Brahmins’ primary duty is to pray for the welfare of All and to make a living he has to depend on Dakshina in kind from others and he is expected not to demand compensation for services rendered.

He is expected to be of impeccable character with no avarice.

Nor is he permitted to save for the future.

The society of Ancient India looked after Brahmins and (as they were Brahmins in the real definition of the the term)

Over a period of time this changed with Brahmins taking up vocations, in addition to priestly duties and the society not supporting them as it was earlier.

The point as to which preceded or which caused the other may not be known.

One finds Brahmins taking up additional duties even during the Puran and Ithihasa period.

Some Brahmins took up the post of advisor to King’s as Vasishta to Ikshvaku Dynasty.

Yet there seems to be no evidence to suggest that such Raja Rishis took to Arms personally on behalf of the Kings.

Their duties were limited priestly advice to Kings spiritual matters and Sastra.

They also trained the Princes in all forms of Knowledge including warfare which included Dhanush Vidya Science of Archery.

This status seems to have undergone change during Mahabharatha period when Drona, the Guru of Kuru clan taking up Arms.

This process continued and groups Brahmins took to military duties.

This slowly extended to other activities like Commerce.

Initially Brahmins took to these activities as additional responsibility but gradually took to them full time.

So one has a Warrior Brahmin, Commerce Brahmin.

These Brahmins, to differentiate them from a traditional Brahmin added Surnames indicating their additional duties.

I am compiling a list.

Such of these Brahmins were called Niyogi Brahmins.

‘”Niyogin in Sanskrit also means “employed”, “appointed” or “assigned” and it is probable that Niyogis were given this name because they accept secular employment….’

Niyogi Brahmins, though perceived to be in Andhra, they are spread everywhere in India.

Niyogi is simply an indication of a group among Brahmins who took up or additional duties apart from Priestly duties.

One famous Niyogi Brahmin of Tamil History is Aniruddha Brahmaraya, the Chief Minister of the Great Chola Emperor Rajaraja Chola.

Rajaraja gave away one thousand acres of land to Aniruddha and a village Chaturvedi mangalam , Tamil Nadu.

Chaturvedi Mangalam seems to have been the name given to Villages given to Brahmins by Kings.

The village given to Aniruddha is called Anbil and the copperplates were found there.

Copper plates recovered here are one of the major evidences for the antiquity of Tamils and fir details about Rajaraja.

We also have Husseini Brahmins.

Husseini Brahmins.

On one occasion, they fought three sanguine battles against Babur’s army as they refused to surrender a khatri girl to Mughals who had sought their protection.

The testament to their chivalry is the fact that during Muslim rule, they were the only non-Muslim group on whom the title of Khan or Sultan was ever bestowed. During British rule, a number of them were residing in the military belt of Campbelpur, Rawalpindi and Jhelum area.

Husseini Brahmins