The untouchable caste in India: description, history and interesting facts. Does 21st century India need castes? History of castes in India
Castes and Varnas in India: Brahmins, warriors, traders and artisans of India. Division into castes. High and low caste in India
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The division of Indian society into classes, called castes, originated in ancient times, has survived all the turns of history and social upheavals, and still exists today.
Since ancient times, the entire population of India has been divided into brahmins - priests and scientists, warriors - kshatriyas, traders and artisans - vaishyas and servants - shudras. Each caste, in turn, is divided into numerous subcastes, mainly along territorial and professional lines. Brahmans - the Indian elite can always be distinguished - these people with their mother's milk imbibed their purpose: to receive knowledge and gifts and to teach others.
They say that all Indian programmers are Brahmins.
In addition to the four castes, there are separate groups of untouchables, people engaged in the most dirty work, including leather processing, washing, working with clay and garbage collection. Members of the untouchable castes (which make up almost 20% of India's population) live in isolated ghettos in Indian cities and outside the outskirts of Indian villages. They cannot visit hospitals and shops, use public transport or enter government buildings.
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Among the untouchables themselves there is also a division into many groups. The top lines in the “table of ranks” of marginalized people are occupied by barbers and washerwomen; at the bottom are sansies who make a living by stealing animals.
The most mysterious group of untouchables is the hijra - bisexuals, eunuchs, transvestites and hermaphrodites, wearing women's clothes and subsisting in begging and prostitution. It would seem that what is strange here? However, hijras are integral participants in many religious rituals and are invited to weddings and births.
The only thing worse than the fate of an untouchable in India is that of a pariah. The word pariah, which evokes the image of a romantic sufferer, actually means a person who does not belong to any caste, practically excluded from all social relations. Pariahs were born from the union of people belonging to different castes, or from pariahs. By the way, before you could become a pariah simply by touching it.
Castes in India - the reality of today
Divided people into four classes called varnas. He created the first varna, the brahmanas, intended to enlighten and govern humanity, from his head or mouth; the second, kshatriyas (warriors), protectors of society, from the hand; the third, Vaishya, the nourishers of the state, from the stomach; the fourth, sudra, from the legs, devoting it to an eternal destiny - to serve the highest varnas. Over time, the varnas were divided into many sub-castes and castes, called jati in India. The European name is caste.
So, the four ancient castes of India, their rights and duties according to the ancient law of Manu*, which was strictly observed in.
(* Laws of Manu - an ancient Indian collection of instructions for religious, moral and social duty (dharma), today also called the “law of the Aryans” or “code of honor of the Aryans”).
Brahmins
Brahman “son of the sun, descendant of Brahma, god among men” (the usual titles of this class), according to the law of Menu, is the head of all created creatures; the whole universe is subject to him; the rest of the mortals owe the preservation of their lives to his intercession and prayers; his almighty curse can instantly destroy formidable generals with their numerous hordes, chariots and war elephants. Brahman can create new worlds; may even give birth to new gods. A Brahmin should be given greater honor than a king.
The integrity of a Brahman and his life are protected by bloody laws. If a Shudra dares to verbally insult a Brahman, then the law orders that a red-hot iron be driven into his throat, ten inches deep; and if he decides to give some instruction to the brahmana, boiling oil is poured into the unfortunate man’s mouth and ears. On the other hand, anyone is allowed to take a false oath or give false testimony before a court if by these actions one can save a Brahman from condemnation.
A Brahman cannot, under any condition, be executed or punished, either physically or financially, although he would be convicted of the most outrageous crimes: the only punishment to which he is subject is removal from the fatherland, or exclusion from the caste.
Brahmins are divided into lay and spiritual, and are divided according to their occupations into different classes. It is noteworthy that among the spiritual Brahmins, the priests occupy the lowest level, and the highest are those who devoted themselves only to the interpretation of the sacred books. Lay brahmins are the king's advisors, judges and other high officials.
Only a brahmana is given the right to interpret sacred books, conduct worship and predict the future; but he is deprived of this last right if he makes a mistake in his predictions three times. A Brahman can primarily heal, for “illness is the punishment of the gods”; only a Brahmin can be a judge because the civil and criminal laws of the Hindus are included in their holy books.
The entire way of life of a brahmana is built on the observance of a whole set of strict rules. For example, all brahmins are prohibited from accepting gifts from unworthy persons (lower castes). Music, dancing, hunting and gambling are also prohibited to all brahmanas. But the consumption of wine and all sorts of intoxicating things, such as onions, garlic, eggs, fish, any meat, except from animals slaughtered as a sacrifice to the gods, is prohibited only to lower brahmanas.
