Chitraguptavanshi Kayastha, also referred as ''North Indian Kayastha'', is a subgroup of
Hindus
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
of the
Kayastha community that are mainly concentrated in the
Hindi Belt
The Hindi Belt, also known as the Hindi Heartland, is a linguistic region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern and western India where various Central Indo-Aryan languages subsumed under the term 'Hindi' (for example, by th ...
of
North India
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Centr ...
. In
Hindu texts and traditions, they are described to have descended from the Hindu god
Chitragupta who is usually depicted carrying "a flowing notebook, a pen and an inkpot" engaged in writing down human deeds.
They are further divided into twelve , each of which is claimed to be the progeny of Chitragupta's two wives. The earliest recorded history of these groups goes to the early mediaeval period of
Indian history
According to consensus in modern genetics, anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. Quote: "Y-Chromosome and Mt-DNA data support the colonization of South Asia by ...
,
while the word "Kayastha" itself dates to the third century CE.
Etymology
According to
Merriam-Webster
Merriam-Webster, Inc. is an American company that publishes reference books and is especially known for its dictionaries. It is the oldest dictionary publisher in the United States.
In 1831, George and Charles Merriam founded the company as ...
, the word ''Kāyastha'' is probably formed from the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...
''kāya'' (body), and the suffix ''-stha'' (standing, being in). The suffix ''vanshi'' is derived from the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...
word ''vansh'' (वंश) which translates to belonging to a particular family dynasty.
History
Early North India
From the eleventh-century onwards, epigraphical texts mention various regional lineages belonging to the North Indian branch of the Kayasthas,
which were identified with their common occupational specialization and whose members had become particularly influential in the administration of mediaeval kingdoms. Some Kayasthas even had
feudatory status; some had received the title of
Pandit
A Pandit ( sa, पण्डित, paṇḍit; hi, पंडित; also spelled Pundit, pronounced ; abbreviated Pt.) is a man with specialised knowledge or a teacher of any field of knowledge whether it is shashtra (Holy Books) or shastra (Wea ...
a for their extensive knowledge, while others, who were financially well-off, commissioned construction of temples. The earliest epigraphic mention of
Chitragupta having any connection with the Chitraguptavanshi Kayasthas appears around the same period from a royal
charter (dated 1115
AD) written by a
Srivastava
Srivastava (; ), also spelled variously as Shrivastava, Shrivastav or Srivastav, is a common surname found amongst the Chitraguptavanshi Kayastha community of upper caste Hindus particularly in the Hindi-speaking regions of India.
Origin
Srivast ...
feudatory of
Govindachandra of
Kannauj.
Similar epigraphic records mention
Mathur People
*Mathur (name), a clan of the Kayastha community in north India
Places
* Mattur or Mathur, a village in Karnataka, India
* Mathur-I, a village in Palakkad district, Kerala, India
* Mathur-II, a village in Palakkad district, Kerala, India
* M ...
feudatory of
Udayasimha,
and members of other Kayastha branches holding important administrative positions under different mediaeval kingdoms.
Soḍḍhala, the author of the eleventh-century
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...
work Udayasundarī Kathā, called himself a Vālabhya-Kayastha while also claiming to be a
Kshatriya (warrior class). The members of this lineage, possibly from
Vallabhi, are mentioned as early as ninth-century in the epigraphs of the
Rashtrakuta king
Amoghavarsha
Amoghavarsha I (also known as Amoghavarsha Nrupathunga I) (r.814–878 CE) was the greatest emperor of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, and one of the most notable rulers of Ancient India. His reign of 64 years is one of the longest precisely dated ...
.
Kayasthas, according to
Romila Thapar, had become a "powerful component of the upper-bureaucracy" and were on occasion "highly respected as royal biographers" and composers of inscriptions. Inviting them as professional scribes was considered an indicator of an established kingdom. Thapar also notes that "as recipients of office and holders of grants of land, ''brahmanas'', ''kayasthas'', and ''sreshtins'' (wealthy merchants)" were moving into a cultural circle which "attempted to diffuse a Sanskritic culture"
According to Chitrarekha Gupta, Kayasthas became "king-makers and the most influential urban elites".
