Thread by @FactIndology

[THREAD]
Kayasthas are a notable caste in Indian society. Famous people from this caste are Swami Vivekananda, Rajendra Prasad, Subhas Chandra Bose, and many others. The Kayasthas claim origin from Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Shudras. This thread will cover all these.
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In historical documents, Kayasthas were typically known for record-writing and bureaucratic positions. Bilhana and Kalhana mention different positions with Kayastha suffix in their writings of Vikramankadevacharita and Rajatarangini.
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But what Varna does Kayastha belong to? There exist historical inscriptions wherein Kayasthas claim origin from 3 different varnas of Brahmin, Kshatriya and Shudra. This will further highlight the fact that varna and caste are dissimilar constructs.
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The claim of origin from Brahman ancestry comes from the Ajaygarh, Jejakabhukti (in Bundelkhand, modern MadhyaPradesh) rock inscription of the Chandela dynasty that ruled around 9th-13th century. See location of Ajaygarh. [Jejakabhukti is the ancient name of Bundelkhand]
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The Ajaygarh rock inscription is during the rule of Chandela king Bhojavarman (~1285 CE). The inscription notes a Kesava temple construction donated by Nana, a minister of Bhojavarman, who belonged to the Vastavya Kayastha clan with surname Srivastava.
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The genealogy of this Srivastava family claims descent from the famed Brahmin sage Kasyapa, whose son Kusa was a forefather of this lineage of the Srivastava family. See the claimed genealogy from the inscription. This is one of the Brahmin origins of the Srivastava Kayasthas.
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Source: Epigraphia Indica XXVIII, Ajaygarh Stone Inscription, p.98

Now, moving on the Kayastha dynasty of the Telugu country. During the rule of the Kakatiyas in Telugu land, there arose a dynasty who called them the Kayasthas.
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The greatest king of the Kayastha dynasty was Ambadeva (around 1300 CE), who issued a number of inscriptions. One such is the Nilagangavaram inscription found in the Guntur disctrict of Andhra Pradesh. That inscription claims a Kshatriya origin of the Kayasthas.
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Inscription language is Sanskrit and Telugu in Telugu-Kannada alphabet. It says that Brahma created the kshatra clan. Some of them remained steadfast after the acts of Parshurama, and they were known as Kayasthas. Gangeya Sahini was the first known Kayastha ruler.
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See the genealogy of the Kayastha dynasty. They were a powerful family of feudatory chiefs who started serving the Cholas and then Kakatiyas, but gradually became independent and ruled over a vast territory during the rule of Ambadeva.
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Gradually the Kayasthas became weak after Ambadeva and their territories and reign were taken over by the Kakatiyas. These Kayasthas may be related to the northern Kayasthas, but apart from the name, there's no historical connection mentioned in these inscriptions.
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Source: Epigraphia Indica vol XXV, p. 270

For the next inscription, we travel to Tripuri (modern Tewar, Madhya Pradesh) to the Kalachuri dynasty. The Kalachuris of Tripuri ruled portions of modern MP around 7th-13th century CE. A famous location is Amarkantak.
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The inscription that refers to the Shudra origin of the Kayasthas belong to the reign of the Kalachuri king Lakshmikarna, son of Gangeyadeva. The inscription was discovered at Rewah, MP in 1936 on a slab. There are 2 parts in the inscription totaling 36 lines of Sanskrit.
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The first part of the inscription describes the deeds of the king Karna and his Kalachuri ancestors. The second part provides an account of the origin of the Kayastha caste and a genealogy of a minister of Karna, who founded the Shiva temple at which the inscription was set
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Verse 34 onwards describes the temple construction by a minister of Karna, who belonged to the Kayastha caste. Next, an account of the origin of the Kayastha caste is described. Due to heavy damage of the inscription, the name of the minister is lost.
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The account goes - there was a great sage (munindra) called Kachara who was born from Shiva. A person from 4th caste (turiya-janman/Shudra) served and pleased him on the bank of Ganga. The sage gave a boon that a son will be born who will do great and righteous deeds.
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The sage said that this caste will be known as Kayastha, having numerous merits in his kaya/body. Verse 39 says the Shudra had a son, from whom the caste of the Kayasthas started. In that caste, wise and virtuous people were born.
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This minister (name lost) of Karna was born from the family of Somesvara, who belonged to the Kayastha caste. The name of Kachara as a sage can nowhere be found, though Kach, the son of Brihaspati, is known in Hindu scriptures.
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Source: Epigraphia Indica, vol XXIV, p. 101

Three different sources: Chandela dynasty, Kayastha clan of Telugu country and Kalachuri of Tripuri dynasty provide 3 different sources (legendary?) of the beginning of the Kayastha caste.
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This shows how caste and varna are two different social constructs in Hindu society. Simplicity of assigning one to another has always been a colonial endeavor.

@ruchirsharma_1
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In case, one is interested in more details of caste in India and abroad, here are links to 2 more threads:

https://twitter.com/FactIndology/status/1352481123834597376?s=20

https://twitter.com/FactIndology/status/1368079533534945287

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