites]] and [[Shaivites]].<ref name="Jha1997">{{cite book |first=Makhan |last=Jha |title=Anthropology of Ancient Hindu Kingdoms: A Study in Civilizational Perspective |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A0i94Z5C8HMC&pg=PA38 |year=1997 |publisher=M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. |isbn=978-81-7533-034-4 |pages=38–}}</ref> Those Maithil Brahmins who practice Shaktism worship [[Bhagawati]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Religious Life of the Brahman: A Case Study of Maithil Brahmans|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f3LXAAAAMAAJ|first=Asim |last=Maitra|publisher=Inter-India Publications|year=1986|page=54|isbn=9788121001717}}</ref>

==Panjis==
[[Panjis]] or Panji Prabandh are extensive [[genealogical]] records maintained among Maithil Brahmins similar to the [[Hindu genealogy registers at Haridwar]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://discoverbihar.bih.nic.in/pages/maithili_culture.htm |title=Culture of the Mithila region |access-date=16 September 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717095736/http://discoverbihar.bih.nic.in/pages/maithili_culture.htm |archive-date=17 July 2007 }}</ref> They are used mainly when fixing marriages and delineate the last 7 generations of the bride and grooms family.{{cn|date=October 2018}}

==See also==
* [[Gotra]]
* [[List of Notable Maithil Brahmins]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite web|last=Brown Heinz|first=Carolyn|title=The Maithil Brahmins: an online ethnography|url=http://www.csuchico.edu/anth/mithila/|publisher=Department of Anthropology, [[California State University, Chico]]|access-date=21 October 2010}}

[[Category:Brahmin communities of Bihar]]

Maithil Brahmin - Revision history

Kamal Guha at 09:37, 11 July 2023