Nobility is the practice of any race or group or caste or aristocracy who enjoys social respect and traditionally maintains their social status and ‘cool’ identity.
This aspiration can be traced back to the time of Ramayana (from 2nd century BC to 2nd AD). So aristocracy means good family or aristocratic lineage. According to Bachaspati Mishra, it is characterized by conduct (purity), vidya (knowledge), modesty (discipline), establishment (reputation of purity), tirtha-darshan (pilgrimage), devotion (dutifulness), austerities (rigorous meditation), recitation ( With homosexual marriage) and charity (generous). Such qualities were commonly found in Brahmin families, although Kayasthas and Vaidyas acquired these qualities and were considered as aristocrats by combining their wealth, education, and good behavior. By establishing marital relations with such a deserving family, nationalism was achieved and this opened the door for a person of any caste to enter the aristocratic society. This is probably the origin of the nobility in the society.
The nobility was more influential among the Brahmins of Radha and Barind. They are probably the successors of the five Brahmins of Kanyakubja - Rakshitish, Medhatithi, Vitraga, Sudhanidhi and Sambhari. It is said that they came here at the invitation of King Adishura. However, it should be noted that the historicity of Adishur is not beyond argument. It is said that both Shashanka, the king of Gaur, and Harivarman, the king of Varman, brought Shakadwipi and Vedic Brahmins, respectively. It is said that the creation of relations with these Brahmins resulted in the introduction of the nobility as a social custom in Bengal. Sen Raja Ballalsen is also credited as the creator of the nobility system, although no literary or inscriptional evidence of the Sen period has been found to support this claim. The Bangaon copperplate of the third Vigrahapala indicates that the Kolanch (Kanyakubja) Brahmin Kachchha had connections with his ancestors through the pro-grandfather of his officer Ghantis. As a result, the nobility is believed to have originated during the Pala rule.
Between the 6th and 7th centuries, a large number of Brahmins settled in Bengal, following various tribes, clans and branches of the Vedic Brahmins, and performing Shrauta rituals. Due to some more new immigrants from North India, their numbers continue to grow at a regular rate, as evidenced by the abundance of written information available. It is known from many inscriptions carved between the 8th and 12th centuries, from Lat (Gujarat), Madhya Pradesh and some distinct localities such as Krodanchi or Krodanch (Kolanch), Tarkari (Sravasti), Muktabastta, Hastipada, Matsa-boss, Kuntir and Chandabar. A large number of Brahmins arrived and settled in Bengal. Over time, the Brahmins in Bengal became divided into Radhiya, Barendra, Vedic and Shakadwipi branches.
The importation of Brahmins is mentioned in the Kulji texts of the Ghataks of Bengal (those who established marital relations). These texts are known by different names, such as Kulshastra or Kulgranth or Kulpanjika. Although the texts are regarded as a separate scripture, there are doubts among scholars as to their authenticity and authenticity as a source of authentic history. In most of the Kulshastras, however, it is mentioned that Adishura brought five Brahmins from Kanauj or Kolanch. Both the Brahmins of Radha known as Radhiya and the Brahmins of Barind known as Barendra claim that the five immigrant Brahmins were their ancestors. Sandalya Narayan, Vatsya Dhardhar, Kashyap Susan, Bhardwaj Gautam and Sabarna Parasar are claimed in most of the genealogies to be the ancestors of the Barendra Brahmins, and seem to be the descendants of five Radhiya ancestors. The children of some immigrant Brahmins are likely to move to North Bengal. The emergence of these two homogeneous separate groups was not accidental, however, for a number of reasons. Over time, two separate social customs and practices have developed in the two parts of Bengal and inter-caste marriages have not been encouraged from that point of view.
It is difficult to say exactly when these two groups split into separate classes, even though their ancestors were one. Lakshman Sen's Chief Justice Halayudha was the first to specify the existence of two separate classes, the Radhiya and the Barendra, from the Brahman-sarvasva. He rebuked the ignorance of both groups regarding the original meaning of the Vedic scriptures. Due to Muslim invasions in West and North Bengal, many Brahmins migrated to the settlements of East Bengal. This region of Bengal was still under Hindu rule for almost a century.
