List of Brahmin dynasties and states

Brahmins claim to occupy the highest ritual position among the four varnas of Hinduism. Since the Late Vedic period the Brahmins, who were generally classified as priests, were sometimes also rulers, zamindars, and holders of other administrative posts.

List of Brahmin dynasties

Shown here is the Chandramahal in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

The following is the list of Brahmin dynasties who ruled or were chiefs in the Indian subcontinent:

• The Shunga Empire of Magadha was established by Pushyamitra Shunga.^[1]
• The Kanva dynasty replaced the Shunga Empire in Magadha and ruled in the Eastern regions of India.^[2][3]
• Shalankayana dynasty of ancient India ruled a part of Coastal Andhra from 300 to 440 CE.^[4]
• Parivrajaka dynasty ruled parts of central India during the 5th and 6th centuries. The kings of this dynasty bore the title Maharaja, and probably ruled as feudatories of the Gupta Empire. The royal family came from a lineage of Brahmins of Bharadvaja Gotra.^[5]
• Kadamba dynasty (345 – 525 CE) was a dynasty that ruled northern Karnataka and the Konkan from Banavasi in present-day Uttara Kannada district.
• Pallava dynasty {c.285 -905 CE} was a dynasty of the Bharadvaja gotra that ruled Andhra (Krishna-Guntur) and North and Central Tamil Nadu.^[6]
• The Chalukyas of Badami were an indigenous Brahmin family with Kannada as their mother tongue.^[7]
• The Oinwar dynasty, based in Mithila were Maithil Brahmins.^[8]
• Vakataka dynasty was a dynasty from the Indian subcontinent that is believed to have extended from the southern edges of Malwa and Gujarat in the north to the Tungabhadra River in the south as well as from the Arabian Sea in the west to the edges of Chhattisgarh in the east.^[9]
• Varman dynasty was an ancient dynasty in Assam, alongside Davaka. All the rulers of this dynasty were Kamrupi Brahmins.^[10][11]
• Brahmin dynasty was founded by Chach of Alor, later ruled by Chandar of Sindh and Raja Dahir.^[12]
• Bhurshut dynasty was a medieval Hindu dynasty spread across what is now Howrah and Hooghly districts in the Indian state of West Bengal;which was ruled by a royal Brahmin family.^[13]
• Kabul Shahi dynasty belonged to Bali clan of Mohyal Brahmin.
• Kingdom of Edapally was ruled by Namboodiri Brahmins in Kerala.

Princely states and jagirs

An old painting by Edwin Lord Weeks showing the barge of the Maharaja of Benares (c. 1883).

Following is the list of those Brahmin States of the Indian Subcontinent:

• Aundh State was a princely state in the Deccan States Agency division of the Bombay Presidency. All the rulers of the state belonged to Deshastha Brahmin family and used the titles of Raja and Pant Pratinidhi.^[14]
• Bhor State was 9 gun Salute princely state;which was ruled by Deshastha Brahmin family and used the titles of Raja and Pant Sachiv^[15]
• Gaurihar State was a princely state which was ruled by Deshastha Brahmin family.The rulers bore the title Sardar Sawai and from 1859 the title 'Rao'.^[16]
• Jalaun State was a princely state ruled by a Deshastha Brahmin family. The rulers of Jalaun State bore the title 'Raja'.^[17]
• Jamkhandi State was a princely state whose rulers belonged to the Patwardhan clan, a Chitpavan Brahmin family and used the title of Raja.^[18]
• Ramdurg State rulers were Hindu and belonged to the Konkanasth Brahmin dynasty. They used the title of Raja.^[19]
• Miraj Junior and Miraj Senior rulers belonged to the Patwardhan clan of Chitpavans and used the title of Rao and Raja.^[20]
• Kurundvad Senior and Kurundvad Junior rulers belonged to the Patwardhan clan of Chitpavans family and used the title of Rao.^[21]
• Sangli State was 11 gun Salute princely state;which was ruled by Chitpavan Brahmin family. They used the titles Rao and Raja.^[18]
• Panth-Piploda Province was British India's province;which was ruled by a Deshastha Brahmin family.^[22][23]
• Chaube Jagirs were a group of five feudatory princely states of Central India during the period of the British Raj. which were ruled by different branches of Brahmin family. They were

• Benares State was a 13 gun salute (15 gun salute local) state ruled by Brahmins. The state acceded to the Union of India in 1948, but even today the Kashi Naresh (the titular ruler) is deeply revered by the people of Varanasi.They used titles Raja and Maharaja.
• Arni State was a jagir in the erstwhile Madras Presidency;which was ruled by Deshastha Brahmins and used the titles of Rao and Raja. The town of Arni was the administrative headquarters.^[28][29]
• Yelandur estate was a jagir in the erstwhile Mysore State. It was ruled by Madhwa Brahmin family.The estate was established by Shri Krishnacharya Purnaiya;who was also the Dewan of Kingdom of Mysore.^[30]
• Baudh State was a princely state ruled by a Brahmin family who adopted as successor a nephew of the Raja of Keonjhar.^[31]
• Kuba State was a non-salute princely state on Saurashtra peninsula in Gujarat. All the rulers of the state belonged to Nagar Brahmins family.^[32]
• Vishalgad Jagir was a jagir of the Deccan States Agency during the British Raj,was ruled by Deshastha Brahmin family.^[33]
• Ichalkaranji Jagir was a jagir of the Deccan States Agency during the British Raj;which was ruled by Chitpavan Brahmin family.^[34]
• Jasnagar Jagir was a jagir in Jodhpur of Rajputana Agency;which was ruller by Kashmiri Brahmins^[35]

See also

• Princely state
• List of Indian monarchs
• Brahmin zamindaris

References