Mukherjee
Encyclopedia
Mukherjee Mookerjee or Mukerji or Mukherji is a Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...

 surname, common among residents of the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n state of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...

. The traditional Bengali version is মুখোপাধ্যায়, which is sometimes written Mukhopadhyay, which is alternately spelled as Mookerjee or Mukerji
Mukerji
Mukerji may refer to:*Dhan Gopal Mukerji, Indian writer*Raj Mukerji, New Jersey lobbyist, political consultant and entrepreneur*Rani Mukerji, Bollywood actress*Mukherjee, popular Bengali surname, alternate spelling....

. According to the Indian caste system, Mukherjees have traditionally belonged to the Kulin Brahmin
Kulin Brahmin
Kulin Brahmin is the highest strata of upper caste Brahmins in India's caste system. This term is more generally used to refer to upper caste "twice-born" Brahmins in nineteenth century Bengal considered themselves to be more knowledgeable as regards the scriptures as compared to other Brahmins.The...

 group and along with Chatterjee
Chatterjee
Chatterjee is an Indian family name of a Bengali Brahmin caste; it is a variant of Chattopadhyay .Chattopadhyay is the Sanskritized form of the local Prakrit word "chaturjye", anglicized to Chatterjee...

, Banerjee
Banerjee
Banerjee or Bandyopadhyay is a prevalent brahmin surname in the Bengal region of India. The name is also spelt Bannerjee, Banerji, Bonnerjee and Bandopadhyaya by different families.-History:...

, and Ganguly
Ganguly
-History:Ganguly is an Indian family name of a Bengali Brahmin caste; it is a variant of Ganggopadhyay . Ganggopadhyay is the Sanskritized form of the original name anglicized to Ganguly...

, constitute the top rank of the Bengali Brahmin caste.

Origins

All Mukherjees belong to the Bharadwaj Gotra or the clan of Rishi Bharadwaj. The Mukherjees belong to the Kulin Brahmin class and are also classified as Radh Brahmins. The origins of most Brahmins in Southern Bengal was the Gangetic plains of Northern India, chiefly Kanauj. The Mukherjees, along with Banerjees, Chatterjees and Gangulys moved on to settle on the western banks of the Bhagirathi river in Southern Bengal during the reign of the Sena Dynasty
Sena dynasty
The Sena Empire was a Hindu dynasty that ruled from Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. At its peak the empire covered much of the north-eastern region in the Indian Subcontinent. They were called Brahma-Kshatriyas, as evidenced through their surname, which is derived from the Sanskrit,...

 of Bengal. This region is known as Radh or Radh Bhoomi, leading to these clans of Brahmins being categorized as Radh Brahmins.

For several decades from the 1970s to the 1990s, the West Bengal Higher Secondary board mandatorily changed all spelling variants (Mukherjee, Mukerjee, Mookerji etc.) to Mukhopadhyay (as was done with Bannerjee, Ganguly, etc.)

Historical and Traditional accounts

The earliest historically verifiable presence of brahmins in Bengal can be ascertained from Dhanaidaha copper-plate inscription of Kumargupta 1 of the Gupta Year 113 (433 C.E.) which records the grant of land to a brahmin named Varahasvamin of the Samavedi school. A copper-plate grant from the Gupta
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed approximately from 320 to 550 CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent. Founded by Maharaja Sri-Gupta, the dynasty was the model of a classical civilization. The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the...

 period found in the vicinity of Somapura mentions a Brahmin donating land to a Jain vihara at Vatagohali. Literary sources like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Jain and Buddhist works, however record the presence of brahmins in various parts of Bengal during earlier periods. Historical evidence also attests significant presence of Brahmins in Bengal during the Maurya period. The Jain Acharya
Acharya
In Indian religions and society, an acharya is a guide or instructor in religious matters; founder, or leader of a sect; or a highly learned man or a title affixed to the names of learned men...

 Bhadrabahu, regarded to be the preceptor of Chandragupta Maurya
Chandragupta Maurya
Chandragupta Maurya , was the founder of the Maurya Empire. Chandragupta succeeded in conquering most of the Indian subcontinent. Chandragupta is considered the first unifier of India and its first genuine emperor...

 is said to have been born in Brahmin family of Pundravardhana
Pundravardhana
This article is about the historical territory. For the Mahabharata kingdom see Pundra KingdomPundravardhana , was a territory located in North Bengal in ancient times, home of the Pundra, a group of people speaking languages not of the Indo-European family.-Etymology:There are several theories...