Indo-Islamic Era
The rise of
Timuri political power after the sixteenth century had the effect of opening new roles for Kayasthas''.'' The North-Indian Kayasthas were some of the first groups to learn
Persian regularly even before it became the court language.
Kayasthas were a major demographic block in ''maktabs'' (equivalent of primary school) where they acquired skills of copying and writing, which were necessary for working in various
Mughal
Mughal or Moghul may refer to:
Related to the Mughal Empire
* Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries
* Mughal dynasty
* Mughal emperors
* Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia
* Mughal architecture
* Mug ...
departments. Thus, Kayasthas became conversant with and literate in wider Perso-Arabic fiscal lexicon
and started to fulfil requirements of the
Mughal
Mughal or Moghul may refer to:
Related to the Mughal Empire
* Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries
* Mughal dynasty
* Mughal emperors
* Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia
* Mughal architecture
* Mug ...
administration as ''qanungos'' () and ''patwaris'' ().
Kayasthas, according to
Irfan Habib, were the "second layer" of revenue management in Mughal India, dealing with rudiments of revenue collection, land records, and paper management, where their basic
Persian literacy and copying skills were put to use.
By the eighteenth century, Kayasthas' control of the ''qanungo'' position had essentially become hereditary.
Some Kayasthas were elevated to high ranking positions, such as
Raghunath Ray Kayastha (d. 1664)—the
Mughal Empire's "acting ''wazir''" () and finance minister, whom Emperor
Aurangzeb regarded as the greatest administrator he had ever met, and
Chandar Bhan Brahman referred to as the "frontispiece in the book of the men of the pen of Hindustan". Emperor
Akbar's finance minister,
Raja Todar Mal (born in
Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh
Sitapur is a city and a municipal board in Sitapur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located 90 kilometres north of state capital, Lucknow. The traditional origin for the name is said to be by the King Vikramāditya from Lord ...
), is often referred to as a Kayastha. In fact, it was under Akbar's reign and Todar Mal's encouragement that most Kayasthas learnt Persian and were appointed as ''qanungos'' in the first place''.''
As their participation in Indo-Persian cultural forms grew, so did their interactions with
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abra ...
, and the Kayasthas gradually became loosely integrated into an Indo-Muslim governing community.
The North Indian Kayasthas, in contrast to
CKPs and
Bengali Kayasthas, became known for adopting an Indo-Muslim lifestyle, which was reflected in their attire, mannerism, and a common affinity for ''sharab'' () with Muslim aristocracy. To navigate the Indo-Muslim circle of service and literacy, many adopted Perso-Arabic pennames.
The
ulama
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
, Muslim aristocracy, and Persian poets, on the other hand, looked down on Kayasthas for wielding influence, labelling them "disloyal, cruel, cheats, and extortionists". According to
Ayesha Jalal, unless it was a full-fledged conversion some Muslims kept
Hindus
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
‘at a figurative and literal arm’s length’. One Muslim commentator noted that the Hindu pensman who spoke Persian was a ‘neo-Muslim, but still retained
icthe smell of ''kufr''
nfidelityand discord in his heart'. The Muslim reformer
Shah Waliullah once complained that ‘all
f India’saccountants and clerks
reHindus…they control
icthe country’s wealth’. Kayasthas had to try and convince Muslims that they did not represent infidelity in Islam, as ulama claimed. Many Kayasthas left their sacred thread (
suta
Suta, Sūta, Šuta or Şuţa may refer to:
People
* Šuta, Egyptian commissioner
* Jocelino Suta, French rugby union player
* Khassaraporn Suta, Thai weightlifter
* Miroslav Šuta, Czech environmental expert and writer
Places
* Şuta, a villag ...
) at home when Emperor Aurangzeb made it illegal to wear it at court.