A Brahman will defile himself if he sits at the same table even with the king, not to mention members of the lower castes or his own wives. He is obliged not to look at the sun at certain hours and to leave the house when it rains; he cannot step through the rope to which the cow is tied, and must pass by this sacred animal or idol, only leaving it on his right.
In case of need, a Brahman is allowed to beg alms from people of the three highest castes and engage in trade; but under no circumstances can he serve anyone.
A Brahman who wants to receive the honorary title of interpreter of laws and supreme guru prepares for this through various hardships. He renounces marriage, devotes himself to a thorough study of the Vedas in some monastery for 12 years, refraining from even conversation for the last 5 and explaining himself only by signs; Thus, he finally achieves the desired goal and becomes a spiritual teacher.
Monetary support for the Brahman caste is also provided for by law. Generosity towards Brahmins constitutes a religious virtue for all believers, and is the direct duty of rulers. Upon the death of a rootless Brahman, his property goes not to the treasury, but to the caste. A brahmana does not pay any taxes. Thunder would kill the king who dared to encroach on the person or property of a Brahman; the poor Brahmin is maintained at state expense.
The life of a Brahmin is divided into 4 stages.
First stage begins even before birth, when learned men are sent to the pregnant wife of a brahman for conversations in order to “thus prepare the child for the perception of wisdom.” At 12 days the baby is given a name, at three years his head is shaved, leaving only a piece of hair called kudumi. Several years later, the child is placed in the arms of a spiritual mentor (guru). Education with this guru usually lasts from 7-8 to 15 years. During the entire period of education, which consists mainly of the study of the Vedas, the student is obliged to blindly obey his mentor and all members of his family. He is often entrusted with the most menial household tasks, and he must perform them unquestioningly. The will of the guru replaces his law and conscience; his smile serves as the best reward. At this stage, the child is considered one-born.
Second phase begins after the ritual of initiation or rebirth, which the young man undergoes after completing the teaching. From this moment on, he is twice-born. During this period, he marries, raises his family and performs the duties of a brahmin.
The third period of a brahmana's life is vanaprastra.. Having reached the age of 40, a brahmana enters the third period of his life, called vanaprastra. He must retire to deserted places and become a hermit. Here he covers his nakedness with tree bark or the skin of a black antelope; does not cut nails or hair; sleeps on a rock or on the ground; must spend days and nights “without a home, without a fire, in complete silence, and eating only roots and fruits.” The Brahman spends his days in prayer and mortification.
Having thus spent 22 years in prayer and fasting, the Brahmana enters the fourth department of life, called sannyas. Only here he is freed from all external rituals. The old hermit deepens into perfect contemplation. The soul of a brahmana who dies in a state of sannyas immediately acquires merger with the deity (nirvana); and his body, in a sitting position, is lowered into the pit and sprinkled with salt all around.
The color of a brahman's clothing depended on what spiritual structure they belonged to. Sanyasi, monks, renunciants of the world wore orange clothes, family ones wore white.
Kshatriyas
The second caste consists of kshatriyas, warriors. According to the law of Menu, members of this caste could make sacrifices, and the study of the Vedas was a special duty for princes and heroes; but subsequently the Brahmins left them only permission to read or listen to the Vedas, without analyzing or interpreting them, and appropriated the right to explain the texts to themselves.
Kshatriyas must give alms, but not accept them, avoid vices and sensual pleasures, and live simply, “as befits a warrior.” The law states that “the priestly caste cannot exist without the warrior caste, just as the latter cannot exist without the former, and that the peace of the whole world depends on the consent of both, on the union of knowledge and the sword.”
With few exceptions, all kings, princes, generals and first rulers belong to the second caste; Since ancient times, the judicial part and the management of education have been in the hands of Brahmins (Brahmins). Kshatriyas are allowed to consume all meat except beef. This caste was previously divided into three parts: all the ruling and non-ruling princes (rayas) and their children (rayanutras) belonged to the upper class.
Kshatriyas wore red clothes.
Vaishya
The third caste is the Vaishyas. Previously, they too participated both in sacrifices and in the right to read the Vedas, but later, through the efforts of the brahmanas, they lost these advantages. Although the Vaishyas stood much lower than the Kshatriyas, they still occupied an honorable place in society. They had to engage in trade, arable farming and cattle breeding. The Vaishya's rights to property were respected, and his fields were considered inviolable. He had the religious right to let money grow.
