Kanyakubja Brahmins

Kanyakubj Brahmins
(कान्यकुब्ज ब्राह्मण)
Total population
5.5 million (including subgroups)
Regions with significant populations
 India: primarily Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Jharkhand
Languages

Historical: Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Kannauji
Modern: Local languages, primarily: Standard Hindi
Religion 
Hinduism (100%)
Related ethnic groups

Sanadhya Brahmins, Saryupareen Brahmins, Bhumihar Brahmins and other Brahmin Communities.

Kanyakubj Brahmins are a Brahmin community found in central India and certain parts of the east, mainly in the states of Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. The word Kanyakubja means Brahmins of the Kannauj region. Kannauj region was spread to border of Vidisha in ancient times. Most of the Kanyakubjas were landlords during the colonial rule in Awadh, Kannauj region and Bhojpuri region of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh The Rarhi Brahmins of Bengal are a subdivision of the Kanyakubj Brahmins.Other sub-group of Kanyakubja are the Saryupareen Brahmin, Jujhautiya Brahmin.[1] In the 19th (held at Prayag) and 20th (held at Lucknow) national convention of Kanyakubja Brahmins by Kanyakubja Mahati Sabha, in 1926 and 1927 respectively, it appealed for unity among Kanyakubja Brahmins whose different branches included Sanadhya, Pahadi, Jaiswal Brahmin, Jujhoutia, Saryupareen, Chattisgarhi, Bhumihar Brahmins and different Bengali Brahmins.[2]

Contents

Mythological Origin

There was the a son of Lord Brahma called Kush. Kush had four sons named as Kushabh, Kushnabh, Ashrutraj and Vasu. Kushnabh had one hundred extremely beautiful daughters through Ghritachee, an Apsara. The god of Vaayu (Air) was very much attracted by the beauty of these fair ladies & wanted to marry with them. These virgins told god Vaayu that they were the daughters of a rishi and they would marry with only that person as advised by their father and humbly denied the proposal of god Vaayu to marry with him. The god Vaayu was annoyed and cursed all these beautiful virgin daughters of Kushnabh become Hunchbacked or to become Kubja. These virgin hunchback daughters of Kushnabh were married with Brahma Dutta, the noble king of Kampilya, son of Choolie Rishi and Somada Gandharvee. As soon as, these virgin daughters of Kushnabh were touched by noble King Brahma Dutta, all these virgins were free from curse of god Vaayu. They became normal, their bumps were vanished and they regained their original beauty and charm.

Kampilya the kingdom of Brahma Dutta later became famous by name of Kanyakubja (because he married the kubja daughters of Kushnabh). Now a day it is known as Kannauj.The native Brahmins of this land were later known as Kanyakubja Brahmins.

Famous personalities

References

Notes

  1. ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 718 to 724 Manohar Publications
  2. ^ Saraswati, Swami Sahajanand (2003). Swami Sahajanand Saraswati Rachnawali in Six volumes (in Volume 1). Delhi: Prakashan Sansthan. pp. 519 (at p 68–69) (Volume 1). ISBN 81-7714-097-3. 

External links