Maithil Brahmin
Brahmin community of the Mithila region, India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maithil Brahmins are the Indo-Aryan Hindu Brahmin community originating from the Mithila region of the Indian subcontinent that comprises Tirhut, Darbhanga, Kosi, Purnia, Munger, Bhagalpur and Santhal Pargana divisions[a] of India and parts of Nepalese Terai.[2] They are one of the five Pancha-Gauda Brahmin communities.[3][4] The main language spoken by Maithil Brahmins is Maithili.
मैथिल ब्राह्मण | |
|---|---|
| Languages | |
| Maithili, Angika[1] | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Brahmin groups | |
Chhathihar, Mundan and Maithil Upanayan are the mandatory sanskars among the Maithil Brahmins community |
Etymology
The term Maithil refers to the people of the Mithila region in the Indian subcontinent. The community of Brahmins originated from the ancient Kingdom of Mithila were called as Maithil Brahmins. The literal meaning of Maithil Brahmin is the Brahmin of Mithila desh.[5]
History
Some of the dynastic families of the Mithila region, such as the Oiniwar dynasty and Khandwal dynasty (Raj Darbhanga),[6] were Maithil Brahmins and were noted for their patronage of Maithil culture.[7]
In the 1960s and 1970s, the Maithil Brahmins became politically significant in Bihar. Binodanand Jha and Lalit Narayan Mishra emerged as prominent political leaders of the community. Under the Chief Ministry of Jagannath Mishra, many Maithil Brahmins assumed important political positions in Bihar.[8]
Divisions
According to the Vedic Samhita, Maithil Brahmins are divided into the Vajasaneyi (Yajurvedic) and the Chandogya(Samavedic) and each group is strictly exogamous. Among the total number of Maithil Brahmins, around twenty five percent Brahmins belong to Chhandog and remaining belong to Vajasaneyi.[9] They are also further classified by four main categories, the Shrotriyas (Soit), the Yogyas (Bhalmanush), the Painjas and the Jaiwars.[10] They are also divided into various Mools or Clan's name. On the basis of mools, they are categorised into three classes. They are Atyant Shrestha, Dwitiya Shreni and Madhyammul.[11] And every mool is further divided into upamool or sub clans called as Moolgram.[12]
Religious practices
They are mainly practitioners of Shaktism in various forms, however there are also Vaishnavites and Shaivites.[13][14] A male child of Maithil Brahmin family gets the status of a Brahmin only after completion of the sacred ceremony Maithil Upanayan.[15]
Panjis
Panjis or Panji Prabandh are extensive genealogical records maintained among Maithil Brahmins similar to the Hindu genealogy registers at Haridwar.[16] While marriage they obtain the “Aswajan”(Non-relative) certificate from the panjikars,this system was started by Harisinghdeva.[17]