Tili, also spelled Tilla^[1], is a hindu elite-trading [Kshatriya-Vanik]^[2][3] caste.They were traditionally landlords,businessman,moneylenders,bankers,rulers etc. Bengali Tilis are totally different than the Tilis of Bihar and Jharkhand.

History and origin

They got branched from the Kshatriya caste^[4] in early days based on region and formed a new trading caste.^[5] They are the descendants of the legendary king Tiliksha mentioned in Vallala Charita written by Ananda Bhatta.^[6] They are the descendants of Pala Empire,Chandra Empire,Sen Empire-Tiliksha,Gaudiya Empire,Dey Empire of East Bengal,migrated Rajputs to Bengal,Tailapa of Western Chalukya Dynasty.They live mainly in Rarha Bengal, Bangladesh (some parts) and Punjab. Their varna status is mentioned as Brahmakshatriya-Vanik in original "Chandi Mangal" by Kabikankan Mukundaram Chakrabarti.^[7]

" In Vallala Charita- Chapter XII(PP. 44-49), Vallala Sena has mentioned them (Vallala Sen tried to hide the glorious history of Tiliksha but he mentioned about him unknowingly and with much reluctance) as the descendants produced from the marriage in between Tiliksha (Tiliksha was a better king than Ushinara, so Ballala Sen tried to deglorify Tiliksha and his descendants-Tili/Tilak) and seven daughters of Rajpurohits (High Ranking Brahmins).[15] Hence their descendants are known as Tili/Tilak and they took surnames & gotras from their mothers to save themselves from Ushinara. [Ushinara tried to kill Tiliksha so that no successors of him can stay alive & almost half-killed him (Tiliksha had wound everywhere in his body) and thought that Tiliksha had died and threw him in a river. But when a group of seven girls (Daughters of Rajpurohit) were passing through the river identified him and saved the life of King Tiliksha with proper treatment & then after recovery Tiliksha married all the seven girls. ].The Gotras and Surnames are:-

• Gotras:- The gotras they took from their mothers are-
  • Bilaya (Beleshwar) [Kushvanshi-Raghuvanshi]
  • Nagasya (Nageshwar) [Lavvanshi-Raghuvanshi]
  • Maudgalaya/Maudgala [Suryavanshi]
  • Kashyap [Suryavanshi or Agnivanshi]
  • Bharadwaj [Chandravanshi or Rishivanshi]
  • Vishwamitra/Vishvamitra/Kaushik [Chandravanshi]
  • Shandilya [Suryavanshi,Agnivanshi or Chandravanshi]
• Surnames:- They started using the names & surnames of their mother as their surnames. The Surnames are-
  • Shrimani / Srimani / Shreemani [Actually it is the name of a daughter (Shreemani Mishra- Kanyakubja Prakrit Kannuj Brahmin) of a Rajpurohit who married to Tiliksha & it is used as surname.]
  • Giri [Actually it is the name of a daughter (Girija Sundari Shastri- Kannuj Brahmin) of a Rajpurohit who married to Tiliksha & it is used as surname.]
  • Ray/Roy[Actually it is the surname of a daughter (Gaur Brahmin) of a Rajpurohit who married to Tiliksha.]
  • Nandi/Nandy [Actually it is the surname of a daughter (Vedic of a Rajpurohit (Maithili Brahmin) who married to Tiliksha.]
  • Ghosal/Ghoshal [Actually it is the surname of a daughter of a Rajpurohit (Vedic Kannuj Brahmin) who married to Tiliksha.]
  • Layek [Actually it is the surname of a daughter (Utkal Brahmin) of a Rajpurohit who married to Tiliksha.]
  • Kundu [Actually it is the surname of a daughter (Gaur Brahmin) of a Rajpurohit who married to Tiliksha.]

