Sarola Brahmin, also called Saryul and Serul are Garhwali Brahmins from Uttarakhand, India.[1] Sarola Brahmins were the earliest authenticated and ritually most prestigious Brahmin baronial families in the then small Garhwal Kingdom 1400 years ago and among the highest and oldest noble lineages from across North India. The capital of this kingdom was Chandpur Garhi and twelve castes of Brahmins settled in twelve fiefs surrounding the capital. Their twelve ancestral lands were collectively known as "Bara Than" meaning "Barah Sthan", and the Brahmins who owned these estates were known as "Sarola" Brahmins. Over time, the High Brahmins (Sarolas of Garhwal and Satkulis of Kumaon) spread their holdings and came to hold vast swathes of the Himalayan Kingdoms as the major landowning class.[2]
| Sarola\Saryul\Serul | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Brahmin |
| Religions |  Hinduism |
| Languages | Garhwali |
| Populated states | Uttarakhand, India |
| Related groups | Garhwali people |
The Sarolas were 12 ancient houses: Nautiyals, Maitwanas, Khanduras, Raturis, Thapliyals, Chamolis, Semwals, Lakheras, Semaltis, Gairolis, Kothiyals and Dimris in order of their founding [3] with the Nautiyals arriving as the Rajpurohit kin of the royal Parmaras in 689 CE from a classical era lineage of Deccan royalty and the Dimris of Dravidian noble prestige being the last of the Sarola Houses arriving in 1060 CE.[4] The Brahmin families including those of non-Sarola heritage formed a class of ancient baronial houses and served as the ruling class of Zamindars and Jagirdars alongside their Rajput feudal vassals in the Himalayan Kingdoms: Garhwal, Nepal, Kashmir and Kumaon. [5] However the oldest families, often exclusively Sarola and with the most illustrious lineages, such as the Kanyakubja Joshis (the oldest of the leading Satkuli or 7 Brahmin lineages of Kumaon with the Joshis dating back to the sixth century) or the Rajpurohit Gaur Nautiyals (in Garhwal) or the Maithil Uniyals (in Garhwal) held a higher ducal status as Taluqdars or Thakurs and were themselves descendants of royal and leading Brahmin ducal houses from the pre-medieval kingdoms of their origins such as the Nautiyals of Malwa, Joshis of the Carnatic or Uniyals of Magadha.[6][7] The purity of their lineage afforded them such high office in the Himalayan Kingdoms as the ruling and landholding aristocracy - the ducal houses held the custodianship of the great temples (Uniyals & Semwals & Dimris & Nambudris & Dobhals) and hereditary ministerial positions (Nautiyals & Joshis & Bahugunas & Thapliyals & Pandes) in Kumaon and Garhwal though the highest ducal families such as the Nautiyals, Semwals, Uniyals, Dimris and Bahugunas often held temples and ministerial positions both.[8]
The Uniyals, Bahugunas, Dobhals, and Dangwals were the oldest Gangari Brahmins arriving after the first Sarolic families, but due to their ancient lineage from classical dynasties of the Gangetic Plains of Bihar, Bengal and Ayodhya, they were afforded the same high status as the Sarola Houses and formed the class of Chauthoki aristocrats. The Chauthoki houses were pre-eminent nobility in Tehri Garhwal as counterpart to the Sarolas being the high lords in Pauri Garhwal and Chamoli Garhwal.[9] Each of these Brahmin clans had their own family patron god - Kuladevata or Kuladevi.
These Brahmin houses maintained vast interests in landholding, finance and hereditary ministerial positions along with custodianship of the great temples of North India as hereditary 'Ravals' (high priests or archbishops) such as Yamunotri under the Uniyals, Gangotri under the Semwals, Kedarnath under the Dimris, Joshimath under the Joshis, Nanda Devi under the Nautiyals and the highest Hindu ecclesiastical authority in the north: the temple of Badrinath under the Nambudris who bore the dynastic title of 'Shankaracharya' (pontiff) due to their direct descent from the great prophet Adisankara of the eighth century who established all these great temples in North India.[10] The greatest ecclesiastical seats of Hinduism are the 4 Pontifical Thrones of the Char Dham (Badrinath, Puri, Rameswaram, Dwarka) and the 4 High Sees of the Chota Char Dham (Badrinath - Joshimath, Kedarnath - Nanda Devi, Yamunotri, Gangotri) as well as the 12 Jyotrlingas of which Kedarnath is the highest and most sacred due to its proximity to the divine abode of Lord Shiva at Kailasa. [11][12]
The Sarolas and Chauthokis settled as Rajpurohits (grand viziers), Royal Astrologers, High Priests, Ritual Cooks, Royal Gurus, and as Royal Advisors and Ministers. Along with this they were also designated the task of cooking ritual temple offerings on auspicious occasions and also on royal occasions by the King of Garhwal, thus named "Sarola" (Garhwali for cooking offerings) due to the ritual purity of the Sarola Brahmins which meant only their hand could prepare the oblations.[13] Their prestige in the Himalayan Kingdoms was paramount due to their legendary status as descendants of the leading Brahmin lineages of the Seven Great Saints from across India. [14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Ram, Pati (1916). Garhwal: Ancient and Modern. Army Press. pp. 82–83 – via Google Books.
- ^ Duane, Gerald (1972). Hindus of the Himalayas Ethnography and Change. University of California Press. p. 183.
- ^ Dobhal, Girdhari Lal (1986). Development of the Hill Areas (1st ed.). New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company. p. 56. ISBN 81-8069-223-X.
- ^ Lakhera, Harischandra. "History of Garhwali Brahmins". Himalayilog.
- ^ Sati, Vishwambhar Prasad (9 August 2023). Natural and Cultural Diversity in the Himalaya. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-031-39363-1.
- ^ Basak, Sudeshna (1991). Socio-cultural Study of a Minority Linguistic Group: Bengalees in Bihar, 1858-1912. B.R. Publishing Corporation. ISBN 978-81-7018-627-4.
- ^ Singh, Prahalad (1978). Rajpurohit Jati ki Itihas [A History of the Rajpurohit Houses]. Jodhpur: Rajasthani Granthagar. ISBN 978-93-90179-06-0.
- ^ Kumar, Dinesh (1991). The Sacred Complex of Badrinath: A Study of Himalayan Pilgrimage. Kisohr [i.e. Kishor] Vidya Niketan.
- ^ Saklani, Atul (1987). The History of a Himalayan Princely State: Change, Conflicts, and Awakening : an Interpretative History of Princely State of Tehri Garhwal, U.P., A.D. 1815 to 1949 A.D. Durga Publications.
- ^ Kumar, Dinesh (1991). The Sacred Complex of Badrinath: A Study of Himalayan Pilgrimage. Kisohr [i.e. Kishor] Vidya Niketan.
- ^ info@traveltoindia.org, Travel To India-. "Kedarnath Dham Yatra- Temple & Travel Information". Travel To India. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Government of Uttarakhand. "Shri Kedarnath Dham". Shri Badarinath Kedarnath Temple Committee.
- ^ General, India (Republic) Office of the Registrar (1961). Census of India 1961. Manager of Publications.
- ^ Thapliyal, Uma Prasad (2005). Uttaranchal: Historical and Cusltural Perspectives. B.R. Publishing Corporation. ISBN 978-81-7646-463-5.