The highest castes - Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, used all three scarfs, senar, each caste - their own, and were called twice-born, as opposed to once-born - Shudras.
Shudras
The duty of a sudra, Menu says briefly, is to serve the three higher castes. It is best for a Shudra to serve a Brahmin, if not a Kshatriya, and finally a Vaishya. In this only case, if he does not find an opportunity to enter into service, he is allowed to take up a useful craft. The soul of a Shudra, who has diligently and honestly served his entire life as a Brahmin, upon migration, is reborn into a person of the highest caste.
A Shudra is forbidden to even look at the Vedas. A Brahman not only has no right to interpret the Vedas to a Shudra, but is also obliged to read them to himself in the presence of the latter. A Brahmin who allows himself to interpret the law to a Shudra, or explain to him the means of repentance, will be punished in the Asamarit hell.
A Shudra must eat the scraps of his masters and wear their cast-offs. He is forbidden to acquire anything, “so that he does not take it into his head to become arrogant to the temptation of the sacred Brahmins.” If a Shudra verbally insults a Veisha or a Kshatriya, his tongue is cut out; if he dares to sit next to the Brahman, or take his place, then a red-hot iron is applied to the more guilty part of the body. The name of a sudra, says the law of Menu: there is a swear word, and the fine for killing it does not exceed the amount that is paid for the death of an unimportant domestic animal, for example, a dog or a cat. Killing a cow is considered a much more reprehensible matter: killing a Shudra is a misdemeanor; Killing a cow is a sin!
Bondage is the natural position of a Shudra, and the master cannot free him by giving him leave; “for, says the law: who, except death, can liberate a Sudra from the natural state?”
It is quite difficult for us Europeans to understand such an alien world and we, involuntarily, want to bring everything under our own concepts - and this is what misleads us. So, for example, according to the concepts of the Hindus, the Shudras constitute a class of people designated by nature for service in general, but at the same time they are not considered slaves and do not constitute the property of private individuals.
The attitude of the masters towards the Shudras, despite the given examples of an inhuman view of them, from a religious point of view, was determined by civil law, especially the measure and method of punishment, which in all respects coincided with the patriarchal punishments allowed by folk custom in the relations of father to son or elder brother to to the younger, husband to wife, and guru to disciple.
Impure castes
Just as almost everywhere women were subjected to discrimination and all kinds of restrictions, so in India the strictness of caste division weighs much more heavily on women than on men. When entering into a second marriage, a man is allowed to choose a wife from a lower caste other than a Shudra. So, for example, a Brahmin can marry a woman of the second or even third caste; the children of this mixed marriage will occupy a middle rank between the castes of the father and mother. A woman, marrying a man of a lower caste, commits a crime: she defiles herself and all her offspring. Shudras can only marry among themselves.
The mixing of any of the castes with the Shudras gives rise to impure castes, of which the most despicable is the one that comes from the mixing of a Shudra with a Brahmin. The members of this caste are called Chandalas, and must be executioners or flayers; the touch of a chandala entails expulsion from the caste.
The Untouchables
Below the unclean castes there is still a miserable race of pariahs. They do the lowest jobs together with the Chandals. The pariahs skin the carrion, process it, and eat the meat; but they abstain from cow meat. Their touch defiles not only a person, but also objects. They have their own special wells; near the cities they are given a special quarter, surrounded by a moat and slingshots. They also do not have the right to show themselves in villages, but must hide in forests, caves and swamps.
A Brahmin, defiled by the shadow of a pariah, must bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges, for only they can wash away such a stain of shame.
Even lower than the Pariah are the Pulai, who live on the Malabar Coast. Slaves of the Nairs, they are forced to take refuge in damp dungeons, and do not dare to raise their eyes to the noble Hindu. Seeing a Brahmin or Nair from afar, the pulai emit a loud roar to warn the masters of their proximity, and while the “gentlemen” are waiting on the road, they must hide in a cave, in the thicket of the forest, or climb a tall tree. Those who did not have time to hide are cut down by the Nairs like an unclean reptile. The Pulai live in terrible untidiness, eating carrion and all kinds of meat except cow meat.
