Brahmins through the ages: their social, religious, cultural, political & economic life

A cursory glance at society in Ancient India makes it clear
that Brahmins held a very prominent place in almost all the
important domains of life. In the field of culture, our most
precious heritage, the Brahmins held sway. In political affairs,
practically nothing was possible without the advice of the
counsellors who used to be largely Brahmins. That they were
prominent also in other fields can be learnt from a perusal of
ancient records. In fact, the prominent role played by the Brah-
mins continued right up to the present century. During the
middle Ages, they had the last word as intellectual leaders of
Hindu Society. In recent times, they have been prominent among
the leaders of our national movement.
But it is strange that all this notwithstanding, practically
very little work has been done on the origin and evolution of
Brahmins as a distinct social group. Most of the facts known
about them still remain to be investigated or are to be found as
passing remarks in the treatises on caste-system such as the
Śūdras who have attracted the attention of scholars more than
any other social group of Indian Society.
Even if one were to look at the problem only from the point
of culture, one cannot help remarking that Brahmins have
bequeathed to us a precious heritage in the form of the over-
whelming majority of their works in Sanskrit Literature, by far
the richest part of our heritage. In fact this language, which
has been the vehicle of Indian culture abroad, is in itself
the creation of Brahmins. The contribution of Brahmin
converts to Buddhism and Jainism, to literature in Pāli and
Ardhamāgadhi is no less remarkable.
In the present work an attempt has been made to examine
the position of the Brahmins from the Earliest times to 300
A.D. The work is primarily devoted to a study of their position
in the social, religious, political and cultural fields-where they
held undisputed sway in those times. It also attempts a survey
of their economic affairs and seeks to assess the importance of
their role in different fields.
Anthropology, etc.
,
although help is sought from Pali texts, Archaelogy, Ethnology,
We have generally followed the dates as
accepted by Prof. P.V. Kane in his History of Dharma-śāstra.
The first Chapter deals with an examination of sources avail
.
able in the Vedas and Brāhmaṇas. These works are mostly reli-
gious in character but provide us with data about the Varnas,
occupations, duties, saņskāras, education, marriage, privileges
and punishments.
The second chapter depicts the status of the Brahmins as
teachers and as householders on the basis of Kalpa Sūtras.
This rich source is supported by material gleaned from the
Upanişads, the early technical texts such as the Nirukta and the
Aștādhyāyi as also from early Páli texts, viz. Majjhima Nikāya,
Dīgha Nikāya, Anguttara Nikāya, Vinaya Pițaka and the
Jātakas. “There can be no difficulty in accepting facts attested
by all these sources; where such concord is wanting, materials
furnished by Buddhist and Jaina sources may be taken as
reflecting more of actual conditions than the rules laid down in
Dharma-Sūtras"). The facts of Dharma-Sūtras are corrobo-
rated by the other sources.
The third chapter discusses the position of the Brahmins from
about the 3rd century B.C. to 2nd century B.C. and draws its data
from Kautalya's Arthaśästra. These data are supported by the
material drawn from Megasthenes and the Aśokan Inscriptions.
The fourth chapter deals with the position of the Brahmins
in the Gupta-Age, and incorporates material from Smſtis like
those of Manu, Nārada, Bphaspati, Yājñavalkya and Kātyā-
yana. This information is supplemented by the material of
medical treatises of Suśruta and Caraka, from the Mahābhāsya,
the Kānasūtra, and from texts such as the Buddhacarita,
Saundarananda, Vajrasūci Upanişad and Milindapañha.
The fifth, the concluding chapter is in attempt to present a
rapid survey of the position and the role of the Brahmins in each
period. It also recounts the changes, the ups and downs in their
position in course of their struggle for power and their status.