Gaur Brahmin

The Gaur Brahmin or Adh Brahmin are a Brahmin sub-caste found in North India.[1] Gurjar gaur Brahmins were priests of the Gurjars (Gujars or Gujjars) during the reign of the Gurjars.[2][3]

History and origin

The Brahmin castes may be broadly divided into two regional groups: Pancha-Gauda Brahmins from Northern India and considered to be North of Vindhya mountains and Pancha-Dravida Brahmins from South of Vindhya mountains as per the shloka. However, this sloka is from Rajatarangini of Kalhana, which was composed only in the 11th century CE.

कर्णाटकाश्च तैलंगा द्राविडा महाराष्ट्रकाः,
गुर्जराश्चेति पञ्चैव द्राविडा विन्ध्यदक्षिणे ||
सारस्वताः कान्यकुब्जा गौडा उत्कलमैथिलाः,
पन्चगौडा इति ख्याता विन्ध्स्योत्तरवासिनः ||[4]

Translation: Karnataka (Kannada), Telugu (Andhra), Dravida (Tamil and Kerala), Maharashtra and Gujarat are Five Southern (Panch Dravida). Saraswata (Punjab & Sindh), Kanyakubja (Uttar Pradesh), Gauda (Bengal), Utkala (Orissa), Maithili (Bihar) are Five Northern (Pancha Gauda). This classification occurs in Rajatarangini of Kalhana and earlier in some inscriptions[5] The Gaur Brahmin have their origin in Haryana, where they claim to have originally from Bengal. In Uttar Pradesh, they have two division, those of Saharanpur District, who have taken agriculture, and those of Haridwar, who are known as Panda, and perform death rites. They are found in the districts of Meerut, Bulandshahr, Muzaffarnagar and the adjoining areas of Haryana state. They use the surnames Sharma, Kapil, Tiwari, Kaushik,Kanago and Sandali.[1] In Haryana, they are found maily in Gurgaon and Karnal districts. In that district, they have the following sub-divisions, Bhardwaj, Mudgil, Vashist, Kaushik, Bashisthmun, Pathik, Bachis, Tandra, Diikhaut, Kaknangiya and the Lath Joshi.[6]

Other than the Pandas of Haridwar, the Gaur are a community of Brahmins, who are essentially cultivators. They cultivate wheat maize, jowar, paddy, mustard and sugar cane.

The Gaur are Vaishnavi Hindu, and worship all the major gods and goddesses.[1] The only exception is a community of Gaur Brahmins in Gurgaon District, who had converted to Islam. These Gaur Shaikhs all emigrated to Pakistan, at the time of partition.[7]

See also

Eminent Gaur Brahmins

AKANSH GAURH

  1. ^ a b c People of India Volume XLII Part One Editors Amir Hassan, B. R Rizvi & J. C Das pages 55 to 57 Manohar Publications
  2. ^ Kumar Suresh Singh; Rajendra Behari Lal, Anthropological Survey of India (2003). Gujarat, Part 1. Popular Prakashan. p. 469. ISBN 8179911047, ISBN 9788179911044. "They get their denomination... from their acting as priests of the Gurjar tribe or from their having been isolated from other gaudas." 
  3. ^ Sir Edward Albert Gait, India, Census Commissioner (1902). Census of India. Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing. p. 117. 
  4. ^ Brāhmanotpatti Martanda, cf. Dorilal Sharma, p.41-42
  5. ^ Mentioned by Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya in "Hindu Castes and Sects", a detailed article on various castes and groups of Brahmins
  6. ^ Gazetteer of Gurgaon District 1912 Part A Civil & Military Gazette Press
  7. ^ A Glossary of the Tribes & Castes of Punjab by H. A Rose pages 279 Low Price Publications Publications

Dr. Yogesh AtalNoted International Social Scientist , Anthropologist , Director-UNESCO]]