Most Kayasthas remained pragmatic and vocationally oriented towards their Persian language skills, probably with the exception of
Munshi Hargopal Tufta (d. 1879), the chief ''shagird ('') of
Mirza Ghalib.
They also remained largely reluctant and rarely converted to
Islam which, according to H. Bellenoit, limited their "administrative worth". Those who did convert maintained traditions of accountancy and paper-management, and are known as
Muslim Kayasthas, a numerically small community of northern India.
Under Nawabs of Awadh
The Kayastha's association with the Nawab's began early with Nawal Ray (d. 1750), a
Saksena Kayastha from
Etawah. In 1748,
Safdar Jang made him deputy governor over
Allahabad
Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the admin ...
and he was awarded the title of first
Raja
''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The title has a long history in history of South Asia, South Asia and History of ...
and then of
Maharaja
Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great Monarch, king" or "high king".
A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Em ...
. Nawal died on the field fighting against
Pathans
Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically r ...
on behalf of Safdar Under the reign of
Asaf-ud-Daula, the Kayastha
Raja Tikait Rai who served as a
''Diwan'' () became an important figure in the region's administration.
After them a number of Kayastha administrators such as Raja Jhau Lal, Raja Gulab Rai, Munshi Hardayal, Trilok Chand Bakshi, Raja Jiya Lal and several others made important contributions in administration and cultural activities of Awadh. In some areas, Kayasthas were more willing to embrace outward signs of a spiritual orientation that was almost
Islamic. Many were active members of
Sufi shrines and frequently attended in
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the ...
spiritual months of
Muharram and
Ashura.
In 1780s
Lucknow
Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and divisio ...
, thousands of Kayastha worked as
calligraphers who had mastered the Persian works of
Hafez
Khwāje Shams-od-Dīn Moḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shiraz, Shīrāzī ( fa, خواجه شمسالدین محمّد حافظ شیرازی), known by his pen name Hafez (, ''Ḥāfeẓ'', 'the memorizer; the (safe) keeper'; 1325–1390) and as "H ...
and
Sadi. Shiva Dasa 'Lakhnavi', a ''Kayastha'' from
Awadh, authored his monumental work ''Shahnama Munawar Kalam'' in Persian, which provides account of events, political upheavals and factional struggles from the time of Emperor
Farrukhsiyar
Farrukhsiyar or Farrukh Siyar () (20 August 16839 April 1719) was the tenth emperor of the Mughal Empire from 1713 to 1719. He rose to the throne after assassinating his uncle, Emperor Jahandar Shah. Reportedly a handsome man who was easily s ...
(1712
CE) to Emperor
Muhammad Shah's fourth regnal year (1723
CE).
Bhakti movement
The Kayasthas also became a part of the larger
Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6th cen ...
in northern India.
''Dhruvadasa'' (d. 1643), a Kayastha from
Deoband (Uttar Pradesh), whose family served as government servants, is considered one of the
Radhavallabh sect's foremost poets.
Another Kayastha ''Ghanananda'' (d. 1739), who served as the
Mughal
Mughal or Moghul may refer to:
Related to the Mughal Empire
* Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries
* Mughal dynasty
* Mughal emperors
* Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia
* Mughal architecture
* Mug ...
Emperor
Muhammad Shah's Mir Munshi (), renounced his worldly life and remained in
Vrindavan until he was killed by soldiers of
Ahmad Shah Abdali. He is regarded as one of the finest
Braj Bhasha poets. The most important contribution came from ''Lalach Kavi'', a Kayastha from
Raebareli, who in 1530
CE wrote the first ever Hindi ''vernacular'' adaptation of the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...
text
Bhagavata Purana's "Dasam Skandha".
British Raj
With
Jonathan Duncan's settlement of
Benares in the late 1780s, the role of literate scribes and 'pensmen' grew in importance and became firmly stitched into the early stage of the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Sout ...
