9.2 Origin of the Bisen Community
9.2.1 From the Maitraka Rajput dynasty of Saurashtra, Gujarat
Jawala Prasad Mishra, while tracing the lineage of Bisens, listed
event very similar to that happened with Karna
in the epic Mahabharata.
While explaining, the author quoted about the Brahmins not dining
with the Kshatriyas. However, it is well known that any such system was not
prevalent in the era of Parashurama (early Vedic period) and came into
existence only after the Gupta Empire of 5th century AD. It seems
that the author attempted justification of the ‘Brahma-Kshatriya’ title for Bisens
by linking them with the mythical story of Parashurama killing all Kshatriyas. Moreover,
Dhruvasena II, who married the daughter of Harshavardhana,
was a Buddhist and belonged to Maitraka rulers of Vallabhi (present day
Saurashtra in Gujarat) [6]. A Buddhist
ruler and his descendants getting the title of Brahma-Kshatriya in the epicenter
of Brahmanic society is highly controversial in nature. Further the land of
Maharashtra where Bisva Sen had born, according to his work, or in Saurashtra
where Maitrakas ruled, no community with Bisen title is found. Just because,
Brahmin Mayur Bhat facilitated the marriage, the Bisens adopted or given the Mayurvanshi
title seems highly illogical. From population angle too, the lineage is not
justified as it showed Dhruvasen II of 6th century AD as the first
person of entire Bisen population which numbered approximately 0.3 million (3
lakh) in 2011 and live in the central and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Historically,
however, the region of Saurashtra and Malwa had a king named Visva Sen from
293-304 AD. He belonged to Western Kshatrapas or Saka rulers who invaded northwestern
India from 200 BC- 400 AD and given the status of Kshatriya after assimilation
in the Brahmanical fold.
9.2.2 From the Kadamba dynasty of Karnataka
Shivnath Bhaskar and Jagdish Narayan Singh tried to link the Bisens
with Kadamba dynasty of
Karnataka by considering Mayur Bhat same as Mayur Sharma who founded the
dynasty in 345 AD. According to Talagunda (present Shimoga district of
Karnataka) inscriptions, Mayur Sharma was a Vaidiki Brahmin scholar. He
belonged to an orthodox Brahmin family with Manavya Gotra that descended from Hariti. His
father’s name was Bandhushena. Talagunda inscription also tells that Mayur Sharma
went to Kanchi, the important learning center and capital of the Pallavas, to
pursue his Vedic studies. He was accompanied by his guru and grandfather Veer Sharma.
There, he was insulted by a Pallava guard. In a rage he gave up his Brahminic
studies and took to the sword to avenge. He, thus, acquired Kshatriya character
and established the Kadamba dynasty in later period. His descendants took the
Kshatriya title of ‘Varma’ and continued to rule over southern India. The
dynasty ruled till 550 AD and used Kannada as its administrative language. It
seems that the authors linked Bisens with Mayur Sharma of Kadamba dynasty to
justify their Brahma Kshatriya and Mayurvanshi titles. In the process, Jagdish
Narayan singh went one step ahead and showed the lineage of Mayur Sharma from the
ancient Malla Kshatriyas of Gorakhpur. However this very attempt is against the
Talagunda inscriptions which say that Mayur Sharma was of Brahmin origin. From
population angle too, the origin of huge Bisen populations from Kadamba dynasty
is not justifiable.
9.2.3 From the Brahmanic Kshatriyas of Kosala - Malla Mahajanpada
It is reported that the Bisens are Suryavanshi Kshatriyas with five
gotras and nearly the same number of clans. The literary meaning of Gotra is ‘cow
shed’ which is used for a clan first time in the AtharvaVeda. The use of Gotra for a clan in the Hindu
social system indicates that the families are derived from the same male
without breaking the lineage. According to the Baudhayana Srauta Sutra, Vishvamitra,
Jamadagni, Bhardwaja, Gautama, Atri, Vashistha, Kashyapa and Agastya are 8
sages and the progeny of these eight sages is declared to be gotras. Later many
sages were included in the list and together these are known as Paravara.
Initially the system was adopted by Brahmin class only to demarcate their clans
with other Brahmins. In later period, the same was adopted by Kshatriya and
Vaishya class populations, probably from the late Vedic period. As Bisen
populations have five Gotras, it
indicates them to be formed from at least five groups of Kshatriyas from the
period when Gotra or Parvara system was extended to the Kshatriya class.