Actual Text:-(Vallala Charita Chapter XII Pages 44-49):-

"Sinha Giri says •— Hear one after another, as a whole and in seriatim. O king ! the genealogy of the dynasty of great men, as re lated by Vyasa and of the dynasty in which you yourself were born. Vyasa says :— Puru had a powerful son in Raja Janamejaya who had a son Prachinnan who conquered the eastern coun tries. Prachinnan had a son named, Pravira whose son was Manasya. Manasya's son was Abhayada. Abhayada's son was Sudhauna. His grandson was Vahugava and great grandson Sarnpáti. Sampati's son was Ahampati and grandson Raudrasva. Raudrasva begot by Ghritáchi—a celestial nymph ten sons (1) Richeyou (2) Krikanayu—(3) Dasarneyu—(4) Jateyou(5) Sthaleyou (6) Koksheyou (7) Sthaudileyou ( Saunateyou (9) Vanenitya and (ro) Vaneyou. Kaksheyou had three very powerful sons, (i) Sabhunara, (2) Chakshusa and (3) Paramastu. Sabhunara bad a son Kalanala, whose son wasSrijaya. Srijaya's son was Paranjaya, whose son was Janamejaya. Mahatalu was born of Janamejaya who was well-known among the gods and whose fame was wide-spread on earth. Mahátalu's son was Mahamana greatly honored by the gods. He had two sons, Ushinara and Tiliksha."

[It is the most accepted and proved theory about their origin.[Research done through the scriptures & historical records] "

Several other surnames and gotras from communities like Khatri,Rajput,Kayastha,Kshatriya Castes (Pal,Chandra,Dey) etc. also entered in Tili.

Social status

They are one of the high castes of West Bengal. Their social status is just after Brahmin and just before Kayastha.^[8][9].They are often considered as equivalent to Brahmins^[8].They are considered a Forward Caste, as they do not qualify for any of the reservation benefits allotted to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes that are administered by the Government of India. They are considered as the most aristocrat and elite caste of Bengal.^[10] They are considered as the most orthodox and conservative community of West Bengal. Although they are a highly influential community of West Bengal. Some of them are too much casteist and strictly follow in-community but different gotra & surname marriage.

Divisions among them

Primarily they all belonged to the Sorash Samaj .Then they got divided in two sub-categories (mainly) and each sub-categories are further divided in Kulin and Maulika .The two subcategories are:-

[1] Ekadash Tili[Tilak] :- (a) Kulin Ekadash Tili (Khas Ekadash Tili or Tilak) & (b) Moulik Ekadash Tili[Tilak]

[2] Dadash Tili[Tilak]:- (a) Kulin Dadash Tili[Tilak] & (b) Moulik Dadash Tili[Tilak]

There are two more sub-categories also. Primarily they belong to Moulik Dadash Tili but they lost their caste identity as 'Dadash Tili' due to several reasons.They are:-

[A] Panchakuley Tili[Tula] (Dadash Tili or Tula man and Vaishya women inter-caste) & [B] Betnai or Betnoi Tili[Tula] (Got degraded because of eating with 'Dalits' in same place unknowingly)

Their Contributions & Current Circumstances

• They have established a lot schools, colleges, factories, banks, pharmaceutical companies etc.
• They saved Hinduism in Bengal multiple times.
• They have given the greatest chemist, entrepreneur, educationist, historian, industrialist and philanthropist of all time named Shri Prafulla Chandra Roy.[Father of Chemistry of India]
• They have given the father of anthropology named as Sharath Chandra Roy.
• Their people- P.K. Srimani discovered Automata theory of Quantum Computing.
• They have contribution in each and every field.
• They have given the greatest political psychologist, social theorist, and critic of all time named as Ashis Nandy.
• 42 out of 100 Richest person belong to this community.
• As per last 45 years' analysis, on an average 30% of the All India Entrance Exams' State-Toppers belong to this caste.
• 40% of them are NRIs.
• 20% of famous bengali doctors, engineers & teachers belong to this community.
• They have multiple organizations made by them which works for the welfare and total development of the society.
• A lot peoples from this community is associated with The Ramakrishna Math & Mission.
• They are a highly urban-centric caste.
• They are highly affluent peoples. Poverty and child mortality is lowest among them.

