Maithil Karna Kayastha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 India | 785,771[1] |
 Nepal | 33,502[2] |
| Languages | |
| Maithili | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Kayastha groups | |
Maithil Karna Kayastha, Maithili Kayastha[3] or Karna Kayastha[4] is a Maithil Hindu caste that originated from the Mithila,[5] and is one of the twelve subgroups of Kayastha.[6] They are predominantly found in the Indian subcontinent, which includes modern-day India and Nepal. The majority population resides in North Bihar[7] in India, Terai (Madhesh and Koshi) in Nepal.[8]
The Maithil Karna Kayastha have historically been involved in administration, governance, and record-keeping.[9] They have been granted Forward caste status in the state of Bihar, along with Maithil Brahmin, Rajput, and Bhumihar.[10] In Nepal, they are classified as Madheshi upper class caste,[11] and counted under Minority groups.[2] The main language spoken by Maithil Kayastha is Maithili.[12][13]
The Maithil Karna Kayastha of present-day North Bihar and Terai region in Nepal are of Kashtriya varna, after a decision ruled by Patna High Court in 1927.[14][15] According to the Hindu texts and traditions, they are descended from a Hindu god, Chitragupta,[16][17] who is responsible for writing down human deeds. The early written record shows that they came from South India along with Karnat king, Nanyadeva (r. 1097 to 1147 CE) to Simraungadh.[18]
During the reign of Karnat king, Gangadeva, the Maithil Kayastha were spread into different rural settlements of Mithila, present day Darbhanga and Madhubani.[19][20] The last king of the Karnata dynasty was Harisimhadeva, who introduced the Panji system in 1327 CE amongst Maithil Brahmin and Karna Kayastha to maintain the genealogical records.[21][22] The Kayastha were served as Tehsildar (transl. "Revenue collector"), Patwari (transl. "Recordkeeper"), Amin (transl. "Land surveyor"), and Dewan (transl. "Accountant") during the British Raj, and Raj Darbhanga time period.[23][24]
In the Modern era, the Maithil Kayastha were among the most literate, urbanized, and mobile caste of Bihar[25] and Nepal.[26] They played a leading role in the separation of Bihar from Bengal presidency,[27] actively participated in Champaran Satyagraha and controlled the leadership of the Bihar Congress in the pre-independent era.[25]
Demography
According to 2022 Caste-based survey, the Karna Kayastha population was 785,771[1] in Bihar and 33,502[2] in the 2021 Nepal census.