Niyogi
| Niyogi | |
|---|---|
| Varna | Brahmin[1] |
| Religions | Hinduism |
| Languages | Telugu |
| Country | Primarily South India, a significant population in the United States, and Canada[2] |
| Populated States | Andhra Pradesh Tamil Nadu Telangana Karnataka |
| Subdivisions | Aruvela Niyogi Prathama Sakha Golconda Vyapari |
| Status | Forward caste |
Niyogi Brahmins are those Brahmins who took up various secular vocations including military activities and gave up religious vocation, especially the priesthood. Niyogi Brahmins were associated with administration, economics, literature, music composing, politics, scholarly, scientific, defense and warfare careers.[3][4]
Etymology
The word Niyogi is derived from Yoga, which in this context means "religious contemplation", as opposed to Yaga, which means "religious sacrifice". Niyogin in Sanskrit also means "employed", "appointed" or "assigned" and it is probable that Niyogis were given this name because they accept secular employment.[5]
In the past, Niyogis were ministers in the courts of kings and feudal lords, zamindars and talukdars. Sometimes Niyogis were well-off farmers with ownership of land acreage holdings.They owned thousands of acres until the land ceiling act was introduced.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ Brahmin, brahmana, caste, tribe, gotra, rishi, ritual, india, hindu, religion, Mana Sanskriti (Our Culture), Issue 69
- ↑ Anand A. Yang, Bazaar India: Markets, Society, and the Colonial State in Bihar, University of California Press, 1999
- ↑ Sanatha Dharma, Religion, Gothra, Sages, Saints & Rishis of Vedic Era
- ↑ Ancient India: a history of its culture and civilization, Damodar Dharmanand Kosambi, p. 166-170
- ↑ Hopkins, Religions of India, p. 192 states: "As to the fees, the rules are precise, and the propounders of them are unblushing.
- ↑ P. 201, Professor A.L. Basham, My Guruji and Problems and Perspectives of Ancient, by Sachindra Kumar Maity
Further reading
- Wagoner, Phillip B. (October 2003). "Precolonial Intellectuals and the Production of Colonial Knowledge". Comparative Studies in Society and History 45 (4): 783–814. JSTOR 3879496. (subscription required (help)).