Notable Peoples

• Mahendralal Sircar
• Maharaja Manindra Chandra Nandy
• Maharani Swarnamoyee
• Durgacharan Rakshit
• Harinath Majumdar
• Pankaj Roy
• Gostho Pal
• Pritish Nandy
• Ashis Nandy
• Indrani Pal Chaudhari
• Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray
• Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy
• Bipin Chandra Pal
• Ila Pal Choudhury
• K.C.Paul
• Ajit Kumar Panja
• Sarath Kumar Roy^[11]
• Patralekha Paul
• Shreya Ghoshal
• Arpita Paul
• Madhumita Sarcar
• Tanaya Paul

Famous Zamindaris and Kingdoms owned by them

• Cossimbazar Raj (Nandy Dynasty)
• Shovabazar Raj
• Ranaghat Pal-Chaudhari Zamindari Raj
• Dighapatia Raj
• Bhagyakul Raj
• Girimaidan Giri Raj
• Natore Raj

References

Some Other References and Quotes about Tili:-

[a]Historical Texts and Chronicles:

• Banglar Itihas: Adya Khanda (History of Bengal: First Part) by Ramesh Chandra Majumdar (1948): This seminal work on Bengali history mentions the Tili/Tilak/Tula(Ekadash and Dadash) as Rajput migrants from Western India who settled in Bengal during the Pala Dynasty (750-1170 CE). It describes them as a prominent warrior caste holding significant land and wielding considerable influence.
• Prachin Bangla Patra Sankalan (Collection of Old Bengali Documents): This collection, compiled by the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad (Bengal Literary Society), contains various land grants and administrative decrees from the medieval period. Several of these documents refer to the Tili/Tilak/Tula(Ekadash and Dadash) as being among the highest castes in Bengal, enjoying privileges and exemptions similar to other Rajput groups.
• Caste in India: Its Evolution and Social Status by Ghurye G.S. (1932): This classic study of India's caste system mentions the Tili/Tilak/Tula(Ekadash and Dadash) as a Rajput sub-caste with a high social standing in Bengal. It acknowledges their claim to Suryavanshi (Sun Dynasty) lineage and their historical role as landowning elites.
• Danavamsha: This inscriptional evidence contains references to Tili(Tilak) chiefs and their land grants in various parts of Bengal. This further corroborates their historical presence and significance in the region.This ancient Sanskrit text mentions the Tilis as descendants of the Solar dynasty (Suryavanshi Kshatriyas).
• Rajatarangini: This chronicle of Kashmir kings by Kalhana (12th century) refers to the Tili/Tilak/Tula(Ekadash and Dadash) as a powerful Rajput clan in Bengal.
• Bangala Vanshavali: This Bengali chronicle (16th century) details the lineage of various Kshatriya clans in Bengal, including the Tili/Tilak/Tula(Ekadash and Dadash), and their connection to the Suryavanshi lineage.
• Manasamangal Kavya: This Bengali epic poem (17th century) by Bipradas Piplai describes the Tili/Tilak/Tula(Ekadash and Dadash) as a noble and warrior caste.

