Mahishya

'''Mahishya''' ([[IAST]]: '''Māhiṣya''') is a [[Bengali Hindu]] traditionally [[agrarian society|agrarian]] [[caste]],<ref>{{Cite book|last=Society|first=Indian Anthropological|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nlqBAAAAMAAJ&q=mahishya|title=Journal of the Indian Anthropological Society|date=2005|publisher=The Society|pages=187–191|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cd6ZAAAAIAAJ&q=mahishyas|title=Man and Life|date=1992|publisher=Institute of Social Research and Applied Anthropology|language=en}}</ref> and formed the largest caste in undivided [[Bengal]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sarma|first=Jyotirmoyee|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hfE_AAAAMAAJ&q=Mahishyas|title=Caste Dynamics Among the Bengali Hindus|date=1980|publisher=Firma KLM|isbn=978-0-8364-0633-7|pages=119|language=en}}</ref> Mahisyas were, and still are, an extremely diverse caste consisting of all possible classes in terms of material conditions and ranks.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Pfeffer|first1=Georg|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2j9LAAAAYAAJ&q=mahishya|title=Contemporary Society: Developmental issues, transition, and change|last2=Behera|first2=Deepak Kumar|date=1997|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7022-642-0|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last=Bandyopadhyay |first=Sekhar |date=2023-07-12 |title=Caste and politics in (West) Bengal |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09584935.2023.2229751?journalCode=ccsa20 |journal=Contemporary South Asia |pages=4|doi=10.1080/09584935.2023.2229751 |s2cid=259862847 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

'''Mahishya''' ([[IAST]]: '''Māhiṣya''') is a [[Bengali Hindu]] traditionally [[agrarian society|agrarian]] [[caste]],<ref>{{Cite book|last=Society|first=Indian Anthropological|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nlqBAAAAMAAJ&q=mahishya|title=Journal of the Indian Anthropological Society|date=2005|publisher=The Society|pages=187–191|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cd6ZAAAAIAAJ&q=mahishyas|title=Man and Life|date=1992|publisher=Institute of Social Research and Applied Anthropology|language=en}}</ref> and formed the largest caste in undivided [[Bengal]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sarma|first=Jyotirmoyee|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hfE_AAAAMAAJ&q=Mahishyas|title=Caste Dynamics Among the Bengali Hindus|date=1980|publisher=Firma KLM|isbn=978-0-8364-0633-7|pages=119|language=en}}</ref> Mahisyas were, and still are, an extremely diverse caste consisting of all possible classes in terms of material conditions and ranks.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Pfeffer|first1=Georg|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2j9LAAAAYAAJ&q=mahishya|title=Contemporary Society: Developmental issues, transition, and change|last2=Behera|first2=Deepak Kumar|date=1997|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7022-642-0|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last=Bandyopadhyay |first=Sekhar |date=2023-07-12 |title=Caste and politics in (West) Bengal |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09584935.2023.2229751?journalCode=ccsa20 |journal=Contemporary South Asia |pages=4|doi=10.1080/09584935.2023.2229751 |s2cid=259862847 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Origin ==

==Origin, epigraphy and texts==

===Epigraphy===

The Kalaikuri-Sultanpur copperplate inscription of 439 CE brings to light the presence of Kaivartaśarman, a Brahmin Kuṭumbin (peasant landholder) in the local administration (adhikaraṇa) in Varendra of [[Gupta Empire|Gupta]] period.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bhattacharya |first=Swapna |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ut4dAAAAMAAJ&q=Kaivarta%C5%9Barman |title=Landschenkungen und staatliche Entwicklung im frühmittelalterlichen Bengalen (5. bis 13. Jh. n. Chr.) |date=1985 |publisher=F. Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden |isbn=978-3-515-04534-6 |pages=166 |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Furui |first=Ryosuke |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lM6gDwAAQBAJ&q=Land+and+society |title=Land and Society in Early South Asia: Eastern India 400–1250 AD |year=2019 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-08480-1 |pages=49 |language=en}}</ref> There are references to vṛttis (enclosed land) in same administrative unit like Osinnakaivartavṛtti, Uddhannakaivartavṛttivahikala, in the copperplate inscriptions of [[Mahipala|Mahīpāla I]]. Historian Ryosuke Furui suggests this as the probable location of the leader of Samantas who revolted against the Pala regime.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Furui |first=Ryosuke |date=2011 |title=Rangpur Copper Plate Inscription of Mahipala I, Year 5 |journal=Journal of Ancient Indian History |volume=XXVII |pages=236}}</ref> In one inscription of [[Madanapala (Pala dynasty)|Madanapala]], Kaivarta was assigned vritti in royal estate along with [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] establishment and Carmakāra.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Furui |first=Ryosuke |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=lM6gDwAAQBAJ&q=Land+and+society&redir_esc=y#v=snippet&q=Land%20and%20society&f=false |title=Land and Society in Early South Asia: Eastern India 400–1250 AD |date=2019-07-02 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-08480-1 |pages=189 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Furui |first=Ryosuke |title=Rajibpur Copperplate Inscriptions of Gopala IV and Madanapala |journal=Pratna Samiksha A Journal of Archaeology |volume=6 |issue=2015 |pages=58}}</ref> In one plate of [[Gopala II]], kaivartta was listed as one of the lowest categories of the rural society. It makes a remarkable contrast with the references to kaivartta in the later inscriptions and the Råmacarita, which rather show their higher social position. Furui notes this ‘shift’ may mean the upward social mobility of a part of kaivarttas. Otherwise it shows some diversity within a social group labelled as 'kaivartta'.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Furui |first=Ryosuke |title=Re-Reading Two Copper Plate Inscriptions of Gopåla II, Year 4 -PRAJÑÅDHARA ESSAYS ON ASIAN ART, HISTORY, EPIGRAPHY AND CULTURE |publisher=Kaveri Books |year=2009 |location=New Delhi |pages=322}}</ref>

===Smritis, Puranas and medieval texts===

===Smritis, Puranas and medieval texts===