Brahman Scribes in Islamicate South India c.1300–1800

Beyond gunpowder, the empires of the early modern world developed complex systems of governance that deployed unprecedented numbers of scribes and accountants, often drawn from groups culturally distinct from the military elites. Literati serving Western empires have been much studied of late; but the phenomenon did not originate with them. This paper examines one such prominent group – the Brahmans of peninsular India – through five centuries. It explores little-known aspects of their professional training.  It then analyzes how they rose to a dominance that persisted even into the colonial era and deeply impacted the contemporary politics of India to the present day. Finally, it also studies their “charter myth” and its social logic.