The Gaudas and Gauda
Summary
Investigating a complex ethnonym and toponym, this article explores the term “Gauḍa” and the people called the Gauḍas. It begins by outlining the division of Indian Brahmins into “Pañca‑Gauḍa” and “Pañca‑Draviḍa” groups, noting that the five Gauḍas include the Sārasvata, Kānyakubja, Maithila, Utkala and Maithila Brahmins. The author reviews evidence from Purāṇas, Smṛtis and inscriptions to show that Gauḍa was originally a region in northern Bengal but that groups called Gauḍas migrated and settled in other parts of India. He discusses the Gauḍa Brahmanas mentioned by Hiuen‑tsang, who may have lived near Śrāvastī, and other references linking Gauḍa with Kārkoṭa Kashmir and the Kalinga coast. The article evaluates traditions that derive the Gauḍas from Sarasvatī River migrants and those that tie them to epic heroes like King Janamejaya. It weighs linguistic, geographical and genealogical data to determine the original homeland of the Gauḍas and concludes that the term denoted different groups at different times. The final section discusses how medieval kings of Bengal adopted the title Gauḍeśvara (“Lord of Gauḍa”) for prestige.
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Conclusion
The author concludes that “Gauḍa” referred initially to a specific region of northern Bengal but later came to describe Brahmin groups and kingdoms scattered across India. Migrations, political claims and ritual prestige all contributed to this semantic expansion. Understanding these shifts clarifies references in Purāṇas and inscriptions and aids the study of Brahminical settlements and state ideology in early medieval India.