Kayastha (also referred to as Kayasth or Kayeth) is a non-uniform functional social group of Hindus of India. It is formed of three communities- Chitraguptavanshi of North India, Chandraseniya(CKP) of Maharashtra and Bengali Kayastha of Bengal. As per the 1779 AD letter of council of Pandits of Benaras to the Brahmin Peshwa Darbar regarding varna status of various Kayastha subgroups, the Chitraguptavanshi Kayastha are Brahmins (Kayastha Brahmin/ Brahma Kayastha) while the CKP are Kshatriya.