Baidya

Baidya[1] or Vaidya[2] is a Hindu community of Bengal. The Baidyas have generally claimed Brahmin status[3] but some have been associated with the Ambashtha caste or sub-caste.[4] In the pre-colonial era of Bengal, Baidyas were regarded as the highest Hindu castes, along with Bengali Brahmins and Kayasthas.[1]

For the occupation, see Vaidhya.

History

Historian Bijay Chandra Mazumdar suggests that the Baidyas owe their origin to the Vellala Vaidyas, known for their military prowess in Southern India, who started functioning as priests some time earlier than the 10th century CE, and originally got the designation 'Vaidya' on account of their knowledge and study of the Ayurveda. The Vellala Vaidyas also served as military leaders and high civil officers apart from being priests of the Dravidian kings.[5]

These migrants, probably Ambashthas as well as the other groups like Vellala Vaidyas, started moving from north and south to Bengal during the period of the Pala Empire. They mainly dealt with medicine and other fields of study. Some of them rose to power and endeavoured to revive Vedic Hinduism in predominantly Buddhist Bengal. According to Indologist Ronald Inden, Adisur and Vallal Sena of the Sena dynasty were considered as Vaidyas. Inden also mentions the Vaidyas as "one of the highest of the Shudra castes", who possessed "one of the Vedas", the Ayurveda.[6] However, they were considered as one of the highest among the Hindu castes in Bengal,[1] and there are instances where they were not considered as Shudras; for example, Calcutta Sanskrit College barred Shudras from admission, initially allowing only Brahmins and Baidyas to enroll until Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar introduced admission for Kayasthas.[7] Of note, traditionally, the Hindu community in Bengal was divided into only two varnas: Brahmins and Shudras.[8]


Most Baidyas perform rituals like wearing the sacred thread. It is believed that Vallal Sen, the legendary Sena king, divided the Baidyas into two divisions, for one of which wearing of the thread was compulsory and for the other it was optional, while some consider that a section of the Baidyas themselves started wearing the sacred thread in the 18th century when they started movements in order to improve their ritual status.[9] Tej Ram Sharma, an Indian historian, says that

Originally the professions of Kayastha (scribe) and Vaidya (physician) were not restricted and could be followed by people of different varnas including the brahmanas. So there is every probability that a number of brahmana families were mixed up with members of other varnas in forming the present Kayastha and Vaidya communities of Bengal.[10]

Traditionally, the Brahmin, Baidya and Kayastha communities together formed the second tier in the social hierarchy of Bengal, being ranked below the rulers. In the era of the Palas, Senas, Pathans and Mughals, the ruler had to rely on their support. Baidyas shared the knowledge of Sanskrit with Brahmins.[11] These three castes held major landholding and control over education and major professions.[1][12][13]

The terms Baidya and Vaidya also literally mean a physician in the Bengali and Sanskrit languages.[14]

See also

References
  1. Bandyopādhyāẏa, Śekhara (2004). Caste, Culture and Hegemony: Social Dominance in Colonial Bengal. SAGE. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-76199-849-5.
  2. Dutt, Nripendra Kumar (1968). Origin and growth of caste in India, Volume 2. Firma K. L. Mukhopadhyay. p. 69.
  3. Bose, Nirmal Kumar (1994). Structure of Hindu Society. Orient BlackSwan. p. 163. ISBN 978-8-12500-855-2.
  4. Leslie, Charles M. (1976). Asian Medical Systems: A Comparative Study. University of California Press. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-52003-511-9.
  5. Mazumdar, Bijay Chandra (1920). The History Of The Bengali Language. University of Calcutta. p. 52. ISBN 81-206-1452-6.
  6. Inden, Ronald B. (1976). Marriage and Rank in Bengali Culture: A History of Caste and Clan in Middle Period Bengal. University of California Press. pp. 28–29. ISBN 978-0-52002-569-1.
  7. Bayly, C. A. Recovering Liberties: Indian Thought in the Age of Liberalism and Empire. pp. 144–145.
  8. Leach, Edmund; Mukherjee, S. N. (1970). Elites in South Asia. Cambridge University Press. p. 55.
  9. Mukherjee, S. N. (1970). "Caste, Class and Politics in Calcutta, 1815-1838". In Leach, Edmund; Mukherjee, S. N. (eds.). Elites in South Asia. Cambridge University Press. p. 59.
  10. Sharma, Tej Ram (1978). Personal and Geographical Names in the Gupta Empire. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company. p. 115.
  11. Mukherjee, S. N. (1970). "Caste, Class and Politics in Calcutta, 1815-1838". In Leach, Edmund; Mukherjee, S. N. (eds.). Elites in South Asia. Cambridge University Press. pp. 55–56.
  12. Nair, P. Thankappan (2004). South Indians in Kolkata: History of Kannadigas, Konkanis, Malayalees, Tamilians, Telugus, South Indian dishes, and Tippoo Sultan's heirs in Calcutta. Punthi Pustak. ISBN 978-8-18679-150-9.
  13. Sarkar, Sumit (2005). Beyond Nationalist Frames: Relocating Postmodernism, Hindutva, History. Permanent Black. p. 49. ISBN 978-8-17824-086-2.
  14. Naples, Nancy A.; Desai, Manisha, eds. (2002). Women's Activism and Globalization: Linking Local Struggles and Transnational Politics. Routledge. p. 102. ISBN 978-0-41593-144-1.
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