. By the 1820s, the company’s agrarian taxation had built upon a network of paper-managers that reached back into the
Late Mughal era. The registrars and accountants provided important information on "rents, assessments and methods of negotiating rent rates". The
British had little understanding of the dynamics of taxation in the
Doab until the 1840s, so they relied largely on scribes to help them expand their fiscal might and bureaucratic state upcountry from
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
.
In the
Great rebellion triggered by the
annexation of Awadh in 1856, many old ''Nawabi'' fiscal records were destroyed and lost in the fighting in
Lucknow
Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and divisio ...
and
Faizabad
Faizabad (Hindustani pronunciation: ɛːzaːbaːd is a city situated near the southern banks of Saryu river in Ayodhya district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The area of this Faizabad region is administered by Ayodhya Municipal Co ...
. In such a scenario, the Kayastha ''qanungos'' and scribes proved to be of great help in achieving fiscal consolidation and integration of the region into north Indian administration. And in this sense, Kayasthas became well-known in the colonial officialdom and it was observed that:
The early colonial administration, thus, came to be shaped by influential ''Kayastha'' families who became early beneficiaries of the British power and success. In the 1880s,
Allan Octavian Hume called for the colonial government to,
Modern India
Modern scholars categorise them among Indian communities that were traditionally described as "urban-oriented", "upper caste" and part of the "well-educated" pan-Indian elite, alongside
Khatris,
Kashmiri Pandits,
Parsis,
Nagar Brahmins of Gujarat, South-Indian
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 ( ...
s,
Deshastha Brahmins,
Chitpavan Brahmin
The Chitpavan Brahmin or Konkanastha Brahmin is a Hindu Maharashtrian Brahmin community inhabiting Konkan, the coastal region of the state of Maharashtra. Initially working as messengers and spies in the late seventeenth century, the communit ...
,
Prabhu Kayasthas,
Bhadralok Bengalis and upper echelons of the
Muslim and
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
communities that made up the
middle class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Co ...
at the time of
Indian independence in 1947.
Varna status
The functionality of the Kayasthas, who identified themselves with "Chitragupta and paper-oriented service", was more significant before the 1870s, and historically, their caste status have been ambiguous.
Kayasthas of northern India regard themselves as a de-facto ''
varna'' that arose to keep records of the four ''varnas'' that came before them. Traditions and occupations associated with them, and their belief in the mythical roles assigned to
Chitragupta, their
progenitor
In genealogy, the progenitor (rarer: primogenitor; german: Stammvater or ''Ahnherr'') is the – sometimes legendary progenitor, legendary – founder of a family, Kinship, line of descent, clan or tribe, Nobility, noble house, or ethnic group. ...
, partly support this claim.
Social status
By 1900, the Kayasthas became so dominant as a 'service caste' that "their ability to mould north India's governance led to numerous calls from British officialdom to cut their numbers down".
The late-nineteenth-century ethnographers and observers unanimously agreed on the Kayasthas' high social status in the Hindu society.
They are recognized as a
Forward Caste, as they do not qualify for any of the
reservation benefits allotted to
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
and
Other Backward Class
The Other Backward Class is a collective term used by the Government of India to classify castes which are educationally or socially backward. It is one of several official classifications of the population of India, along with Forward caste, Gen ...
es that are administered by the
Government of India
The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
.
Subgroups and culture
Chitraguptavanshi Kayasthas are primarily divided into twelve subgroups. These subgroups have traditionally practiced
endogamy
Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a specific social group, religious denomination, caste, or ethnic group, rejecting those from others as unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relationships.
Endogamy is common in many cu ...
within their subgroup. H. Bellenoit has shown that these subgroups tended to reside in certain geographic areas of
Hindustan and
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
.
Subgroups
Writing system
Kaithi is a historical Brahmic script that was used widely in parts of Northern India. It was the most widely used script of North India west of Bengal. The script derives its name from the word Kayastha. Documents in Kaithi are traceable to at least the 16th century. The script was widely used during the Mughal period. During the British Raj, the script was recognised as the official script of the law courts in some provinces. John Nesfield in Oudh, George Campbell of Inverneill in Bihar and a committee in Bengal all advocated for the use of Kaithi script in education.
