Brahmin

Brahmin is the priestly and scholarly varna (broad status category) at the top of the traditional Hindu caste hierarchy, historically associated with ritual officiation, Vedic scholarship and, in many regions, land administration and government service. Brahmin communities are internally highly diverse, comprising numerous distinct endogamous sub-castes (jatis) organized differently by region across the Indian subcontinent, and Brahmin identity today spans a wide range of occupations well beyond the traditional priestly role. The extent to which caste hierarchy, including Brahmin social position, reflects an unbroken ancient tradition versus a form substantially hardened under colonial-era administration is an actively debated question in South Asian historiography (see this atlas's open question on the colonial-construction debate). This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/