srivastava

Srivastavas are one of the twelve sub-clans of the Chitraguptvanshi Kayasthas that were traditionally involved in record-keeping, administration and military services.

They consider themselves as a de facto varna that arose to keep records of the four varnas that came before them. Traditions and occupations associated with them, and their belief in the mythical roles assigned to Chitragupta, their progenitor, partly support this claim.{{Cite journal|last1=Sinha|first1=Gopal Sharan|last2=Sinha|first2=Ramesh Chandra|date=1967|title=Exploration in Caste Stereotypes|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2575319|journal=Social Forces|volume=46|issue=1|pages=42–47|doi=10.2307/2575319|jstor=2575319 |issn=0037-7732|quote=The Kayastha were not included in the original four divisions of Hindu society, viz.,Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Sudra, but they claim to be one of the most important functionary and ancient castes of Hindu society. Traditions and occupations associated with the Kayastha partly support this contention....The Kayasthas' strong belief in the story of the causation of Shri Chitragupta Maharaj and mythical roles assigned to Him at least corroborate the above contention}}{{Cite book|last=Davidson|first=Ronald M.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/808346313|title=Tibetan renaissance : Tantric Buddhism in the Rebirth of Tibetan culture|publisher=Columbia University Press|year=2005|isbn=978-0-231-50889-6|location=New York|pages=178–180|oclc=808346313|quote=This North Indian branch regards itself as really a fifth varna, different from the creator Brahma's mouth (Brahmans), his arms (Kshatriyas), his thighs (Vaishyas) or his feet (Sudras), North Indian Kayasthas maintain that they were formed from the body of the creator and therefore are grounded (stha) in Brahma's body (kaya)}}{{Cite book|last=Leonard|first=Karen|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/60856154|title=Encyclopedia of India|publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons|year=2006|isbn=0-684-31349-9|editor-last=Wolpert|editor-first=Stanley|location=Detroit|page=22|oclc=60856154|quote=The most common Kayastha myth of origin avoided this problem of varna classification by cleverly postulating the creation of a fifth varna, the Kayasthas, to keep records concerning the other four. Brahma, they say, after creating the four varnas, created the first Kayastha, pen and inkpot in hand.}}

Most of the recorded history, after the 10th century AD, of this clan is centred around Varanasi and present day eastern Uttar Pradesh{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ryhuAAAAMAAJ|title=Kayasthas in making of modern Bihar|last=Sinha|first=Bindeshwari Prasad|date=2003|publisher=Impression Publication|pages=13|language=en|quote=Banaras plate of Govinchandra refers to Vastavya Kayastha.}} and central India, as being influential during ancient empires and Mughal empire in the Indian subcontinent, earning such titles as Pandit, Thakur and Lala.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MihuAAAAMAAJ|title=The Kāyasthas: a study in the formation and early history of a caste|last=Gupta|first=Chitrarekha|date=1996|publisher=K.P. Bagchi & Co.|isbn=9788170741565|page=117|language=en|quote=This love and respect for knowledge were nothing special with the line of Jajuka. Rather, these were general features of the characters of the Sri-Vastavyas}}{{Cite journal|last=SHAH|first=K.K.|date=1993|title=Self Legitimation and Social Primacy: A Case Study of Some Kayastha Inscriptions From Central India|journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress|volume=54|pages=860–861|jstor=44143088|issn=2249-1937|quote=Vastavya, therefore, will have to be taken as a sub-caste a few members of which rose to very high positions in the administrative hierarchy of the Chandella kingdom. Two families from this branch of the Kayasthas have left three inscriptions for us containing an account of the mythical origin as also genealogical tree in order to establish their high Brahminic credentials...It is also noteworthy that both Jajuka and Maheshvara have remarkable military achievements to their credit which could put them on par with the Kshatriyas.}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a9j9ZJGJOV0C|title=The Candellas of Jejākabhukti|last=Dikshit|first=R. K.|date=1976|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-81-7017-046-4|pages=71, 173–175, 190|language=en}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=irHN2UA_Z7gC|title=The Early Rulers of Khajuraho|last=Mitra|first=Sisir Kumar|date=1977|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ.|isbn=978-81-208-1997-9|pages=180|language=en|edition=Second Revised}}{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZUt3wgEACAAJ|title=Socio-economic History of Northern India: (1030–1194 A.D.)|last=Mazumdar|first=Bhakat Prasad|date=1960|publisher=Mukhopadhyay|pages=101–103|language=en|chapter=Castes and Professions|quote=Members of Vastavya community rose to very high positions. They enjoyed the feudatory status of Thakkura under the Gahadavala Kings under Govindachandra and Jayachandra, and the Chandela King Bhojavarman...It is possible that because of their services, the king raised them to a higher status...His brothers, Jaundhara and Maladhara were valiant warriors...The history of these two families show that the Vastavyas could become valiant soldiers.}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZUt3wgEACAAJ|title=Socio-economic History of Northern India: (1030–1194 A.D.)|last=Mazumdar|first=Bhakat Prasad|date=1960|publisher=Mukhopadhyay|pages=100|language=en|quote=Three inscriptions written by these Vastavya Kayasthas for the Gahadavala kings Govindachandra and Jayachandra and also the Sahet Mahet inscription dated 1276 VS/1219–29 A.D....Nana's ancestors were inhabitants of Kausamyapura or Kosam in the Allahabad district originally.}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ryhuAAAAMAAJ|title=Kayasthas in making of modern Bihar|last=Sinha|first=Bindeshwari Prasad|date=2003|publisher=Impression Publication|pages=13|language=en|quote=Banaras plate of Govinchandra refers to Vastavya Kayastha.}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EJQBAAAAMAAJ|title=The History of the Gāhaḍavāla Dynasty|last=Niyogi|first=Roma|date=1959|publisher=Oriental Book Agency|pages=212|language=en|quote=It also contains a statue of Vastavya-Kayastha Thakkura Sri-Ranapala (in a soldier's outfit) who appears to have built...}}{{Excessive citations inline|date=March 2025}}

