The Brahmanas of India

The Brahmanas held the highest position in society under the religious system rooted in the Vedas. But when the orthodox Brahmanas, under various social pressures, were gradually losing their hold, the liberal section of the Brahmanas, who were mostly followers of the semi-Vedic system of religion, came forward to play their part in the changing society. The neo-Brahmanas, slowly but surely brought a change in the social outlook in their favour. Gradually, the Brahmanas were re-installed in their high altar of power. In this book, an attempt has been made to show, on the basis of inscriptions, how the Brahmanas penetrated into different fields of activities, a quality which contributed to their coming back to power.