Kulinism (
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
: কৌলিন্য) or ''Kulin Pratha'' is a practice that envisages an elite position within the
varna/jati configuration, derived from spiritual and ritual purity.
Upper castes in Bengal were divided into exogamous classes, with ritual status determined by lineage purity and family marital history, with Kulins having the highest status.
The Kulagranthas or Kulapanjikas (Genealogical literatures) are the foundational narrative of kulinism in Bengal, detailing its development over centuries and focusing on kulina lineages and social interaction norms.
The Kulapanjikas state that King
Ballal Sena initiated Kulinism, which conferred titles of nobility upon the
Brahmanas
The Brahmanas (; Sanskrit: , International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Brāhmaṇam'') are Vedas, Vedic śruti works attached to the Samhitas (hymns and mantras) of the Rigveda, Rig, Samaveda, Sama, Yajurveda, Yajur, and Athar ...
,
Kayasthas, and
Vaidyas in Bengal.
According to texts, King Adisura invited Brahmins (accompanied by Kayasthas) to settle in the region from
Kanauj
Kannauj ( Hindustani pronunciation: ) is an ancient city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located 113 km (71 mi) from Etawah, ...
and designated them higher in social status. The texts further state that King Ballal Sena introduced kulinism, designating certain lineages of Brahmins and Kayasthas with higher social status due to superior virtues and practices; This system further extended to Baidya jatis, not associated with Kanauj migration.
It appears to have started among the Baidyas with attributes like riches, education, good actions, etc., which were standardised by Samajapatis, Kulapanjikaras, and Ghatakus (professional matchmakers who served as the stewards of particular communities' family customs), as suggested by
Sircar.
Lakshmana Sena
Lokkhon Sen or Lakshmana Sena () was the ruler from the Sena dynasty of the Bengal region on the Indian subcontinent. His rule lasted for 28 years, in which his empire reached at its peak possessing the territories of Gauda, Kamrupa, Kalinga, ...
, the son and heir of Ballala Sena, is said to have made additional changes and controls to the establishment of kulinism.
The accounts of Kulpanjis in connection to kulinism are viewed with suspicion and have largely been accepted as unhistorical by scholars.
reveals the early social history of Bengal and Kulinism, with King
Vigrahapala III
Vigrahapala III (1041–1067 CE) was the successor to the Pala king Nayapala in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, and twelfth ruler of the Pala line. He was succeeded by Mahipala II.
During the reign of Vigrahapala III, the Kalac ...
granting land to Ghantuka Sarman, a Sandilya gotra Brahmin living in Ituhaka.
Maithili Brahmin Ghantisa had previously owned the land and gave it to Kolancha Brahmin due to a distant relationship. According to Bagchi, this trend of claiming connections to Western Brahmin scholars led to the creation of Kulaji texts, genealogical literature as Brahmins sought to prove their prestige by proving their originality and purity. According to
D.C. Sircar, it may have been Mithila immigrants who partially brought the Kulinism institution to Bengal.
Periodic evaluations of jati/kula rankings among dominant Bengali jatis continued by post-Sena potentates until the 19th century, influenced by kulinism and its modifications.
References
Hindu ethics
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