But even a pulai can rest for a moment from the overwhelming universal contempt; There are human creatures even more pitiful, lower than him: these are the pariyars, lower because, sharing all the humiliation of the pulai, they allow themselves to eat cow meat!.. You can imagine how the soul of a devout Hindu shudders at such sacrilege, and therefore the Europeans and Muslims who also do not respect the sanctity of fat Indian cows and introduce them to the location of their kitchen, all of them, in his opinion, morally, are completely in line with the despicable pariar.
Any traveler who decides to visit India has probably heard or read that the population of this country is divided into castes. There is nothing like this in other countries; castes are considered a purely Indian phenomenon, so every tourist simply needs to get acquainted with this topic in more detail.
How did castes appear?
According to legend, the god Brahma created varnas from parts of his body:
- Mouths are brahmins.
- Hands are kshatriyas.
- Hips are vaishyas.
- The feet are sudras.
Varnas are a more general concept. There are only 4 of them, while there can be a great many castes. All Indian classes differed from each other in a number of features: they had their own duties, homes, individual color of clothing, the color of the dot on the forehead and special food. Marriages between members of different varnas and castes were strictly prohibited. Hindus believed that the human soul is reborn. If someone has followed all the rules and laws of his caste throughout his life, in his next life he will rise to a higher class. Otherwise he will lose everything he had.
A little history
It is believed that the first castes in India appeared at the very beginning of the formation of the state. This happened about one and a half thousand years BC, when in the territory modern India The first settlers began to live. They were divided into 4 classes, later these groups were called varnas, which literally means “color”. The word “caste” itself contains a certain concept: origin or pure breed. Each caste over the centuries was determined mainly by profession or type of activity. The family craft passed from father to son and remained unchanged for dozens of generations. Any Indian castes lived under a certain set of regulations and religious traditions that regulated the norms of behavior of their members. The country developed, and along with it the number of different population groups increased. The multiple castes in India were amazing in their numbers: there were more than 2000 of them.
Caste divisions in India
Caste is a certain level in the social hierarchy that divides the entire population of India into separate groups of low and high birth. Belonging to one or another part determines the type of activity, profession, place of residence, as well as who a person can marry. The division into castes in India is gradually losing its significance. In modern major cities and in the educated environment, division into castes is officially prohibited, but there are still classes that largely determine the life of entire groups of the Indian population:
- Brahmins are the most educated group: priests, mentors, teachers and scholars.
- Kshatriyas are warriors, nobles and rulers.
- Vaishyas are artisans, cattle breeders and farmers.
- Shudras are workers, servants.
There is also a fifth group representing the Indian castes - the untouchables, who have recently come to be called the oppressed. These people do the hardest and dirtiest work.
Characteristics of castes
All castes in Ancient India are characterized by certain criteria:
- Endogamy, that is, marriages can only take place between members of the same caste.
- By heredity and continuity: you cannot move from one caste to another.
- You cannot eat with representatives of other castes. In addition, any physical contact with them is strictly prohibited.
- A specific place in the structure of society.
- Limited choice of professions.
Brahmins
Brahmins are the highest varna of Hindus. This is the highest Indian caste. The main goal of brahmins is to teach others and learn themselves, bring gifts to the gods and make sacrifices. Their main color is white. At the very beginning, only the priests were Brahmins, and only in their hands was the right to interpret the word of God. Thanks to this, these Indian castes began to occupy the highest position, since only God himself was higher, and only they could communicate with him. Later, scientists, teachers, preachers, and officials began to be classified as the highest caste.
Men of this caste were not allowed to work in the fields, and women could only do housework. A brahmana should not eat food prepared by a person from another class. In modern India, more than 75% of government officials are representatives of this caste. There are unequal relations among the various subclasses. But even the poorest of the Brahmin subcaste occupies a higher level than others. Killing a member of the highest caste in ancient India is the greatest crime. From time immemorial it was punishable by death in a cruel form.
Kshatriyas
Translated, “kshatriya” means “powerful, noble.” These include nobles, military personnel, managers, and kings. The main task of a kshatriya is to protect the weak, fight for justice, law and order. This is the second most important varna representing the Indian castes. This class maintained its existence by collecting minimal taxes, duties and fines from subordinates. Previously, warriors had special rights. They were the only ones allowed to carry out punishments against members of castes other than Brahmins, including execution and murder. Modern kshatriyas are military officers, representatives of law enforcement agencies, and heads of enterprises and firms.
Vaishyas and Shudras
The main task of a vaishya is work related to raising livestock, cultivating the land and harvesting crops. This is any socially respected occupation. For this work, the vaishya receives a profit or salary. Their color is yellow. This is the main population of the country. In modern India, these are clerks, simple hired workers who receive money for their work and are satisfied with it.
