evidence: Interestingly, the Muslim rulers of the Mughal Dynasty (1526–1858) also employed Brahmins as advisors and government officials, as did the British Raj in India (1858–1947). In fact, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of modern India, was also a member of the Brahmin caste. The Brahmin Caste Today Today, the Brahmins comprise about 5% of the total population of India. Traditionally, male Brahmins performed priestly services, but they may also work in jobs associated with lower castes. Indeed, occupational surveys of Brahmin families in the 20th century found that less than 10% of adult male Brahmins actually worked as priests or Vedic teachers. As in earlier times, most Brahmins actually made their living from work associated with the lower castes, including agriculture, stone-cutting, or working in the service industries. In some cases, such work precludes the Brahmin in question from carrying out priestly duties, however. For example, a Brahmin who begins farming (not only as an absentee land-owner, but actually tilling the land himself) may be considered ritually contaminated, and can be barred from later entering the priesthood. Nonetheless, the traditional association between the Brahmin caste and priestly duties remains strong.