The Pala kings were tolerant of other religions, and during their reign they did not show much interest in Brahmanical religion. Evidence of the role of Dharmapala and the second Vigrahapala and the administrative policy of the Pala kings towards the Brahmanical society is found to maintain the correct order of the four castes mentioned in the Munger and Amgachhi copperplates. Samalvarman of the Varman dynasty brought Vedic Brahmins to settle in Bengal. Ballal Sen of the Sen dynasty is also credited as the creator of the nobility system. Both the Barman and Sen dynasties played an important role in importing Brahmins from outside Bengal and maintaining Brahmin-dominance in Bengal. Both the Varman and Pala dynasties were external to Bengal and both dynasties played an effective role in the spread of Brahmanism in Bengal. It may be mentioned here that the story of the arrival of five Brahmins from Kanyakubja was already prevalent in South India. The Sena dynasty also came from South India and after establishing their kingdom in Eastern India, the story became popular in Bengal that Brahmins were brought from Kanyakubja.
It should be noted, however, that the Sengans were patrons of Brahmanical religion and their rule contributed immensely to the development of Brahmanical culture. The power and condition of the Brahmins in the society changed drastically and at first it was necessary to concentrate the power of the king, as they were external to Bengal. But at one stage the power of the Brahmins became a cause of concern to the rulers. Therefore, the power of a potential group to divide the Brahmins on the pretext of nobility and to challenge the ruling class is diminished by what happens in public. In other words, it was an effective way to empower the royal power with the support of the influential section of the Brahmin society. The Radhiyakul Manjuri reveals the rebellious nature of the Brahmins, where the leader of a Brahmin (Shrotriya) group confronts the king with perversion and questions the king's ability to judge the Brahmins' merits or demerits.
According to Radhiya Kulji, the number of five Brahmins brought by Adishura came to a standstill at the time of Khitishura. The king gave each of them a village to live in, through which the Gani of the Radhiya Brahmins originated. In other words, every Brahmin and their descendants became known by the name of the village in which they lived. This became their gani (villager), and later it became the family name. For example, the singer of the people living in Mukhti village was Mukhti and their family name was Mukhtadhyay by associating Upadhyay (teacher) with the name Mukhti village. Other more well-known surnames Banerjee and Chattopadhyay are similarly derived. Barendra Brahmins also had one hundred songs. Naturally, the Kuljis also have various references to their singing numbers and names. Dharshur, the son of Kshitishura, divided the sixty-nine ganis of the Radhiya Brahmins into three branches, the main-kulin, the secondary-kulin and the Shrotriya.
Gradually the nobility practice also affected the Vaidyas and Kayasthas. The Vaidyas are divided into Radha Vaidya, Barendra Vaidya and Sylhet Vaidya and the Kayasthas are divided into South Radha Kayastha, North Radha Kayastha, Barendra Kayastha, Sylhet Kayastha and Golam Kayastha (slave). Radha Brahmins are divided into Kulin, Siddha-Shrotriya, Saddha-Shrotriya and Kastha-Shrotriya. According to the law of marriage, an aristocratic man could marry a woman of his own class or a woman of a higher class of his class. A perfect man could marry a woman of his own class. A good-natured woman could marry a man in her own class or in the upper two classes. This is how these customs originated with the aim of maintaining the aristocratic status.
The practice of nobility was gradually idealized by socialists and ghataks (professional ghataks). For this purpose they started the genealogy. These texts are basically divided into three parts (a) Adikulkarika and Dak, (b) Kulpanjika, Dhakuri, Samikaranakanika and Kulakul Bichar and (c) Kakshanirnaya, Bhavanirnaya, Dhakur and Adhunik Kulpanjika. The Bharatpavya Kulpanjika (185 AD) by Bharat Mallick and the Sadvaidya Kulpanjika (1853 AD) by Kavikanthahar are two important genealogies.
The practice of nobility led to the introduction of polygamy among the noble Brahmins. Shrotriya women were married off to aristocratic men in order to maintain their aristocratic status and social status. As a result, there is a lack of marriageable women in the same class. Taking advantage of this situation, Ghatak Brahmin arranged for their marriage to be performed with Shrotriya Purusha. On the other hand, marriage among the aristocracy became a lucrative business. Just as a young woman was married to an older man to maintain her noble status, so an older woman was married to a younger man. Even then, many aristocratic women remained unmarried for the rest of their lives. This heinous practice continues for a long time. Even so, some families still try to maintain this aristocratic status through marriage, although now the aristocracy has lost its former dominance.
The nobility system in Bengal was established for certain socio-political purposes. But whatever the purpose, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries its chronic form became as distorted as it was weak. It not only became a disease of the society, but it distorted all the social conditions of Bengal. Vidyasagar had to fight tirelessly with this social disease.
Nice article, keep it up