 ( or , the region north of Ganges and west of Brahmaputra in Bengal, later known as Vārendra). Such evidences suggest or Vārendra and regions west of Bhagirathi (called Radha in ancient age) to be seats of brahmins from ancient times; Rādhi and Varendra are still chief branches of Bengali brahmins settled in these regions. Medium to large scale migrations of Brahmins from various parts of India like Kanyakubja region, Kolancha, southern India and Pushkar in Rajasthan, among other places, occurred from time to time, especially during Pala
Pala Empire
The Pāla Empire was one of the major middle kingdoms of India existed from 750–1174 CE. It was ruled by a Buddhist dynasty from Bengal in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, all the rulers bearing names ending with the suffix Pala , which means protector. The Palas were often described...

 and Sena
Sena
The word sena literally means army in Hindi and Bangla, and to praise in arabic language.In Benin, West Africa, the name SENA means "bringing Heaven to Earth".Sena could also refer to:-Places:...

 periods.

Traditionally, Bengali brahmins are divided into the following categories:
  • Rādhi from Radh (region south-west of Ganga)
  • Varendra
    Varendra
    Varendra was a region of Bengal, now in Bangladesh. It included the Pundravardhana or Pundra Kingdom region.According to Cunningham the boundary of Varendra was the Ganges and the Mahananda on the west, the Karatoya on the east, the Padma on the south and the land between Koochbihar and the Terai...

    , from Vārendra region (North-East) or . Vārendra originally meant rain-maker magicians.
  • Vaidika (migrants, originally experts of Vedic knowledge)
    • Paschatya Vaidika (Vedic brahmins from west of Bengal)
    • Dakshinatya Vaidika (Vedic brahmins from south of Bengal)
  • Madhya Sreni (brahmins of the midland country)
  • Shakdvipi/ Grahavipra (migrant brahmins of Shakdvipa in Central Asia)
  • Saptaśati

The different brahmin communities of Bengal have their own traditional accounts of origin, which are generally found in various genealogical texts known as kulagranthas or kulapanjikas. Other details may also be obtained from court chronicles of various kings of Bengal. Important writers are Harimishra (13th century C.E), Edu Mishra (13th century C.E), Devivara Ghatak (15th century C.E), Dhruvananda Mishra (post 15th century C.E), Vachaspati Mishra, Rajendralal Mitra among others.
  • Radhi and Varendra

The traditional origin of both Radhi and Varendra brahmins has been attributed to a king named Ādiśūra who is said to have invited five Brahmins from Kolancha (as per Edu Mishra and Hari Mishra) and/or from Kanyakubja, (as per Dhruvananda Mishra) so that he could conduct a yajña
Yajna
In Hinduism, yajna is a ritual of sacrifice derived from the practice of Vedic times. It is performed to please the gods or to attain certain wishes...

, because he could not find Vedic experts locally. Some traditional texts mention that Ādiśūra was ancestor of Ballāl Sena from maternal side and five brahmins had been invited in 1077 C.E. Other texts like Varendrakulapanjika, Vachaspati Mishra's account and Edu Mishra's account attribute a date of 732 C.E for the migration. Additionally, other sources like Sambandhanirnaya, Kulanrava and others attribute various dates like 942 C.E, 932 C.E and others.

Historians have located a ruler named Ādiśūra ruling in north Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....

, but not in Bengal . But Ballāl Sena and his predecessors ruled over both Bengal and Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...

 (i.e., North Bihar). It is unlikely that the brahmins from Kānyakubja may have been invited to Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...

 for performing a yajña
Yajna
In Hinduism, yajna is a ritual of sacrifice derived from the practice of Vedic times. It is performed to please the gods or to attain certain wishes...

, because Mithila was a strong base of brahmins since Vedic age. However some scholars have identified Ādiśūra with Jayanta, a vassal chief of the Gauda king around middle of 8th century C.E. and is also referred to as a contemporary of Jayapida (779 to 812 C.E) of Kashmir (grandson of Lalitaditya) in Kalhana's Rajatarangini.
Kulin Brahmins
Kulin Brahmins
Kulin Brahmins are those Brahmins in Bengal who can trace themselves to the five families of Kanauj , Uttar Pradesh who migrated to Bengal...

 are those Brahmins in Bengal who can trace themselves to the five families of Kanauj (Kanyakubja), Uttar Pradesh who migrated to Bengal. The five families were of the five different gotras (Shandilya, Bharadwaj, Kashyap, Vatsya and Swavarna). They are widely believed to be at the apex of Bengal's caste hierarchy.

