| Sarola\Saryul\Serul | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Brahmin |
| Religions |  Hinduism |
| Languages | Garhwali, Hindi[1] |
| Populated states | Uttarakhand, India |
| Related groups | Garhwali people |
Sarola Brahmin, also called Saryul and Serul are the oldest Garhwali Brahmins from Uttarakhand, India.[2] The 12 families of the Sarola Brahmins were the earliest authenticated and ritually most prestigious Brahmin baronial houses in the Garhwal Kingdom 1400 years ago and among the highest ranking and oldest noble lineages from across North India. These families were founded in the 6th and 7th centuries by scions of multiple Brahmin magnate clans to rule as the sacerdotal aristocracy of the Himalayan Kingdoms.
The capital of this kingdom was Chandpur Garhi and the twelve castes of Brahmins settled in twelve fiefs surrounding the capital. Their twelve ancestral lands were collectively known as "Bara Than" meaning "Barah Sthan", and the Brahmins who owned these estates were known as "Sarola" Brahmins. Over time, the High Brahmins (Sarolas of Garhwal and Satkulis of Kumaon) spread their holdings and came to hold vast swathes of the Himalayan Kingdoms as the major landowning class.[3]
- ^ "6 Languages of Uttarakhand to Know About - Holidify". www.holidify.com.
- ^ Ram, Pati (1916). Garhwal: Ancient and Modern. Army Press. pp. 82–83 – via Google Books.
- ^ Duane, Gerald (1972). Hindus of the Himalayas Ethnography and Change. University of California Press. p. 183.