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The Bengali Brahmins are those Hindu Brahmins who traditionally reside in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, currently comprising the Indian state of West Bengal, Tripura, Assam and Bangladesh. When the British left India in 1947, carving out separate nations (see partition), a number of families moved from the Muslim-majority East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to be within the borders of the newly defined Republic of India, and continued to migrate for several decades thereafter. Bengali Brahmins are categorized as Pancha-Gauda Brahmins (the Brahmins who traditionally lived to the north of the Vindhyas).〔A History of Brahmin Clans, p.288〕 ==History== The earliest historically verifiable presence of Brahmins in Bengal can be ascertained from Dhanaidaha copper-plate inscription of Kumargupta 1 of the Gupta Year 113 (433 C.E.) which records the grant of land to a Brahmin named Varahasvamin of the Samavedi school.〔cf. Some Historical Aspects of the Inscription of Bengal, page xii〕 A copper-plate grant from the Gupta period found in the vicinity of Somapura mentions a Brahmin donating land to a Jain vihara at Vatagohali. Literary sources like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Jain and Buddhist works, however record the presence of Brahmins in various parts of Bengal during earlier periods.〔cf. Banger Jatiya Itihash, Brahman Kanda, Vol 1〕 Historical evidence also attests significant presence of Brahmins in Bengal during the Maurya period. The Jain Acharya Bhadrabahu, regarded to be the preceptor of Chandragupta Maurya is said to have been born in Brahmin family of Pundravardhana ( or , the region north of the Ganges and west of Brahmaputra in Bengal, later known as Vārendra). Such evidences suggest or Vārendra and regions west of Bhagirathi (called Radha in ancient age) to be seats of Brahmins from ancient times; Rādhi and Varendra are still chief branches of Bengali Brahmins settled in these regions.〔cf. History of Brahmin Clans, p. 281〕 Medium to large scale migrations of Brahmins from various parts of India like Mithila, Kanyakubja region, Kolancha, southern India and Pushkar in Rajasthan, among other places, occurred from time to time, especially during Pala and Sena periods.〔cf. Banger Jatiya Itihash, Brahman Kanda, Vol 3, Chapter 1〕 Traditionally, Bengali Brahmins are divided into the following categories:〔〔cf. Hindu Castes and Sects, Jogendranath Bhattacharya, Part III, Chap 1, Pg 35〕〔cf. Samaj Biplab ba Brahman Andalon, Dinabandhu Acharya Vedashastri〕 * Rādhi from Radh (region south-west of the Ganges) * Varendra, from Vārendra region (North-East) or . Vārendra originally meant rain-maker magicians.〔Vāri+indra, Vāri meant water : cf.A History of Brahmin Clans , p. 283.〕 * Vaidika (migrants, originally experts of Vedic knowledge) * * Paschatya Vaidika (Vedic Brahmins from west of Bengal) * * Dakshinatya Vaidika (Vedic Brahmins from south of Bengal) * Madhya Sreni (Brahmins of the midland country) * Shakdvipi(migrant Brahmins of Shakdvipa in Central Asia) * Grahavipra (Brahmins associated with practice of Astrology) (a major surname: Acharya − although all 'Acharya's do not benlong to Grahavipra class) * Saptaśati 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bengali Brahmins」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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