The title Śrīvāstava is the shortened form of Śrīvāstavya{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4dm1AAAAIAAJ&q=vastavya+srivastava|title=Late classical India|last=Bose|first=Mainak Kumar|date=1988|publisher=A. Mukherjee & Co.|language=en}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LpeFAAAAIAAJ&q=vastavya+kayasth&pg=PA58|title=Report for the Year 1871–72|last=Cunningham|first=Sir Alexander|date=1873|publisher=Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing|language=en}} and thus derived directly from the Sanskrit root words Sri (श्री) "God" and vas (वस्) "to dwell" by adding the primary suffix tavyat which denotes an agent and causes the lengthening of the radical vowel. While the word Sri is used in Sanskrit as honorific prefix to the names of deities {{cite book|last=Apte|first=Vaman Shivaram|title=Revised and enlarged edition of Prin. V. S. Apte's The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary|year=1957–1959|publisher=Prasad Prakashan|page=1575|quote=The word श्री is often used as an honorific prefix to the names of deities and eminent persons; श्रीकृष्णः, श्रीरामः, श्रिवाल्मीकिः, श्रीजयदेवः; also celebrated works, generally of a sacred character; श्रीभागवत, श्रीरामायण)&c.; it is also used as an auspicious sign at the commencement of letters, manuscripts &c}} and vāstavya means "a resident, inhabitant";{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XvRtAAAAMAAJ&q=vastavya|title=Bhāratīya Vidyā|date=1987|publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.|language=en}} thereby the whole meaning "in whom God dwells". Note, however, that a word's meaning is derived from its use in sentence, not from its etymology.{{Cite book |last=Skeat |first=Walter W. (Walter William) |url=http://archive.org/details/etymologicaldict00skeauoft |title=An etymological dictionary of the English language |date=1888 |publisher=Oxford Clarendon Press |others=Robarts – University of Toronto |at=p. 1, rule 2}}

According to another explanation, the name "Srivastava" originates from "Srivastu/Suvastu", the former name of the Swat River, which is said to be the place of origin of this clan.{{cite book | title = Encyclopaedia Indica: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh: Volume 100 | editor = S. S. Shashi | year = 1996 | page = 117 | publisher = Anmol | isbn = 978-81-7041-859-7 }}

Notable people named Srivastava (or its variations) include:

• Alankrita Shrivastava (born 1979), Indian filmmaker
• Raju Srivastav (1963–2022), Indian comedian
• Ramesh Srivastava (born 1983), American singer
• Aditya Srivastava (born 1968), Indian actor
• Anand & Milind Srivastava, Indian music directors
• Aadesh Shrivastava (1966–2015), Indian music director
• Kapil Srivastava, Indian guitarist, music composer, educationist & author
• Aanjjan Srivastav (born 1948), Indian film, television and stage dancer/actor
• Ajita Srivastava, Indian singer
• Ashirbadi Lal Srivastava (1899–1973), Indian historian
• Chandrika Prasad Srivastava (1920–2013), Indian diplomat
• Chitragupt Shrivastava, Indian music director
• Dheer Charan Srivastav (born 1967), Indian actor
• Ganesh Prasad Srivastava (1933–2011), physicist, author
• Hari Shankar Srivastava (1921–2017), Indian historian
• Harish Chandra Srivastava, Indian politician
• J. N. Srivastava (1933–2010), Indian mathematician
• Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1918–2008, recorded by Allahabad University as "M.C. Shrivastava"), introduced Transcendental Meditation
• Mansi Srivastava (born 1990), Indian TV actress
• Nikhil Srivastava, Indian mathematician
• Nirmala Srivastava (1923–2011), founder of Sahaja Yoga
• Onkar Nath Srivastava (born 1942), Indian physicist
• Paul Shrivastava (born 1952), American academic
• Rajendra Srivastava (born 1951), Indian academic
• Sanjeev Srivastava, Indian journalist
• Shailendra Nath Shrivastava (1936–2006), Indian politician
• Tara Rani Srivastava, Indian woman freedom fighter

; Notable Srivastavas who changed their name

• Munshi Premchand (1880–1936, born Dhanpat Rai Srivastava), Indian writer
• Rajendra Prasad (1884–1963), born as Rajendra Prasad Srivastava, first President of India
• Lal Bahadur Shastri (1904–1966), born as Lal Bahadur Srivastava, second Prime Minister of India
• Amitabh Bachchan (born 1942), born as Amitabh Srivastava, Bollywood actor
• Harivansh Rai Bachchan (1907–2003), born as Harivansh Rai Srivastava, Indian poet
• Natwarlal (1912–2009, born as Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava), Indian con man
• Zamindaar Babu Trilok Nath (1866–1960, born Trilok Nath Srivastava), prince of British India
• Jayaprakash Narayan (1902–1979, son of Harsu Dayal Srivastava), Indian independence activist, social reformer and political leader
• Parichay Das (born Ravindra Nath Srivastava), Indian editor

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Category:Surnames of Indian origin

Category:Kayastha

Category:People from Swat District