PANCHA-DRAVIDA NIYOGI BRAHMINS Pancha-Dravida Niyogis are a sect of Brahmins, who are predominantly speakers of Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya and Hindi Languages. Large number of Niyogis are found in Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telengana. However they are widely spread across Karnataka, Maharastra, chhattisgarh,Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The origin of Niyogi Brahmin community is descending from their ancestors from Persia(present day Iran)and Germany. Niyogis came centuries back to India from Germany,Ukrane and Persia into Afghanistan,Pakistan and India. The Niyogi people mainly belong to the Aryan race. They are by physical composition more direct descendants of Aryans invaders than the other sects of Brahmins. Generally Brahmins are involved in preaching and priesthood, But Niyogi Brahmins were associated with additional responsibilities and roles such as Emperors, administration, economics and defense. History says that few Niyogi Brahmins were Kings and rulers also. It is also believed that people belonging to Niyogi community are one of the sects involved in the Aryan invasion on Dravidian civilization. Niyogi Brahmin Family’s are Strictly Vegeterians and Worships KULA DEVA AND KULA DEVATHA AND KULA GURU AND Maintain a FAMILY PRIEST’ for their family’s Religeous worship and cermony’s. In India these Brahmins were chosen to help Kshatriyas (ruling caste of India) in desperate need in defending the Indian country, by piloting the Royal vimanas (chariots) in war and in peace. There is a different opinion about the 6000 Niyogi Brahmins as they were chosen by the merit for performing secular profession. Hence the origin of the word Aarvela (Telugu: Aar-vela= rishis count = 6000 rishis; Niyogi = a derivative of word Niyogimpabadda in Telugu which means appointed). Niyogin inSanskrit means employed or appointed or assigned and it is quite probable that Niyogis were given this name because they accepted secular employment assigned to them. In the later centuries they migrated to various parts of the country in pursuit of better and Greener pastures. Traditionally believed to have descended from Lord Parasurama avatar, Niyogis are those who gave up religious vocations (especially learning, teaching vedas which used to be the traditional vocation of Brahmins) and moved on to various secular vocations including military activities. So Niyogis of South India are similar to Bhumihars of North India who also gave up vedas and related activities. There is a lot of brotherhood between Niyogi and Bhumihar of whom many, though not all, belong to the Saryupareen Brahmin division of Kanyakubja Brahmins. The descendants of these Brahmin administrators, After Parashurama stopped warring and became an ascetic sanyasi, gave the thrones back to the descendants of Kshatriyas who had survived because they and their ex-ruler parents and grandparents hid in the forests. By this time, having forgotten the ways intense Vedic practices, the Brahmin ex-rulers took to land-owning as a full-time occupation with the administrative experience they gained during the interruption of Kshatriya rule. The Satavahana Vamsam (dynasty), that is said to have given the name Andhra to the present state of andhra and telengana states, was from Niyogi clan. Traditionally and even today Niyogis depend on, put emphasis on, and orient themselves towards modern education. As ministers in the courts of kings and zamindaars (landlords) , Niyogis earned a good name for their administrative abilities and progressive attitude (sarva dharma samanatha). Many of them were also village chief-officers like munsabs, talukdaars, and accountants, Karanams (Andhra) or Patwaris(Telangana) until recently. The word Niyogi is derived from Yoga, which means religious contemplation or meditation, as opposed to Yaga, which means religious sacrifice. Niyogin in Sanskrit also means employed or appointed and it is probable that Niyogis were given this name because they accept secular employment. Niyogis, possibly even before the time of the Vijayanagara empire, gave up intense vedic lifestyle and took up varioussecular vocations such as scholars, administrators, ministers, social reformers. So they comprised a secular scholar caste, but with the caveat that their traditions still required them to follow religious practices such as vegetarianism and some less intense rituals for prayer/puja in their own homes with their own families. In these modern times they havent forgotten their heritage of the knowledge of the Vedas, and they still try to follow and understand the vedas with their implications in life. But since Niyogis arent vedic scholars. Andhra Telengana states Niyogis have counterparts in other states such as Chitpavans in Maharashtra, Mohyals in Punjab, and Tyagis and Bhumihars in many other parts of the Indian Subcontinent. Niyogis are dependent upon and put emphasis upon modern education, administration (Niyogis have traditionally been well represented in the local administration in Andhra and Telengana state), management (Diplomats, bureaucrats, Administrators and politicians) etc. A historical Telugu aphorism is Yendu Niyogimpavalenanna Niyogimpadagina vaadu Niyogi translated Niyogi is the person who can be trusted for successful completion of the entrusted tasks where Niyogimpabadina translates as entrusted and/or assigned. 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.These niyogis are a combination of the valour of the kshatriyas and the intelligence of a Brahmin, that made them a successful community in Andhra Pradesh and Telengana States. By : Bommakal Sravan kumar: Hyderabad (Telengana State) e-mail: bsravankumar3@gmail
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 11:03:58 +0000
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