The Nagar Brahmin is a Hindu

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers ( ...

subcaste mainly from the Indian state of

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. Author T. Sasaki says, Among

s in

Nagar Brahmins were most prominent subdivision in the

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and

social activities Social activity may refer to: * Agency (sociology), the individual (or 'micro') component of the structure and agency debate * Agency (philosophy), the similar but distinct concept in philosophical action theory * Social relations, the fundamental ...

of this region both before and during the

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. They have occupied an important administrative posts in the courts during the time of

Gujarat Sultanate The Gujarat Sultanate (or the Sultanate of Guzerat), was a Medieval Indian kingdom established in the early 15th century in Western India, primarily in the present-day state of Gujarat, India. The dynasty was founded by Sultan Zafar Khan Mu ...

and the

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History

The Brahmins mentioned in the Nidhanpur and

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inscriptions of king Bhaskaravarman bore surnames "which are at present used by Kayasthas of Bengal and Nagara Brahmins of

", and historians suggest the Bengali Kaysathas may have originated from the same group as Nāgar Brahmins. During the rule of the Caulukya and Vāghela dynasties, the Nāgars held prestigious positions in royal courts along with Jains and other Brahmins. Their occupations included writing Sanskrit literature, performing Vedic rituals, and conducting royal funerals; they were also famed throughout India as pilgrimage officiants at ''tīrtha'' (holy water) sites. The ''Nāgara Khaṇḍa'' is a quasi-caste purana for the Vadnagar Nāgars. It was partly composed before the late 13th century and was added to the existing '' Skanda Purāṇa'', as part of a wider trend of adding mainly unrelated khaṇḍas to the text. The text extols the holy sites around Vadnagar (historically known as Ānarta, Ānandapura, and Camatkārapura). According to the ''Vastupāla Carita'' of Jinaharṣa Gaṇi, the Vāghela king Vīsaladeva formed the branches of the Nāgars at a yajña (sacrifice) at Darbhavatīpura (modern Dabhoi), the branches being the Vīsalanagara, Ṣaṭpadra, Kr̥ṣṇapura, Citrapura, and Praśnika branches. In the later periods many Nāgars also became financiers and moneychangers. During the rule of the

and

, the Nāgars learned Persian and held important posts in royal courts. Similarly under

British rule The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

, the Nāgars learned English and held administrative posts. In the late 19th century, many leaders of the

Gujarat Vernacular Society Gujarat Vidya Sabha, originally called Gujarat Vernacular Society, is a literary institution for the promotion of vernacular Gujarati literature and education, and for the collection of manuscripts and printed books; located in the city of Ahmed ...

were Nāgars, along with Vaniyas One notable member of the community was the educationist Hansa Jivraj Mehta, whose inter-caste marriage to Jivraj Narayan Mehta in the 1920s provoked what historian John R. Wood describes as a "mild sensation". Her husband was from the Bania caste.

Notable People

* Ranchhodlal Chhotalal * Hansa Jivraj Mehta

References

External links

{{commons category, Nagar Brahmins
Nagar.org
Brahmin communities of Madhya Pradesh Brahmin communities of Rajasthan Brahmin communities of Gujarat Brahmin communities of Karnataka Brahmin communities of Uttar Pradesh