Niyogi Brahmin is a
Telugu Brahmin
Telugu Brahmins are ethnic-Telugu people, Telugus who belong to Brahmin communities native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They fall under the Pancha-Dravida, Pancha Dravida Brahmin classification of the Brahmin community in ...
subcaste
A caste is a fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (endogamy), foll ...
native to the Indian states of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
and
Telangana
Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...
, but are spread throughout
South India
South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...
and
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
. The traditional occupations of the Niyogi Brahmins are
settled cultivation and
priesthood. But majority of them took up various secular vocations including military activities and
karanams. They were associated with administration, economics, literature, music composing, politics, scholarly, scientific, engineering, defense and warfare careers.
Etymology
''Niyogin'' in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
means "employed", "appointed" or "assigned" and it is probable that Niyogis were given this name because they accept secular employment. As per
Eastern Chalukyan
Eastern Chalukyas, also known as the Chalukyas of Vengi, were a dynasty that ruled parts of South India between the 7th and 12th centuries. They started out as governors of the Chalukyas of Badami in the Deccan region. Subsequently, they beca ...
records, Brahmins who were appointed to a 'Niyoga', commission, charge or office, were called 'Niyogins', officials or functionaries. The term 'Niyogikavallabha' finds mention in a record of
Eastern Chalukyan
Eastern Chalukyas, also known as the Chalukyas of Vengi, were a dynasty that ruled parts of South India between the 7th and 12th centuries. They started out as governors of the Chalukyas of Badami in the Deccan region. Subsequently, they beca ...
king Mangi Yuvaraja ().
Sub-divisions
Niyogis are divided into groups like Aruvela Niyogis, Pakanati Niyogis, Prathamasaki Niyogis and others.
Golkonda Vyaparis were said to be a part of Niyogis. The word "''vyapari''" means trader. While Niyogis were
Smartas, Vyaparis are
Vaishnava
Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, '' Mahavishnu''. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along wit ...
s. In
Karnataka
Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
and
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
, there are some sections of Niyogis such as Aruvela and Prathamasaki who follow
Dvaita Vedanta of
Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya (; ; 1199–1278 CE or 1238–1317 CE), also known as Purna Prajna () and Ānanda Tīrtha, was an Indian philosopher, theologian and the chief proponent of the ''Dvaita'' (dualism) school of Vedanta. Madhva called his philosophy ...
.
See also
*
Telugu Brahmin
Telugu Brahmins are ethnic-Telugu people, Telugus who belong to Brahmin communities native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They fall under the Pancha-Dravida, Pancha Dravida Brahmin classification of the Brahmin community in ...
References
Further reading
*{{cite journal , title=Precolonial Intellectuals and the Production of Colonial Knowledge , first=Phillip B. , last=Wagoner , journal=Comparative Studies in Society and History , volume=45 , issue=4 , date=October 2003 , pages=783–814 , doi=10.1017/S0010417503000355 , jstor=3879496 , s2cid=145060460
Telugu Brahmin communities
Social groups of Andhra Pradesh
Social groups of Telangana
Social groups of Maharashtra
Brahmin communities of Andhra Pradesh
Brahmin communities of Maharashtra
Indian castes
South Indian communities