Indian Antiquary Vol 61

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 73

APRIL, 1932)
THE NAGAR BRAHMANS AND THE BENGAL KAYASTHAS
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It is not merely social, but also physical anthropology that comes to our support in this connection, and it is interesting here to note the views of Dr. B. S. Guha based upon anthropometric data furnished principally by H. H. Risley.56 The characteristic Bengali type consists of the association of round head with slender nose and may be described as brachy. leptorhiny, to use an anthropometric term. This type is found in the central or deltaic region and especially among the upper classes, such as the Brahmans and Kayasthas, and gradually thins away as we descend to the lower strata. This Bengali type differs from that of the eastern neighbours-on the one hand, from the Mongoloids of the Brahmaputra valley, who strongly incline towards the dolichoplatyrhine, and on the other from the Sino-Burmese peoples among whom the brachyplatyrhine element is predominant. They also vary from their western neighbours, the pre-Aryan Santals and other tribes and also from the north-western peoples, such as those found in the United Provinces, Panjab and Kashmir. In fact, the brachyleptorhine element which is 90 typical of Bengal gradually decreases as we proceed from Bihar to Benares, to the north-west of which place the dolicholeptorhine characteristics of North India are in increasing evidence. The Bengali type represented by the Bengal Kayasthas and Brahmaņs thus stands isolated in a surrounding medley of races. The only peoples with whom they can be linked up anthropometrically are the round-headed castes of Western India, the most pre-eminent of whom are the Nagar Brahmans of Gujarat and Kathf&war and the Prabhu Kayasthas of Maharashtra. The following table, prepared by my pupil, Mr. Atul Krishna Sur, will show at a glance how the cage stands. It is scarcely necessary to add that the average cephalic index beyond or below 75 is an indication of brachycephaly and dolichocephaly respectively.
The following Table illustrates the racial affinity of the Bengali Kayasthas and Brahmans with the Nagar Brahmans and the VAniag of Gujarat, and their difference from the Brahmans and the Kayasthas of the United Provinces and Bihar. Compiled from the anthropometrical appendices in Risley's People of India - Number of Persons N.
Name of Caste. Locality. Av. C. I. Av. N. I. Av. St. measured.
100 ... NAgar Brahmans. Ahmadâ bad .. 79.7 73.1 1643 127 .. Vanias
75.7 1612 100 ..Prabhu ..SAtârâ, Poona, 79.9 75.8 1627
Bombay, Thâná. 100 ..Kayasthas .. Bengal
78.2 70-3 1636 ..Brâhmans ..W. Bengal
78.2 71.9
1670 68 ..Brahmans .... Bengal
79.0 70.3
1659 100 ..Brahmans ..U.P.
73.1 74.6
1659 100 ..Kayasthas
72-6 74.8 1648 67 .. Brahmans .. Bihar
74.
9 73.2 1661 The various surnames of the grantees we have culled from the various inscriptions are as follows: (1) Bhậti, (2) Chandra, (3) Dama, (4) Dasa, (5) Datta, (6) Deva, (7) Dhara, (8) Ghosha. (9) Gupta, (10) Kara, (11) Kirtti, (12) Kunda, (13) Mitra, (14) Någa, (15) Nandin. (16) Pala, (17) PAlita, (18) Rakshita, (19) Sarman, (20) Sena, (21) Soma, (22) Vardhana, (23) Varman and (24) Vasu. These are all found as padavis among the Bengal KAyasthas to the present day. But what is strange is that they were found as surnames among the Brahmans of Bengal from the sixth to the twelfth century A.D. Another noteworthy fact is that most of them are found as the names of the ruling or Kshatriya families of Northern India in the pre-Muhammadan period. That the Palas and Senas were the Kshatriya families ruling over BihAr and Bangal is well-known. That the Chandras, Ghoshas and Varmans also held
66 See his Presidential Address for the section of Anthropology published in the Proceedings of the Fifteenth Indian Science Congress (issued 27th February 1929), p. 308 ff.
79.3
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