Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu

Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) is an ethno-religious clan of South Asia. It is part of the broader Kayastha community.^[1] Traditionally, the CKPs have been granted the upper caste status, which allowed them to study the Vedas and perform religious rites along with Brahmins.

The CKPs are today concentrated primarily in western Maharashtra, southern Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh (Indore region).^[2]

History

They CKP consider themselves descendants of Chandrasen, an ancient kshatriya king of Ayodhya and of the Haiyaya family of the lunar Kshatriya Dynasty^{[3] [4] [5]} "Kayastha-mitra"(Volume 1, No.9. Dec 1930) gives a list of north Indian princely families that belonged to the CKP caste. ^[6]

The name Chandraseniya may be a corruption of the word "Chandrashreniya", meaning from the valley of the Chenab River (also known as "Chandra"). This theory states that the word "Kayastha" originates from the term "Kaya Desha", an ancient name for the region around Ayodhya.^[7]

The CKPs have traditionally been placed in the Kshatriya varna, next only to the Brahmins, and also followed the Brahmin rituals, like the sacred thread ceremony.^{[4] [8]}

According to a letter written by the Shankaracharya of the Shingeri Math in the 1800's, who confirmed the 'vedadhikar' of the CKPs, the title 'Prabhu' must have been given to the CKPs by the Shilahar kings of Konkan. 'Prabhu' is a title found among Saraswat Brahmins, Karhade brahmins and other brahmin subcastes. It means 'High Official'. ^[9]

The CKPs, described as a traditionally well-educated and intellectual group, came into conflict with Marathi brahmins at least 350 years ago over their rights to be teachers and scholars.As such they competed with the Brahmins in the 18th and 19th century for jobs in the governments of the time. ^[10]

Deccan sultanate and Maratha Era

The CKP community became more prominent during the Deccan sultanates and Maratha rule era. During Adilshahi and Nizamshahi, CKP, the brahmins and high status Maratha were part of the elites. Given their training CKP served both as civilian and military officers ^[11]. Several of the Maratha Chhatrapati Shivaji's generals and ministers, such as Murarbaji Deshpande and Baji Prabhu Deshpande, were CKPs.^[12].As the Maratha empire/confederacy expanded in the 18th century, and given the nepotism of the Peshwa of Pune towards their own Chitpavan Brahmin caste, CKP and other literal castes migrated for administration jobs to the new Maratha ruling states such as the Bhosale of Nagpur, the Gaikwads, the Scindia etc. ^[13],^[14]

In 1801-1802 CE (1858 Samvat), a Pune-based council of 626 Brahmins from Maharashtra, Karnataka and other areas made a formal declaration that the CKPs are twice-born (upper caste) people who are expected to follow the thread ceremony(munja).^[15]

British Era

During the British colonial era, the two literate communities of Maharashtra, namely the Brahmins and the CKP were the first to adopt western education. with enthusiasm and prospered with opportunities in the colonial administration.A number of CKP families also served the semi-independent Princely states in Maharashtra or other regions of India such as Baroda^[16],^[17]The British era in 1800s saw the publication of periodical dedicated to finding sources of CKP history^[18]

Rango Bapuji Gupte, the CKP representative of the deposed Raja Pratapsinh Bhosale of Satara spent 13 years in London in 1840s and 50s to plead for restoration of the ruler without success. At the time of the Indian mutiny in 1857, Rango tried to raise a rebel force to fight the British but the plan was thwarted and most of the conspirators were executed.However, Rango Bapuji escaped from his captivity and was never found^[19]

Other communities, at times, tried to contest CKP rights to Upanayana and being twice born.They based their opinion on the belief that no true Kshatriyas existed in the Kali Yuga; however the upanayana for CKPs was supported by prominent Brahmins like Gaga Bhatt^[20]

The Shankaracharya of Shingeri Math also gave his opinion (in the 1800's) that the CKPs are 'pure Kshatriyas' and affirmed their rights to 'upanayana'. ^[9]

When the prominent Marathi historian VK Rajwade contested their claimed Kshatriya status in a 1916 essay, the CKP writer Prabodhankar Thackeray wrote a text outlining the identity of the CKP caste, and its contributions to the Maratha empire. In this text, Gramanyachya Sadhyant Itihas, he wrote that the CKPs "provided the cement" for Shivaji's swaraj (self-rule) "with their blood".^[21]