Representatives of the lowest caste in India are the Shudras. From time immemorial they have been engaged in the most difficult and dirty work. Their color is black. In Ancient India these were slaves and servants. The purpose of the Shudras is to serve the three highest castes. They did not have their own property and could not pray to the gods. Even in our time, this is the poorest segment of the population, which often lives below the poverty line.
The Untouchables
This category includes people whose soul sinned greatly in a past life, the lowest stratum of society. But even among them there are numerous groups. The highest classes, representing the untouchable Indian castes, photos of which can be seen in historical publications, are people who have at least some kind of craft, for example, garbage and toilet cleaners. At the very bottom of the hierarchical caste ladder are petty thieves who steal livestock. The most unusual layer of untouchable society is considered to be the hijru group, which includes representatives of all sexual minorities. Interestingly, these representatives are often invited to weddings or births of children, and they often participate in church ceremonies.
The worst person is the one who does not belong to any caste. The name of this category of the population is pariahs. These include people who were born from other pariahs or as a result of inter-caste marriages and who are not recognized by any class.
Modern India
Although there is a public perception that modern India is free from the prejudices of the past, today this is far from the case. The system of division into classes has not disappeared anywhere; castes in modern India are as strong as ever. When a child enters school, he is asked what religion he professes. If it is Hindu, the next question will be about his caste. Also, when entering a university or college, caste is of great importance. If a future student belongs to a higher caste, he needs to score fewer points, etc.
Belonging to a particular class affects employment, as well as how a person wants to arrange his future. A girl from a Brahmin family is unlikely to marry a man from the Vaishya caste. Unfortunately it is so. But if the groom is higher in social status than the bride, an exception is sometimes made. In such marriages, the child's caste will be determined by the paternal line. Such caste rules regarding marriage have been completely unchanged since ancient times and cannot be relaxed in any way.
The desire to officially downplay the importance of caste in modern India has led to the absence of a line on membership in a particular group in the latest census forms. The last data on castes in censuses was published in 1931. Despite this, the cumbersome mechanism of dividing the population into classes still works. This is especially noticeable in the remote provinces of India. Although the caste system appeared thousands of years ago, today it is alive, working and developing. It allows people to be around others like themselves, provides support from fellow humans, and defines rules and behavior in society.
India's caste system continues to attract interest. Castes in India are a truly curious social phenomenon, but a tourist traveling to India is unlikely to encounter it; there are many Indian travelers who live there for months, but are not interested in castes because they are not necessary for life.The caste system is not exotic, it is part of the complex organization of Indian society, a multifaceted phenomenon that has been studied by Indologists and ethnographers for centuries, dozens of thick books have been written about it, so I will publish here only 10 interesting facts about Indian castes - about the most popular questions and misconceptions.
1. What is an Indian caste?
Indian caste is such a complex phenomenon that it is simply impossible to give an exhaustively complete definition!
Castes can only be described through a number of characteristics, but there will still be exceptions.
Caste in India is a system of social stratification, a separate social group related by the origin and legal status of its members. Castes in India are built according to the principles: 1) common religion (this rule is always observed); 2) one profession, usually hereditary; 3) members of castes marry only among themselves, as a rule; 4) members of the caste generally do not eat with strangers, with the exception of other Hindu castes of significantly higher social position than their own; 5) caste members can be determined by who they can accept water and food, processed and raw.
2. There are 4 castes in India
In India there are not 4, but about 3 thousand castes, they can be called differently in different parts of the country, and people with the same profession can have different castes in different states. Full list castes by state see http://socialjustice...
What nameless people on tourist and other near-Indian sites call 4 castes are not castes at all, they are 4 varnas - chaturvarnya in Sanskrit - an ancient social system.
4 Varnas (वर्ना) is an ancient Indian class system. Varna brahmins (more correctly a brahmin) historically are clergy, doctors, teachers. Varna Kshatriyas (in ancient times it was called Rajanya) are rulers and warriors. Varna vaishyas are farmers and traders, and varna sudras are laborers and landless peasants who work for others.
Varna is a color (in Sanskrit again), and each Indian varna has its own color: the Brahmins have white, the Kshatriyas have red, the Vaishyas have yellow, the Shudras have black, and before, when all representatives of the varnas wore a sacred thread - it was just the color of their varna.