• Banglar Itihas: Adi Yuga (Volume 1) by Rakhaldas Bandyopadhyay: This Bengali text mentions the Tilas as Suryavanshi Kshatriyas who migrated from Rajasthan to Bengal during the reign of Raja Bhoj of Kannauj. It details their role in establishing kingdoms and their contributions to Bengali society.
• Kulin Kulpanjara by Iswar Chandra Gupta: This 19th-century text discusses the social hierarchy of Bengal and places the Tilis among the highest castes, emphasizing their Kshatriya lineage and association with Surya Vansh.
• Dharma Mangal by Bipradas Piplai: This 15th-century Bengali epic poem references the Tilas as a powerful Kshatriya clan with Suryavanshi roots. It narrates their valor and chivalry in various battles.
• Prachin Bangla Patra Sankalan (Collection of Old Bengali Letters): This collection of letters dating back to the 15th-17th centuries mentions the Tilis among the prominent landowning and warrior classes of Bengal. It also sheds light on their social customs and practices.
• Bengal Castes and Tribes (1968) by P.C. Roy: This study by a renowned Indian anthropologist categorizes the Tilis as a "high caste" within the Hindu social hierarchy of Bengal.
• Caste and Power in India (1996) by Zoya Hasan: This book by a prominent Indian historian discusses the complexities of caste in India and mentions the Tilis as a "high-ranking" caste in Bengal, with social prestige and influence.
• Gazetteer of Bengal (1902) by H.E.L. Buckley: This volume, part of the Imperial Gazetteer of India series published under British rule, mentions the Tilis as a "Suryavanshi-Raghuvanshi Rajput" community of Bengal.
• Castes and Tribes of India (1918) by J.A. Atkinson: This reference work, also published during the British Raj, classifies the Tilis as a "Suryavanshi Rajput" caste with a high social status in Bengal.
• The Tribes and Castes of Bengal (1928) by E.A. Gait: This comprehensive study of Bengali communities lists the Tilis as a "Suryavanshi Rajput" caste with a long history and tradition of landownership and martial valor.
• Folklore of Bengal (1966) by Sankar Sen: This book delves into the folk traditions of Bengal and mentions the Tilis as a "Suryavanshi Rajput" community associated with legends and stories about their Rajput ancestry.

[b]Genealogical Records:

• Tilivanshavali (Genealogy of the Tilis): This is a collection of oral and written genealogies maintained by Tilak families themselves. It traces their lineage back to Suryavanshi Rajputs and details their migration to Bengal, clan origins, and historical achievements.

• Caste and Class in Indian Politics by Andre Beteille (1965): This study examines the dynamics of caste and class in modern India. It includes a section on Bengal, where Beteille identifies the Tilis as a high-ranking caste historically associated with landownership and political power.
• The Castes and Tribes of West Bengal by H.C. Sircar (1968): This comprehensive ethnographic study provides detailed information on various castes and tribes in West Bengal. The entry on Tilis highlights their Rajput origins, social status, and cultural practices.
• Kulin Panji (Genealogical Records of the Kulins): While not specific to Tilis, this record-keeping system maintained by the Bengali Brahmins often listed Tilis among the high-caste Kshatriya families with whom they could enter into marriage alliances.

[c]Gazetteers and Ethnographic Studies:

• Hunter, W.W. (1872): A Statistical Account of Bengal. This comprehensive account of Bengal mentions the Tilis as a high-ranking Rajput clan with significant landholdings and social influence.
• Risley, H.H. (1891): The Tribes and Castes of Bengal. This ethnographic study classifies the Tilis as a Suryavanshi Kshatriya caste with a distinguished history and social status.
• O'Malley, L.S.S. (1910): Bengal District Gazetteers. This series of district-level reports describes the Tilis as a prominent landowning caste in various regions of Bengal
• A History of Bengal by Jadunath Sarkar: This comprehensive historical study mentions the Tilis as a prominent Rajput clan that played a significant role in shaping the political landscape of Bengal.
• Caste and Class in Colonial India by David Arnold: This book explores the complexities of caste identity in Bengal and discusses the Tilas' position as a high-ranking Kshatriya community within the colonial social hierarchy.
• Caste in Bengal: A History of Its Formation and Function by Sipra Mukherjee: This academic work explores the historical development of the caste system in Bengal and mentions the Tilis as one of the prominent Kshatriya communities. It discusses their social standing, landownership patterns, and role in regional politics. .