''Kamrupi Brahmins'' (Kāmarūpī Brāhmaṇa) (Sanskrit: कामरुपी ब्राह्मण), also known as Kamarupi Brahmana and Kamrupi Bamon; were
nomadic Brahmins whom settled in Kamarupa in pre-historic times. They
brought with them different Hindu epics and became torch-bearer of Aryan culture in the region.
Manu enjoins that
Brahamanasaya Tapo Gyana
Tapa Kshatrasaya Rakshanam
Vaishyasya Tu Tapo Varta
Tapa Sudrasaya Sewanama
The pursuit of knowledge is the austerity of a Brahmana
Protecting the people is the austerity of a Kshatriya
The pursuit of his daily business is the austerity of a Vaishya
And service the austerity of a Sudra.
In all these three groups of Brahmanas living in Kamarupa had 26 gotras at the time of their greatest power and standing. In later ages any traces of the Samavedic and Rigvedic Brahmanas disappeared . Most probably they had changed their residence or their lines came to an end. The following lines occur in Raja Harendra Narayan's Raja vansabali —
"The Brahmanas living on the northern bank of the Lauhitya were all followers of the Yajurveda. They were all saddcharis and ritvijas (Vedic sacrificers)"
Classifications
In the Smriti view there are four "varnas", or classes: the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas, and Shudras.Manu enjoins that
Brahamanasaya Tapo Gyana
Tapa Kshatrasaya Rakshanam
Vaishyasya Tu Tapo Varta
Tapa Sudrasaya Sewanama
The pursuit of knowledge is the austerity of a Brahmana
Protecting the people is the austerity of a Kshatriya
The pursuit of his daily business is the austerity of a Vaishya
And service the austerity of a Sudra.
Background
Brahmin's of Kamrup or sometimes Western Assam, are known as Kamrupi Brahmin's. Large groups of this Brahmin's originate from, and mostly still live in, the ancient urban areas of Gauhati, Nalbari and Barpeta. These families Brahmin's hold surnames Sarma/Sharma, Bhagawati, Bhattacharya, Chakraborty, Mishra, Shastri etc. Kamrupi Brahmin's are divided into Shakta and Vaishnava cult followers.History
Kamrupi Brahmins were prosperous during the Varman dynasty's reign of Kamarupa. The Kamrupi king Bhaskar Varman
regularly gave land and other grants to the Kamrupi Brahmins, copper plates issued alongside for same. A portion of the
copper-plate grant of Bhaskar Varman states: Rigvedic, Samavedic and
Yajurvedic Brahmins lived in Kamarupa before the time of Bhaskar Varman.
Of these three classes of Brahmins the followers of the Bahvrichya
branch of the Rigveda were divided into the gotras of: - Kasyapa, -
Kausika, - Gautama, - Parasarya, - Bharadvaja, - Varaha, - Vatsya, -
Varhaspatya and - Saunaka ; Of those following the Chhandoga branch of
the Samaveda belonged to the gotras of : - Paskalya The followers of the
Taittiriya branch of the Yajurveda belonged to the gotra of: - Kasyapa
And those of the Charaka branch to the gotra of: - Katyayana ; The
followers of the Vajasaneya branch belonged to the gotras of: -
Angirasa, - Alambayana, - Gargya, - Gautama, - Bharadvaja, - Yaska, -
Sakatayana, and - Salankayana besides the six gotras mentioned before.
In all these three groups of Brahmanas living in Kamarupa had 26 gotras at the time of their greatest power and standing. In later ages any traces of the Samavedic and Rigvedic Brahmanas disappeared . Most probably they had changed their residence or their lines came to an end. The following lines occur in Raja Harendra Narayan's Raja vansabali —
"The Brahmanas living on the northern bank of the Lauhitya were all followers of the Yajurveda. They were all saddcharis and ritvijas (Vedic sacrificers)"
Sources
1) Mani L. Bose, Social History of Assam: Being a Study of the Origins of Ethnic Identity,
1989, p. 40 when the Aryans entered Assam from the west is uncertain.
It seems probably that the Aryan penetration into Assam began from the
time of the Brahmanas and the Epics and by the 3rd century A.D. Aryan
culture became the predominant.
2) Manu. Manu Smriti, Adhaya (Chapter) XI Sloka 236.
3) The Journal of the Institute of Bangladesh Studies(1994),Institute of Bangladesh Studies, University of Rajshahi
4) Vasu, N.N, The Social History of Kamarupa, Vol.1 (1922), p.p 5-6