Culture

The CKPs share many common rituals with the upper-caste communities and the study of Vedas and Sanskrit. Unlike most upper-caste communities however, the CKPs through their interaction with Muslims, have traditionally adopted a diet which includes meat, fish, poultry and eggs.^[22] Many CKP clans have Ekvira temple at Karle as their family deity whereas others worship Vinzai, Kadapkarin, Janani as their family deity^[23] The mother tongue of most of the community is now Marathi, though in Gujarat they also communicate with their neighbours in Gujarati, and use the Gujarati script,^[22] while those in Maharashtra speak English and Hindi with outsiders, and use the Devanagari script.^[24]

Surnames

A number of CKP surnames are derived from community members serving as administrators for the Deccan sultanates rulers^[25] and later for the Maratha rulers. Most of these surnames have Persian origins and include the surnames Chitanvis, Kotwal, Karnik, Inamdar, Karkhanis, Phadnis, and Potnis. Kulkarni (village record keeper), Deshpande(Pargana level record keeper), and Deshmukh(Pargana chief) are other surnames that denote administrative roles of increasing seniority^[26] but are not derived from the Persian language. Other CKP surnames derived from administrative or military service include Gadkari, Dalvi, Patil, Pradhan, and Raje. There are also typical Maharashtrian surnames derive by adding the suffix -Kar to a village name such as Ambegaonkar, Rajapurkar, Mahadkar, Kohochkar, Kharshikar, and Haldankar. Other CKP surnames include Nachane, Bahire, Vaidya, Gupte, Tamhane, Chitre, Sipre, Mokashi, Kharkar,, Karnik', Pattekar, Adhikari, Bendre, Chaubal, Donde, Jaywant Ghule Likhite Nimak and Dighe.^[4]

Notable people

• Baji Prabhu Deshpande - Commander of Shivaji's forces who died defending Vishalgad in 1660^[27]
• Murar Baji Deshpande - Commander of Shivaji's forces who died defending the fort of Purandar against the Mughals in 1666^[27]
• Sakharam Hari Gupte Ambegaonkar, Raghoba Peshwa's(Chitpawan Brahmin's) loyal general, who led his army, chasing Ahmadshah Abdali and driving him all the away beyond Attock.(1712 -1777).
• Rango Bapuji Gupte (1800 – Missing 5 July 1857) - Vakil(lawyer) and Envoy of the deposed Bhosale Raja of Satara. Tried to organize rebellion against the British in 1857^[28]
• Ram Ganesh Gadkari - Marathi play writer and poet who was conferred an honour of Kalpana Kuber and Bhasha Prabhu. ^[29]

• Shankar Abaji Bhise (1867-1935)-Scientist with 200 inventions and 40 patents^[30]
• Prabodhankar Thackeray(1885 – 1973)- Indian politician, social activist and author. Father of Bal Thackeray^[31]
• CD Deshmukh (Chintamanrao Deshmukh) - First Indian to be appointed as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India during British rule and first Finance Minister of Independent India^[32]
• Shobhna Samarth(1916 – 2000) - Indian film actress from 1940s. She was mother of actresses Nutan and Tanuja^[33]
• Nalini Jaywant (1926 – 2010)- Indian film actress from 1940s and 1950s. She was the first cousin of Shobhna Samarth^[33]
• Vijaya Mehta - Actor and Director on Marathi stage, TV and Film^[34]
• Bal Thackeray(1926 –2012) - Founder of Shiv Sena and founder-editor of newspaper Saamana^[35]
• Shrinivas Khale - Composer (director) of music for Marathi films and plays
• Arun Shridhar Vaidya (1926 – 1986 )-13th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army((COAS) of the Indian Army),Padma Vibhushan, PVSM, MVC and Bar, AVSM and the .^[36][37]
• Sonali Bendre - Bollywood Actress ^[38]
• Nitin Gadkari - Minister of transport in Indian Union cabinet, Former president of the Bhartiya Janata Party.^[39]

References