The kulin families are further divided into two sections:

Barendra : Belonging to those families who settled at the north or north east region of Ganges or Padma river.
Rarhi : Belonging to those families who settled at the south or southwest region of Ganges or Padma river.

Etymology

Note that "Mukherjee" evolved from the Sanskrit Mukhopadhyay ( Mukhopaddhae). Mukhopadhyay is from the purer Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

 form Mukhyopadhyay (in Sanskrit Mukhya - chief, Upadhyay - teacher, not necessarily a religious teacher). In modern parlance, the two are often used interchangeably, much like other such pairs (Banerjee/Bandhyopadhyay, Chatterjee/Chattyopadhyay), with the latter being used primarily in religious contexts. How these interchangeable pairs arose is unknown. Another theory is that Upadhyay from Kanauj settled at different villages in present day West Bengal and thus earned the prefixes of the villages before their Upadhay surname.

Mukhuti

Families with surnames Mukhati or Mukhuti are believed to be of the same origins as Mukherjees and it is possible that these surnames represent the older forms of the Mukherjee surname. According to another alternative hypothesis in common belief, Mukhati or Mukhuti came to be the surname of some Mukherjees who took to the fields and worked with the langol (plough) akin to the Bhumihar Brahmin
Bhumihar
Bhumihar or Babhan or Bhuin-har is a Brahmin Hindu community mainly found in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh.- Varna status :...

s in neighbouring Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....

 and are therefore sometimes called "langla bamun". Mukhoti village near Bankura, West Bengal may be the original village in this case (refer to Niharranjan Ray's "Bangalir Itihas").
There are several hypotheses on the origin of the jee in Mukherjee (and in the related Chatterjee
Chatterjee
Chatterjee is an Indian family name of a Bengali Brahmin caste; it is a variant of Chattopadhyay .Chattopadhyay is the Sanskritized form of the local Prakrit word "chaturjye", anglicized to Chatterjee...

 and Banerjee
Banerjee
Banerjee or Bandyopadhyay is a prevalent brahmin surname in the Bengal region of India. The name is also spelt Bannerjee, Banerji, Bonnerjee and Bandopadhyaya by different families.-History:...

 surnames).

Famous Mukherjees

Famous people with the last name Mukherjee :

A
  • Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee
    Ashutosh Mukherjee
    Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, CIE was a prolific Bengali educator and the first Indian Vice Chancellor of the University of Calcutta from 1906 to 1924. Perhaps the most emphatic figure of Indian education, he was a man of great personality, high self-respect, courage and towering administrative ability...

     (1864-1924) Educationist, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta (1906 - 1924),and referred commonly as 'Bengal Tiger'.
  • Ayan Mukherjee, Director

B
  • Banaphool
    Banaphool
    Banaphool is the pen name of the Bengali author, playwright and poet, Balāi Chānd Mukhopādhyāy .- Life:...

     (Balaichand Mukherjee)
  • Bharati Mukherjee
    Bharati Mukherjee
    Bharati Mukherjee is an award-winning Indian-born American writer. She is currently a professor in the department of English at the University of California, Berkeley.-Background:...

  • Benode Behari Mukherjee
    Benode Behari Mukherjee
    Binod Behari Mukherjee was an Indian artist from West Bengal state. Mukherjee was one of the pioneers of Indian modern art, as a painter and as a celebrated muralist...

    , painter

  • Budhaditya Mukherjee
    Budhaditya Mukherjee
    Budhaditya Mukherjee is a Hindustani classical sitar and surbahar player of the Imdadkhani Gharana .He was taught by his father Bimalendu Mukherjee from the age of 5, and started making a name for himself at a young age...

    , Musician

D
  • Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee
    Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee
    Raja Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee Taluqdar of the formerly confiscated taluq of Shankarpur in the United Provinces was one of the leaders of the Young Bengal group in 19th-century India...


H
  • Hrishikesh Mukherjee
    Hrishikesh Mukherjee
    Hrishikesh Mukherjee ) was a famous Indian film director known for a number of films, including Satyakam, Chupke Chupke, Anupama, Anand, Abhimaan, Guddi, Gol Maal, Aashirwad, Bawarchi, and Namak Haraam.Popularly known as Hrishi-da, he directed 42 films during his career spanning over four decades,...

