# Karan Kayastha

Karan Kayastha is a community of Kayasthas that inhabit Orissa and the Mithila region, a region now divided between India and Nepal.

## Origin

According to Manu, a Hindu scripture, the Karans are regarded as bratya (degraded) Kshatriyas.

## Culture and profession

The archeologist B. P. Sinha says that the duty of Karanas was rajaseva and durgantapuraraksha.
Epigraphist Dineshchandra Sircar mentions that several historial edicts and inscriptions have been found in the relevant geographic locations that show that the terms Karana, Karanin, Karaneeka, Karanakas and Karaneegars are used to represent a bureaucratic range from clerks to ministers. Significant among these are Minor Rock Edict No. II, the Kanas plates of Lokavigraha, the Ghugrahati copperplate of Samacharadeva and the Tipper copperplate of Lokanath etc.

## Karn of Mithila

The Karna Kayasthas are viewed as the most pure and ancient embodiment of Mithila culture along with Maithil Brahmins. They do not fit in four varna system but still became a dominant caste of this region.

## Karan of Bengal

The Karan caste group can also be found in Bengal region from the mediaeval era(Bengali Kayastha). The post of Karan used to be a professional designation that was occupied by literate people. They exclusively served the ruling powers as their ministers, advisors, governors, military commanders, accountants, record keepers and diwans. According to Historian Ramesh Chandra Majumdar the Karan merged themselves into the Kayastha caste who performed the same profession.

### Notable People

* Jyoti Basu
* Bidhan Chandra Roy
* Sukanta Majumdar, Central Union Minister in Council of Ministers of India.

## Karana of Odisha

Karanas in Odisha are referred to as members of writer caste community, they are a prosperous and influential community of Odisha and rank next to Brahmins in the social hierarchy. Karanas received land grants in mediaeval period and held feudatory status in Odisha. Karanas also held high positions in government during mediaeval period. As per Sircar the Bhajas inscription, mentions a list of individuals involved in land records and contains a phrase 'Brahmana-Karana-Puroga-Nivasi' which is a good indication of their social status. Historian RS Sharma has also mentioned that Loknatha, a Karana, was also referred to as a Brahmin in inscriptions, even in current scenario they hold good political power in Odisha including several Chief Ministers in recent years. Karanas consider themselves as a separate group distinct from Kayasthas. Karanas had also developed their own unique "Karani" script named after their community to write documents in Odisha. Additionally Karanas are also mentioned as "Grama Karana" and "Mandala Karana" in Ganga and Gajapati records having authority over a large number of villages, similarly the "Chamu Karana" and "Deula Karana" of Gajapati period were the private secretary of the king and the chief administrator of Jagannath Temple respectively. Karanas emerged from the community of Kshatriyas.

### Notable People

* Naveen Patnaik, Former CM of Odisha.

## Karanam or Sistakarnam of Andhra and Telangana

Karanam (Telugu: కరణం) or Karnam was an office and title native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Traditionally, Karanam was an official who maintained the accounts and records of the villages and collected the taxes. Sircar mentions that they mostly dealt with accounting, bureaucracy, teaching etc.

### Notable People

* Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
* Jaggamohan Reddy
* Revanth Reddy