Women
Traditionally, the North Indian Kayastha women were allowed to attend school and receive education, but were kept in "far more seclusion than the
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
women," according to a census report. Many patriarchs of the caste also seemed to have kept concubines.
Notables
Politicians and revolutionaries
*
Chandar Bhan Brahman
*
Yashwant Sinha
*
Krishna Ballabh Sahay
*
Mahamaya Prasad Sinha
Mahamaya Prasad Sinha (1 May 1909 – 1987) was an Indian politician. He was the fifth Chief Minister of Bihar from March 1967 to January 1968 which was the first non congress Government in Bihar. Sinha was a follower of Maharaja Kamakhya Narain ...
*
Sachchidananda Sinha
*
Subodh Kant Sahay
*
Jayaprakash Narayan
*
Rajendra Prasad
*
Shyam Nandan Sahay
*
Shailendra Nath Shrivastava
*
Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Shastri (; 2 October 1904 – 11 January 1966) was an Indian politician and statesman who served as the 2nd Prime Minister of India from 1964 to 1966 and 6th Home Minister of India from 1961 to 1963. He promoted the White R ...
*
Shiv Charan Mathur
*
Ravi Shankar Prasad
*
Nitin Nabin
*
Jayant Sinha
*
Har Dayal
*
Pandey Ganpat Rai
Literature
*
Premchand
*
Harivansh Rai Bachchan
*
Firaq Gorakhpuri
Raghupati Sahay (28 August 1896 – 3 March 1982), also known by his pen name Firaq Gorakhpuri, was an Indian writer, critic, and, according to one commentator, one of the most noted contemporary Urdu poets from India. He established himself ...
*
Mahadevi Varma
*
Bhagwati Charan Verma
*
Dharamvir Bharati
*
Ramkumar Verma
Ramkumar Verma (15 September 1905 – 15 October 1990) was a Hindi poet who published one act-plays and several anthologies of his work.
Life history
He was associated with the HBTU Kanpur. He belongs to Rajput community. He was born in the ...
*
Nirad C. Chaudhuri
Nirad Chandra Chaudhuri CBE (23 November 1897 – 1 August 1999) was an Indian writer.
In 1990, Oxford University awarded Chaudhuri, by then a long-time resident of the city of Oxford, an Honorary Degree in Letters. In 1992, he was made an hono ...
*
Saumitra Saxena
Science and Technology
*
Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar
*
Vinod Dham
*
Harish Chandra Verma
Actors and Artists
*
Mukesh (singer)
Mukesh Chand Mathur (22 July 1923 – 27 August 1976), better known mononymously as Mukesh, was an Indian playback singer. Mukesh is considered to be one of the most popular and acclaimed playback singers of the Hindi film industry. Amongst t ...
*
Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam (born 30 July 1973) is an Indian singer, music director and actor. He has been described in the media as one of the most popular and successful playback singers of Hindi Cinema and Kannada Cinema. He has been honoured by the Gover ...
*
Siddharth Nigam
*
Shatrughan Sinha
Shatrughan Prasad Sinha (born 9 December 1945) is an Indian actor and politician. He is a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Asansol constituency as a member of All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). Earlier he was elected as Member of Parliame ...
*
Raju Srivastav
*
Sonali Khare
*
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan (; born as Amitabh Shrivastav; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most succe ...
*
Mini Mathur
See also
*
Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu
*
Karan Kayastha
*
Bengali Kayastha
References
Bibliography
#
# {{Cite book, last1=Prasad, first1=K., url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jxbTvgEACAAJ, title=The Kayastha Ethnology, an Enquiry Into the Origin of the Chitraguptavansi and Chandrasenavansi Kayasthas, last2=LLC, first2=Books, publisher=Creative Media Partners, year=2018, isbn=9780343919894, pages=34–69, 75–78, author-link2=Books LLC
Social groups of Uttar Pradesh
Social groups of Bihar
Kayastha