Recently, Teacher Da Bing has been very popular on Douyin. You often see accounts posting clips from her livestreams. During one livestream, a listener asked, “Teacher Da Bing, I want to sell my house in Xi’an and return to my hometown to lie flat?” Teacher Da Bing replied, “At your age, in your thirties, you can’t just lie flat. Your parents are on the road to aging, and your children haven’t settled down yet. Returning to your hometown, you’ll still need to deal with the ‘brahmin’ within a small county town.”

Regardless of whether the viewpoint is right or wrong, what does the word “Brahmin” mean?

County-Level Brahmins: “Big Shots” in Small Places

In many small county towns, people often talk about “county Brahmin” – their existence seems to symbolize a local society. They are not necessarily real religious figures or possess impressive titles, but rather seemingly ordinary yet influential individuals. They represent “power, status, and the right to speak” in a small place, symbolizing a certain stratum within that county town.

What is a “county-level Brahmin”?

First, we need to understand that “Brahmin” originally referred to the highest stratum of Indian society, representing wisdom, authority, and spiritual supremacy. However, in Chinese county towns, the term “county town Brahmin” does not have such a complex religious background; it is more of a metaphor for a social phenomenon.

Simply put, “county-level Brahmin” can be understood as some “cultural authorities” in the county town, such as teachers, doctors, local well-known merchants, and officials. Although their positions seem ordinary, they possess a relatively high social status in the comparatively closed environment of the county town, or rather, their opinions and actions have an influence that cannot be ignored locally.

Who is the “County-Level Brahmin”?

In the county town, almost every industry has these “Brahmins.” They might be:

Educators, especially some teachers with decades of experience in local areas, may not be graduates of prestigious universities, but they deeply understand how to establish credibility through knowledge and are widely respected
Local government officials: deputy county-level mayors, section-level cadres, and others. They control certain resources and power; even though their positions may not be high, due to the limited scope of their authority, they can become the “Brahmins” of the locality.
Local “entrepreneurs”: Some of these are bosses in county-level towns, though their scale isn’t large, they hold a certain amount of wealth and have local influence. They might run one or two well-known small businesses and wield considerable influence within the town.

These people, though their status may not be prominent compared to the elites or officials in big cities, are practically equivalent to “cultural elders” or “power centers” within this small society of the county

How does the status of “county-level Brahmins” affect society?

To truly understand the meaning of “county-level Brahmins,” we must consider the unique environment of a county. In this place, information doesn’t flow as quickly as in big cities, and social mobility is relatively fixed. These “Brahmins” often accumulate prestige, knowledge, and networks through long-term cultivation within the locality. They influence various aspects of local politics, economy, and culture.

Cultural influence: In smaller places, especially where the education system may not be so developed and ordinary people have limited choices, local “cultural Brahmins” quietly shape the cultural atmosphere through knowledge imparted in classrooms, explanations in the media, and even the lessons they teach through their words and deeds in social situations
The concentration of social resources: Due to the limited population and resources in county towns, these “Brahmins” are often one of the main controllers of local resources. Whether it’s social welfare, policy implementation, or project approval, their influence is unavoidable. Their right to speak and make decisions allows them to occupy a place in local society.
The network structure of interpersonal relationships: In a relatively closed small society, personal connections are often crucial. These “county-level Brahmins” control the flow of information and allocation of resources by establishing strong social networks, allowing them to play a decisive role at critical moments.

The Metaphor Behind “County-Level Brahmin”

Although “county-level Brahmins” are often respected and revered, this “high-and-mighty” status is not without its problems. In modern society, it’s easy to see that many “Brahmins” in county towns may lack genuine ability and innovative spirit, instead maintaining their position through hereditary relationships and resource monopolies. With the development of informatization, the power of these “Brahmins” is gradually being broken down, and new social mobility is beginning to impact the appearance of small counties.

Overall, “County-Level Brahmins” is a fascinating social phenomenon that reflects the power and cultural structures within local societies. Although their “power” may not directly threaten national governance, they are undoubtedly important figures within their localities. In this era of rapid information flow and accelerating social change, these “Brahmins” in county towns may be facing unprecedented challenges.

Conclusion

It never would have occurred to me to write this piece. I was just curious about what Brahmin meant, so I tossed it to kimi, and the result was quite amusing. I could see that the web search had already produced a result, but it instantly changed to display related content unavailable. So I wondered if this word had some special meaning, and then I passed it on to ChatGPT, which resulted in this article.