The Prabhu communities are a group of related Hindu castes found in Maharashtra, India. There are four such castes, all having different ritual and social status within the caste system of Maharashtra. They are Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu, Pathare Prabhu, Kanchole Prabhus and the Danved Prabhu.

Introduction

The Prabhu communities are subdivided into many castes.

Some sources refer to them by their full name but some are ambiguous as to which specific Prabhu community they are referring to. In other sources, context can be used to identify the specific caste. In some sources, Pathare Prabhus and Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu's have been jointly referred to as Prabhu Communities.

Details

Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) and Pathare Prabhu

The CKP are considered superior to the other Prabhu communities. They are a ritually high caste and are considered socially proximate to Maharashtrian Brahmin community. Along with the Saraswat, Deshastha and Chitpawan they have been considered as an "advanced caste" due to similarities in education and occupational status.[1][3][4][5]

The Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) and Pathare Prabhu are considered intellectual classes (other than Brahmins) and have been advanced in education. Both have vedic upanayana (thread ceremonies or 'munj' in marathi) and their 'vedokta' or rights to study of Vedas and perform Vedic rituals has been formally approved by the Brahmin councils and ratified by the Shankaracharyas based on shastras. In case of Pathare Prabhus the formal approval was given by the Shankaracharya of Shingeri and in the case of CKPs by Brahmin councils of Pune, Banares, Bajirao II and the Shankaracharya of Karvir and Sanakareshwar Math (a Deshastha Brahmin).[6][7][8][lower-alpha 1][2][9][10]

Kanchole Prabhus

The Drauv (or Dhurus) are also known as Kanchole Prabhus. It is said that they were part of the Pathare Prabhu community but were excommunicated for disobeying caste rules. The Kacholes made several attempts and appeals to the Pathare Prabhu caste to accept them back. The first was made in 1836, the second and third in 1881. In November 1881, 38 gentlemen from the Pathare Prabhu community confirmed the Kanchole's "purity of blood", similar religious beliefs, similar gotras and characteristics and professions, similarity in writings, status etc. Despite these proofs they were not readmitted due to rigid 19th century rules regarding caste pollution.[2]

Communities claiming Prabhu status

The Somavanshi Kshatriya Pathare (SKP) - also known as "Panchkalshi"claim that they were once part of the Pathare Prabhu however the Pathare Prabhus dismiss this claim and do not accept them as equals or even though the Panchkalshis do claim descent from the Suryavanshi and Chandravanshi Pathare Prabhu ancestral chieftains.[2]

Notable People

Notes

  1. ↑ quote on page 173:Rajvadyanchi Gagabhatti appendix 4, pp-1-21. The Shankaracharya's letter contains three documents which he produces verbatim, two from Banares Brahmins (1779, 1801) proving the CKPs vedokta and one from Pune Brahmins award Ratified by Bajirav II in 1796.

References

  1. 1 2 Kumar Suresh Singh (1998). India's communities-Anthropological Survey of India, VolumeIV. Oxford University press. p. 635. [ckp].. superior to the three other divisions namely Pathare Prabhus, Davaned Prabhu and Dhauv Prabhu
  2. 1 2 3 4 Vijaya Gupchup. Bombay: Social Change 1813-1857. p. 166,180,184,185,186. (page 166,185)The other intellectual class, the Prabhus were once again subdivided in the Chnadraseniya Kayastha Prabhu and the Pathare Prabhus
  3. ↑ André Béteille (1991). Society and Politics in India: Essays in a Comparative Perspective. Athlone Press. p. 48. Although the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu are non-Brahmins, they rank very high and might be regarded as being socially proximate to the Koknastha Brahman.
  4. ↑ Champa Aphale (1976). Growing Up in an Urban Complex. National Publishing House. p. 5. advanced castes among the maharashtrians viz. Brahmins. In this groups were also included families belonging to the chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu besides the three subscastes among the brahmins, viz. Kokanastha Brahmins, Deshastha Brahmins and Saraswat Brahmins. The reason for this was that, though non-Brahmins, these C.K.P. families were very much near the Brahmin families as regards their educational and occupational status.
  5. ↑ Kurtz Dr, Donald V (1997). Book Contradictions and Conflict: A Dialectical Political Anthropology of a University in Western India (Studies in Human Society, Vol 9). p. 68. ISBN 9004098283. ... CKPs. They represent a small but literate and ritually high caste.
  6. ↑ "The American Economic Review - Volume 96, Issues 3-4". Nashville, Tenn. American Economic Association. 2006: 1228. High castes include all the Brahmin jatis, as well as a few other elite jatis (CKP and Pathare Prabhus).Low castes include formerly untouchable and backward castes (Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Castes, as defined by the government of India). Medium castes are drawn mostly from the cultivator jatis, such as the Marathas and the Kunbis, as well as other traditional vocations that were not considered to be ritually impure. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ↑ Utsa Patnaik; Terence J. Byres; K. N. Panikkar, eds. (2002). The Making of History: Essays Presented to Irfan Habib (Anthem South Asian Studies). Anthem Press. p. 197. ISBN 9781843310389.
  8. ↑ Milton Israel and N.K.Wagle, ed. (1987). Religion and Society in Maharashtra. Center for South Asian Studies, University of Toronto, Canada.
  9. ↑ KS Singh (1998). India's communities. Oxford University Press. p. 2083. ..the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu observe the thread-wearing (janeu) ceremony for male children. They cremate the dead and observe death pollution for ten days.
  10. ↑ Sulabha Brahme, Ashok Upadhyaya (2004). Agrarian structure, movements & peasant organisations in India, Volume 2. V.V. Giri National Labour Institute. p. 29. ISBN 9788178270647. Besides Brahmins, the other communities advanced in education are Kayastha Prabhu, Pathare Prabhu found mainly in the...
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