treasury) and Mahasandhivigrahika (charge of foreign department). According to Historian and researcher S.Muley, these epigraphs might be the first available evidences of the existence of the CKP in Maharashtra. Kayastha chiefs claiming Kshatriya varna ruled over vast swathes of land in Andhra country, and they are recorded in Andhra history dating back to the 13th century CE. The CKPs have traditionally been placed in the Kshatriya varna. According to a letter written by the Shankaracharya, who confirmed the 'Vedadhikar' of the CKPs, the title Prabhu, which means high official, must have been given to the CKPs by the Shilahar kings of Konkan. The Shankaracharya has also formally endorsed their Kshatriya status by citing various sanskrit scriptures; especially one scripture that explicitly called them Chandraseniya Kshatriyas. He also cited documents from Banares and Pune Brahmins ratified by Bajirao II himself that proved their rights over the Vedas. His letter is addressed to all Brahmins. According to the American Indologist and scholar of Religious Studies and South Asian Studies who is the Professor of International Studies and Comparative Religion at the University of Washington, Christian Lee Novetzke The CKPs, described as a traditionally well-educated and intellectual group, came into conflict with Chitpawan at least 350 years ago over their rights to be teachers and scholars. As such they competed with the Brahmins in the 18th and 19th centuries for government jobs. They even demanded privileges of the Brahmin order – the rights to conduct the vedic rituals (all by themselves) and satkarma (all six karmas of the Brahmin order) for which they were opposed especially by the Chitpawans. University of Toronto historians and Professors Emeriti, Milton Israel and N.K Wagle opine about this as follows in their analysis: Deccan sultanate and Maratha Era The CKP community became more prominent during the Deccan sultanates and Maratha rule era. During Adilshahi and Nizamshahi, CKP, the Brahmins and high status Maratha were part of the elites. Given their training CKP served both as civilian and military officers. Several of the Maratha Chhatrapati Shivaji's generals and ministers, such as Murarbaji Deshpande and Baji Prabhu Deshpande, were CKPs. In 17th century Maharashtra, during Shivaji's time, the so-called higher classes i.e. the Marathi Brahmins, CKPs and Saraswat Brahmins, due to social and religious restrictions were the only communities that had a system of education for males. Except these three castes, education for all other castes and communities was