    , Director
  • Harish Chandra Mukherjee
    Harish Chandra Mukherjee
    Harish Chandra Mukherjee , was an Indian journalist and patriot, who fought tooth and nail for the indigo cultivators and forced the government to bring about changes.-Early life:...

  • Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay
    Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay
    Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay also known as Hemanta Mukherjee was an Bengali singer, composer and producer. He sang in Hindi films under the name Hemant Kumar.-Early life:...

    , Music Director

J
  • Jaidip Mukerjea
    Jaidip Mukerjea
    Jaidip Mukerjea is a retired professional tennis player from India. Mukerjea is the grandson of Indian independence leader Chittaranjan Das.Mukerjea won the Indian National Junior Championship in 1959...

  • Jatindra Nath Mukherjee (Bagha Jatin
    Bagha Jatin
    Bagha Jatin , born Jatindranath Mukherjee was an Bengali revolutionary philosopher against British rule....

    ) (1879-1915), Freedom Fighter and Revolutionary Leader
  • Joy Mukherjee
    Joy Mukherjee
    - Family Background :Main article: Mukherjee-Samarth familyJoy Mukherjee is the son of Sashadhar Mukherjee and Sati Devi. His father was a successful producer and a co-founder of Filmalaya Studios. His paternal uncle is director Subodh Mukherjee, whilst his maternal uncles were Ashok Kumar and...


K
  • Kajol Mukherjee Kajol, Bollywood Actress
  • Kamu Mukherjee
    Kamu Mukherjee
    Kamu Mukherjee was a Bengali actor known for his performances in several Satyajit Ray films.His portrayals of Mandar Bose in Sonar Kella, Pritish Sarkar in Nayak, Mantu Dutta in Phera and Juggler Haroon Al Rashid in Fatikchand are considered his best roles.Satyajit Ray's wife recollected an...

    , actor
  • Keshto Mukherjee
    Keshto Mukherjee
    Keshto Mukherjee was an Indian actor. He specialised in comic drunkard roles in the Hindi films. Though he was famous for his drunkard typecast role in Hindi films, he used to share a very good relation with the iconic Ritwik Ghatak and had very tiny but important roles in the maestro's films...

    , Famous Comedian/Actor
  • Kalyan Mukherjee
    Kalyan Mukherjee (politician)
    Kalyan Mukherjee is the deputy mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. He was elected as a councillor from a ward in the North Kolkata. He is a member of the Revolutionary Socialist Party which is a part of the Left Front that at present holds power in...

  • Kamalinee Mukherjee
    Kamalinee Mukherjee
    Kamalinee Mukherjee is an Indian actress. She has predominantly appeared in Telugu films as well as in a few Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada language films....

    , actress

M
  • Madhabi Mukherjee
    Madhabi Mukherjee
    Madhabi Mukherjee née Chakraborty is a reputed Bengali actress who has acted in some of the most critically acclaimed films in Bengali cinema.Her major role was the title role of Charu in Satyajit Ray's masterpiece Charulata...

    , actor
  • Mohua Mukherjee
    Mohua Mukherjee
    Dr. Mohua Mukherjee was born in August 1952. She was a creative person as a child, enjoying painting, clay modeling and poetry. She is descended from a Kolkata family , her schooling was at Gokhale...


P
  • Pranab Mukherjee
    Pranab Mukherjee
    Pranab Kumar Mukherjee is the current Finance Minister of India and leader of the current Lok Sabha.Mukherjee is a senior member of the Cabinet Committees on Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Parliamentary Affairs, Political Affairs, Prices, Security, Unique Identification Authority of India,...

    , politician
  • Prithwindra Mukherjee
    Prithwindra Mukherjee
    Prithwindra Mukherjee retired in 2003 from a career as a researcher in the Human and Social Sciences Department of the French National Centre of Scientific Research in Paris...


  • Prasun Mukherjee
    Prasun Mukherjee
    Prasun Mukherjee the ex Commissioner of Police in the city of Kolkata , West Bengal, India. He is allegedly a tainted IPS officer...

    , Police Commissioner

R
  • Raktima Mukerjee
    Raktima Mukerjee
    Raktima Mukerjee was a finalist on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 achieving 12th place and subsequently a contestant on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Ek Main Aur Ek Tu with Vushwanath. Raktima was known for her clean and unique voice quality in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005...

