Brahmin

A brahmin (brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste; this caste should not be confused with the divinity "Brahman". Brahmin are said to have come from the mouth of Purusha. According to the Vishnusmriti (2-1.17), "A Brahmin teaches the Veda...A Brahmin sacrifices for others, and receives alms...Duties common to all castes are...reverence towards gods and Brahmins."

See also: Brahmanas, pandit, Varnas

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In North America a Brahmin is also a member of the blue-blooded class of New Englanders who claim hereditary or cultural descent from the original Anglo-Saxon Protestants who founded the city of Boston. They are often perceived as marked by their distinctive elocution, high level of education and wealth, and generally progressive politics. Among the most famous Boston Brahmin families are the Lowells and Cabots. The Kennedy family is often associated with the class as well, although being Irish Catholics, they are more cultural rather than hereditary descendants of the class.