The persecution of Brahmans which is continuing till date

जन्मना जायते शूद्रः संस्कारात् भवेत् द्विजः।
वेद-पाठात् भवेत् विप्रः ब्रह्म जानातीति ब्राह्मणः॥

This translates to, “By birth one is shudra, by the culture he possesses one becomes a dwij, by studying Vedas one becomes a Vipra, and one who knows Brahma is a Brahmana.”

This quote from the Sanatan scriptures establishes that in ancient Sanatani society, it was not birth but acquiring skills that denoted someone’s hierarchy in society. The one with highest spiritual wisdom, was a Brahman, contrary to the newer system of inheriting caste.

Let me put up some examples;

Vishwamitra (Kaushika) was born into a Kshatriya family and became a Brahman by doing penance.

Dronacharya and Kriparharya practised archery (an art associated with Kshatriyas) but were Brahmans due to spiritual wisdom.

Vyas was born to a fisherwoman. He was called Brahman, but his offspring Dhritarashtra and Pandu and their sons became Kshatriyas.

These are evidence that a person’s caste in the ancient Sanatani society was defined by the ambient in which a child grew, and the skills and character he acquired as an adult.

However, in the mediaeval and modern period, deriving caste from the patriarchal lineage became a popular practice. During colonial rule, deep entrenchment of caste took place. Who bore the brunt of the caste system? It is public conscious that the ones who fell in the lower hierarchy were tortured by the ones above them. However, the atrocities faced by the Brahmans remains the best kept secret of modern India.

How Mandirs protected the civilisations?

Indian Sanatani civilisation is the oldest civilisation to exist till today and that too with glory. And in the set up every varna was assigned jobs and status as per wisdom and acquired skill. The ones mightier than others ruled and the most learned commanded respect, being named Kshatriyas and Brahmans respectively.

Take up and read the details of any invasion, be it from the Greeks, the Scythians or the Yuezhi, the Mongols, Mughals or Britishers. All of them did not just attack and loot the civil society and the business class. Their major focus rested on the Mandirs, as Mandirs were the protectors of cultural values, tradition and the civilisational principles.

To add on, Mandirs were the socio-economic institutions, that simultaneously run their own schools, aushadhalay and were involved in all activities like building of dams, granaries, etc., for adjoining villages.

The mandirs were protected by the Brahman class, who protected and furthered religious practices and customs. Mandirs and Brahmans held strategic significance and acted as barriers against the destructive forces.

Even during invasions, where the Kshatriya rajas were gradually losing power at the hands of invaders, the administrative Brahmans not only retained power but also stood for values. During the Mughal rule and thereafter, with the weakening of Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, Brahmans became more powerful.

The social reformers and the hidden truth

The most popular belief is that Hinduism is the most regressive religion, which comprises a lot of orthodox practices. Well, there is no evidence to prove that such practices existed in the ancient period of Sanatan Dharma, or even in the Vedic period.

Sanatan Dharma is a religion that delivers the highest moral and ethical values. However, with constant invasions and cultural genocide that the Hindu community faced, the cultures got slowly eroded and few ill-practices crept in and became popular practices.

This time saw the emergence of people like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, hailed as the biggest reformist. The reformists worked during the 18th century. But, till that time, the Islamic regimes had already corrupted the morals of Hindus and Hindus were suffering immensely under tyranny of Islamic rule.

It was during this time that ‘purdah system’ or ‘sati pratha’ was adopted by Hindus to safeguard their women. He did reform the morally low Hindu society, but along with that the keepers of dharma, that is the Brahmans, were villainized. The impact of this was felt even in the post-Independent India.

The persecution of Brahmans in post-Independent India

The hatred against the Brahman community kept growing in the modern Indian society. While Brahman atrocities are among the most researched phenomenon around the globe, the atrocities on Brahmans remain one of the best kept secrets in post-Independent India.

A brahman was basically targeted for his position that they had been holding in the Indian societies. Second, the Brahmans also faced persecution as they represented the civilisational Bharat. The missionaries had launched an organised attack on the Brahman community as the English considered the Brahmans as the biggest hurdle in the process of winning the whole of “India for the Christ.”

This is when the Brahmans were villainized everywhere, from the streets to the textbooks. Due to this the Brahmans are, till date, facing the brutal impact of the same.

But what did the Brahmans do while they faced threat to life? The peaceful community simply moved on without fighting back. ‘Moving on’ is a typical Hindu phenomenon, especially among Brahmans.

This practice of moving on and restarting life silently ensured that the atrocities on Brahmans remain the least known phenomenon. Such is the situation that even the organised massacre of Brahmans fails to gain the attention of the civil society.

Also read: Are Brahmins the new Dalits?

Persecution down south and the case of Chitpavan Brahmans

What happened after the death of MK Gandhi? What unfolded in the country? How many people died? No one knows the number for sure and everything is confined to the realms of speculations.

The minute data available establish that more than 5000 Chitpavan Brahmans were massacred by Congress goons. Chitpavan Brahmans, the class of Brahmans to which Nathuram Godse belonged to was subjected to Mughalesque era killings, rape and looting.

The anti-Brahman wave that began form Mumbai, slowly travelled to the whole of Maharashtra and systematically organised mass killings took place, a massacre that claimed the life of thousands of Brahmans.

“Caste will be destroyed only if the Brahman is Destroyed. Brahman is a snake entangled in our feet.”

“If you see a snake and a Brahman on the road, kill the Brahman first.”

These are the sentences of someone hailed as a social activist and ‘reformer’ by the believers of the fake Aryan Dravidian theory, Periyar E.V Ramasamy. The anti-Hindu bigot, who gave rise to the Dravidian politics and harboured dreams of killings Brahmans in the garb of supposed ‘progressive’ movement, continues to be revered by the seemingly brainwashed Tamilians.

Not much is recorded on how Brahmans faced institutional/societal persecution in Tamil Nadu after 1967 when the DMK came to power. And this continues till date. It can be concluded that Brahmans can be termed as the new Jews.