  • Ram Mukherjee
    Ram Mukherjee
    Ram Mukherjee is an Indian film director, producer and writer. He belongs to the Mukherjee-Samarth family and is father of Bollywood actress Rani Mukherjee.He is the founder of Filmalaya Studios.-Filmography:Director# Raktanadir Dhara...

    , Rani's Father
  • Rani Mukherjee, Bollywood Actress
  • Ravindramohan Mukherjee
  • Rono Mukherjee
  • Rudrangshu Mukherjee
    Rudrangshu Mukherjee
    Rudrangshu Mukherjee is an Indian historian and author who is presently Opinions Editor for The Telegraph newspaper, Kolkata.-Academics:Rudrangshu Mukherjee studied at Calcutta Boys' School, Presidency College, Kolkata, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and St Edmund Hall, Oxford.His D.Phil...


S
  • Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee
  • Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
  • Siddhartha Mukherjee
    Siddhartha Mukherjee
    Siddhartha Mukherjee is an Indian-born American physician, scientist and writer. He authored the 2010 book, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, which won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction...

  • Sashadhar Mukherjee
    Sashadhar Mukherjee
    Sashadhar Mukherjee was a producer in Hindi films. He is part of the distinguished Mukherjee clan of Bollywood.Main article: Mukherjee-Samarth family...

  • Shantanu Mukherjee, Shaan, Singer
  • Shomu Mukherjee
    Shomu Mukherjee
    Shomu Mukherjee was a Bengali Indian director, writer and producer.Born in 1943, he was the fourth son of Sashadhar Mukherjee, the owner of Filmalaya studios, and Sati Rani Devi. His mother was the only sister of the Ganguly brothers....

    , Kajol's Father, Director
  • Sabyasachi Mukherjee
    Sabyasachi Mukherjee
    Sabyasachi Mukherjee is an Indian fashion designer. He sells under his label, 'Sabyasachi', since 1999. He has also designed for a few Bollywood films -Early life:...

  • Swastika Mukherjee
    Swastika Mukherjee
    Swastika Mukherjee is a Bengali actress at Tollywood. She is daughter of actor Santu Mukherjee. Mukherjee's first stint with acting was the tele-serial Devdasi. She made her film debut in 2003 with the film Hemanter Pakhi directed by Urmi Chakraborty...

    , actress
  • Sharbani Mukherjee
    Sharbani Mukherjee
    Sharbani Mukherji is an Indian actress working in Bollywood.-Biography:She is the daughter of Rono Mukerji. Her paternal uncles are Joy Mukerji and Deb Mukerji. Her paternal grandfather, Sashadhar Mukerji, was a filmmaker. His wife Satirani Devi was the sister of Ashok Kumar, Anoop Kumar and...

  • Sudip Mukherjee
    Sudip Mukherjee
    Sudip Mukherjee is a Bengali film and TV actor.- Filmography :*Hello Kolkata*Jaara Brishtite Bhijechhilo *Kantatar .... Binod-External links:...

  • Sreelekha Mukherjee

  • Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
    Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
    Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay is a Bengali author who writes Bengali books. He has written stories for both adults and children.-Life:Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay was born in Bikrampur , now in Bangladesh. He spent his childhood in Bihar and many places in Bengal and Assam accompanying his father, who worked...

  • Subodh Mukherjee
    Subodh Mukherjee
    Subodh Mukerji was a renowned movie-maker of Bengali origin. He was the brother of the leading producer director Sashadhar Mukherjee...

  • Subhash Mukhopadhyay, Poet
  • Sushmita Mukherjee
    Sushmita Mukherjee
    -Personal life:She was married to director Sudhir Mishra, they later divorced after which she married Actor, Producer and Civil Activist Raaja Bundela and has two children.- Movies :*Rakht Charitra *Christopher Swartz...

    , actress
  • Subroto Mukerjee
    Subroto Mukerjee
    Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee, OBE was the first Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force . Born in a Bengali family of repute, he was educated in India as well as England. He joined the Royal Air Force and later was one of the first recruits of the Indian Air Force...

    ,First Air Chief Marshall of Independent India

T
  • Tanisha Mukherjee
    Tanisha Mukherjee
    Tanisha , also known as Tanisha, is a Hindi, Telugu and Tamil actress.-Family background:Tanisha is an Indian actress of Bengali–Marathi descent. Tanisha comes from a prominent industry family, which has been working in Bollywood since the 1940s...

    , Tanisha, actress, Kajol's sister
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