Author T. Sasaki writes, amongst
Brahmins of
Gujarat, Nagar Brahmins were the most prominent subdivision in the
political,
economic and
social activities of this region both before and during the
British Raj. They have occupied important administrative posts in the courts during the time of the
Gujarat Sultanate and the
Mughal Empire.[2]
History
The Nagar Brahmins originate in
Vadnagar,[3] in northern
Gujarat, but are now mostly concentrated in
Kathiawar.[3] The name 'Nagar' is also believed to have come from their geographic origin, Vadnagar.[3]
The Brahmins mentioned in the
Nidhanpur and
Dubi inscriptions of king
Bhaskaravarman bore surnames "which are at present used by
Kayasthas of Bengal and Nagara Brahmins of
Gujarat", and historians suggest the Bengali Kaysathas may have originated from the same group as Nāgar Brahmins.[4][5]
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.[6]
The Nāgara Khaṇḍa is a quasi-caste purana for the Vadnagar Nāgars. It was partly composed before the late 13th century up to circa 17th 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
Vaḍanagara (historically known as Ānarta, Ānandapura, and Camatkārapura).[7][8]
The Nāgars are divided into two sections: Gr̥hasthas who had received land grants from kings and did not have to work as priests, and Bhikṣus who earn money through alms from priesthood. In the Nāgarakhaṇḍa the Nāgars are divided into Nāgars who live in the city, and Bāhyas who had to live outside (often due to excommunication).[9]
The Vaḍanagara Praśasti states that in the time of King
Kumārapāla, a wall was built around the town for the protection of the "viprapura" ("Brāḥmaṇa town").[10][11]
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. The subcastes of the Nagars are also known as Visnagarā, Sāṭhodarā, Kr̥ṣṇorā or Krasnora, Citroḍā, Praśnora.[12][13][14]
In the later periods many Nāgars also became financiers and moneychangers.[15]
During the rule of the
Gujarat Sultanate and
Mughal Empire, the Nāgars learned Persian and held important posts in royal courts. Similarly under
British rule, the Nāgars learned English and held administrative posts.[16]
In the late 19th century, many leaders of the
Gujarat Vernacular Society were Nāgars, along with
Vaniyas.[17] By the 19th century, the dialect of Gujarati as spoken by Nagar Brahmins in Ahmedabad had become the prestige dialect of
Gujarati.[18]
^S. R. Bakshi; S. R. Sharma; S. Gajrani (1998).
"Land and the People". Contemporary Political Leadership in India. APH Publishing Corporation. pp. 13–14.
ISBN81-7648-008-8.
^Das, Sukla (1980). Socio-Economic Life of Northern India (c. A.D. 550 to A.D. 650). Abhinav Publications. pp. 53–54.
^Sathaye, Adheesh A. (2015). Crossing the Lines of Caste: Viśvāmitra and the Construction of Brahmin Power in Hindu Mythology. Oxford University Press. pp. 154–155.
^Mehta, R. N. (1968). Misra, S. C. (ed.). "Nāgarakhaṇḍa - A study". Humanities. Journal of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. XVII (1). Baroda: 113.
^Isaka, Riho (2004). "Language and Education in Colonial and Post-Colonial India". In Sasaki, Takeshi (ed.). Nature and Human Communities. Springer. p. 29.
^Sheffield, Daniel J. (2015). "Primary Sources: Gujarati". The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Zoroastrianism. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 553.
^Mehta, Makrand (1991). Indian Merchants and Entrepreneurs in Historical Perspective. with Special Reference to the Schroffs of Gujarat: 17th to 19th centuries. Academic Foundation. p. 186.
^Raval, R. L. (1986). "Social Environs and Refom Movement in 19th Century Gujarat : The Case of Durgaram Mehtaji". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 47 (VOLUME I): 591–598.
JSTOR44141608.(subscription required)
^Isaka, Riho (2022). Language, Identity, and Power in Modern India: Gujarat, c. 1850-1960. Routledge. p. 57.
^Isaka, Iho (2021). Language, Identity, and Power in Modern India: Gujarat, c.1850-1960. Taylor & Francis. p. 37.
^Wood, John R. (November 1984). "British versus Princely Legacies and the Political Integration of Gujarat". The Journal of Asian Studies. 44 (1): 65–99.
doi:
10.2307/2056747.
JSTOR2056747.
S2CID154751565.