The Bisens are not mentioned in Rajputana anywhere and were never a
historical figure before the
period of Mughal Emperor Akbar. They rose to prominence only after their
good
services to Mughal Empire and after migration of Rajputs in these
regions in the
medieval period. The literary meaning of Bisva
Sen, big population number spread across some districts which is the
land of initial Buddhism, five different clans and gotras support the
view of A.H Bingley that Bisen is probably a title adopted or given
to a group of Kshatriya tribes. Since the literary meaning of Bisva Sen
in Sanskrit is ‘entire
army’, it probably refers to those kshatriyas who were still holding
their arms
and doing the job of Kshatra-dharma when most other Kshatriyas laid down
their arms and adopted agriculture or other occupations under the
influence of
Buddhism and Jainism. Further the title of Brahma-kshatriya given to
Bisens possibly indicates that
they were the ones who followed ‘Brahamanism’ when other Kshatriyas
inclined
towards Buddhism, Jainism and other aboriginal cults in the region of
Kosala
and Mall Mahajanpada. The Malla epithet and the very high regard
commanded by
Chief of Majhauli amongst all Bisens possibly indicate the same
bifurcation
process wherein all Brahmanic Kshatriyas grouped under the leadership of
one of
the Malla chief out of nine Malla republic
chiefs just like the Buddhist Kshatriyas grouped under the Mallas of
Kusinara (Sainthwar). Historically that one Malla chief can be
speculated from the
five Malla chiefs of Pava who did not participate in the funeral process
of
Buddha. The same is also evident from the fact that even though Bisens
are
thickly settled in Gonda, Balarampur and Faizabad districts (refer table
8.8.3),
still they trace their origin from the Bisen clan of Majhauli, Deoria.
Therefore
it can be said that after the great bifurcation process of ancient
Kshatriyas
on religious lines, which must have stopped all social ties between
them, both groups
survived as Santhavara and BisvaSena over a period of next hundreds of
years
before the advent of Rajputs in these regions after which the political
dominance
of Bisens rose significantly higher than the Sainthwars.
The title of ‘Mayurvanshi’, which forced many historians to link Bisens
with some historical figures like Mayur Sharma of Karnataka or poet Mayur Bhat
of Harshavardhana court, seems to be related with the ancient Mauryas of
Pipphalivana who are referred as Mayur, Mayura etc. in the various ancient
texts. Mauryas are still found in Deoria district where the chief family of Bisens
also resides. It looks more convincing that the chief family title of ‘Mayur
Vanshi’ was adopted by one of the King of this clan who was born from the wedlock
between Malla prince (of Pava) and Mauryan princess following Brahmanism. The
period of his birth must be after Buddha when most Mauryas were still following
Brahmanism faith but before Ashoka Maurya when they adopted Buddhism. But how
the title of ‘MayurVanshi’ when the Indo-Aryan society was patriarchal in
nature? As mentioned earlier, after the rise of Buddhism and Jainism in Malla
Mahajanpada, Kshatriyas could have broadly divided into:
1. Buddhist Shakya who formed an endogamous group.
2. Malla, Koliya and few Maurya-Shakyas of Pipphalivana and other
Kshatriyas following Buddhism (Mall-Sainthwar)
3. Malla, Maurya, Lichchhavi and other Kshatriyas following
Brahmanism (Bisen)
4. Malla, Lichchhavi and other Kshatriyas following Jainism
It is well recorded that all these Kshatriya tribes were
influenced by the culture of Indian aboriginals as the region was on the extreme
end of Aryavrata. Therefore, even though the Aryan society was patriarchal,
there are references of Kings taking pride of their mother’s clan. The
prominent examples are King Ajatshatru and King Samudragupta of Magadha.
Ajatshatru was contemporary of Buddha and Mahavira. He glorified himself as Videha-dauhitra
meaning ‘the son of a Videha daughter’. Around 335-375 AD, the greatest
military personality Samudragupta of Gupta
Empire also glorified himself as Lichchhavi-dauhitra meaning ‘the son
of a Lichchhavi daughter’. The Kings of Magadha taking pride in associating
with mother’s clan reflects the same respect to women which is characteristics
of Dravidian civilization. It should be noted that till present time in
southern India, people take pride in mother’s clan and reflect their name on
certain social events as ‘nephew of Mr. X’ or ‘grandson of Mr. X’. Ajatshatru
glorifying him with the name of mother clan indicates that by the time of
Buddha and Mahavira, many traditions of Indian aboriginals were already adopted
by their Aryan counterparts. So the title of Mayurvanshi by the Bisens
of Majhauli indicates the same respect to his Mauryan clan mother by then chief
of Majhauli. As the chief proudly described himself as ‘Mayurvanshi’ and the
clan remained follower of Brahmanism, it puts the period of that chief probably
after Chandragupta Maurya but before the Buddhist Ashoka Maurya when Mauryas as
a clan ruled over entire subcontinent and hence pride in associating with the clan
name. However when Mauryas accepted Buddhism and their social position as a
community started degrading in the orthodox Brahmanic society, any linkage with
the title must have become taboo for the Bisens. It is then the title of Mayurvanshi
could have been given Brahmanical holiness in the form of its origin from the mythical
Brahmin figure Mayur Bhat which later formed the much believed tradition within
Bisens about their origin.
9.3 The Bisen Rajas of Majhauli - click here to read
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References:
[6] Joshi,
L. M. (1977). Studies in the Buddhistic Culture of India, p. 41 (2nd
Ed.). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
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Index Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10
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