Mahishya

Mahishya (Bengali: মাহিষ্য), also spelled Mahisya, is a Bengali Hindu traditionally agrarian caste, and formed the largest caste in undivided Bengal. Mahisyas were, and are, extremely diverse Bengali caste counting among themselves all possible classes in terms of material conditions and ranks.

Mahisyas traditionally lived in Bengal and Orissa region. As per the census report of 1931, Mahishyas were geographically scattered through all of undivided Bengal forming around a quarter of province's Hindu population, and they most predominantly lived in south-western Bengal, especially in the districts of undivided Midnapore, 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Nadia and Murshidabad. As of late twelfth century the Mahisyas were considered as the single most important 'middle-caste' group in south-western Bengal and the dominant caste in lower Midnapore district and southern 24 Parganas.