The VÄ jasaneya brÄ hmaṇas of the Rushikulya valley, 550–1000 ce

The Rushikulya valley in southern coastal Odisha witnessed the rise of brÄ hmaṇa settlements from the sixth century onwards. In the four centuries that followed, this compact region evolved into a major cluster of brÄ hmaṇa settlements, so much so that we have discovered 43 copperplate grants made to brÄ hmaṇas here in this period thus far. An examination of these copperplate grants will enable us to produce a nuanced micro-history of the rise of brÄ hmaṇa settlements in early medieval India. This article is an attempt at producing such a micro-history. It suggests that the Rushikulya valley brÄ hmaṇas were mostly autochthonous in origins, claiming affiliation with Vedic culture even when they deviated from it in some respects. At the same time, their adherence to the Vedic identity seems to have been persistent enough to keep them away from Buddhist, Ä€gamic and other ‘sectarian’ influences. Whether or not for this reason, the Rushikulya valley did not develop shared sacred spaces and multiple religious affiliations in the early medieval period. It became an area of Vedic brÄ hmaṇa religious monopoly, involving the dominance of the VÄ jasaneya brÄ hmaṇas of the KÄ á¹‡va recension.