Varnas correlate with castes, but in very different ways, sometimes there is no direct connection, and since we have already delved into science, it must be said that Indian castes, unlike varnas, are called jati - जाति.
Read more about Indian castes in modern India http://indonet.ru/St...
3. Caste Untouchables
The untouchables are not a caste. During times ancient india everyone who was not part of the 4 varnas automatically found themselves “outside” of Indian society; these strangers were avoided and not allowed to live in villages, which is why they are called untouchables. Subsequently, these untouchable strangers began to be used in the dirtiest, low-paid and shameful work, and formed their own social and professional groups, that is, untouchable castes, there are several of them, as a rule, this is associated either with dirty work, or with the killing of living beings or death, so that all hunters and fishermen, as well as gravediggers and tanners, are untouchable.
At the same time, it is not correct to assume that every untouchable is uneducated and poor, this is not true. In India, even before it gained independence and the adoption of a number of legislative measures to prevent discrimination against lower castes and tribes, there were untouchables who were able to achieve outstanding success in society, an example of this is the most famous untouchable india- An outstanding Indian political and public figure, human rights activist and author of the Indian Constitution - Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar, who received a law degree in England. And just recently, not just a Dalit, but also a hijra became the mayor of a city in India http://indonet.ru/fo. ..
4. When did Indian castes appear?
Normatively, that is, legislatively, the caste-jati system in India was recorded in the Laws of Manu, which date back to the 2nd century BC.
The Varna system is much older; there is no exact dating. I wrote in more detail about the history of the issue in the article Castes of India, from varnas to modern times http://indonet.ru/ar ...
5. Castes have been abolished in India
Castes in India are not abolished or prohibited, as is often written.
On the contrary, all castes in India are counted and listed in the annex to the Indian Constitution, which is called the Table of Castes. In addition, after the population census, changes are made to this table, usually additions; the point is not that new castes appear, but that they are recorded in accordance with the data indicated about themselves by the census participants.
Only discrimination on the basis of caste is prohibited, this is written in Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, see the test at http://lawmin.nic.in ...
6. Every Indian has a caste
No, this is also not true.
Indian society is very heterogeneous in its structure, and besides the division into castes there are several others.
There are caste and non-caste Indians, for example, representatives of Indian tribes (aboriginals, adivasis) with rare exceptions do not have castes. And the part of non-caste Indians is quite large, see the census results at http://censusindia.g. ..
In addition, for some misdemeanors (crimes) a person can be expelled from the caste and thus deprived of his status and position in society.
7. Castes exist only in India
No, this is a fallacy. There are castes in other countries, for example, in Nepal and Sri Lanka, since these countries developed in the womb of the same huge Indian civilization, as well as in Bali. But there are castes in other cultures, for example, in Tibet, and Tibetan castes do not correlate with Indian castes at all, since the class structure of Tibetan society was formed independently from India.
About the castes of Nepal, see Ethnic mosaic of Nepal http://indonet.ru/St ...
8. Only Hindus have castes
No, this is not the case now, we need to go deeper into history.
Historically, when the overwhelming majority of the Indian population professed Hinduism - all Hindus belonged to some caste, the only exceptions were pariahs expelled from castes and the indigenous, tribal peoples of India who did not profess Hinduism and were not part of Indian society. Then other religions began to spread in India - Buddhism, Jainism, India was invaded by other peoples, and representatives of other religions and peoples began to adopt from the Hindus their class system of varnas and the system of professional castes - jati. Now there are castes in Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Christianity, but they are different from the Hindu castes.
It is curious that in northern India, in the modern states of Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir, the Buddhist caste system is not of Indian, but of Tibetan origin.
It is even more curious that even European Christian missionary preachers were drawn into the Indian caste system: those who preached the teachings of Christ to high-born Brahmins ended up in the Christian “Brahmin” caste, and those who communicated with untouchable fishermen became Christian untouchables.
9. You need to know the caste of the Indian you are communicating with and behave accordingly.
This is a common misconception, propagated by travel sites, for no known reason and not based on anything.
It is impossible to determine which caste an Indian belongs to just by his appearance, and often by his occupation too. One acquaintance worked as a waiter, although he came from a noble Rajput family (that is, he is a kshatriya). I was able to identify a Nepalese waiter I knew by his behavior as an aristocrat, since we had known each other for a long time, I asked and he confirmed that this was true, and the guy was not working because of a lack of money at all.
My old friend started his working career at the age of 9 as a laborer, cleaning up trash in a shop... do you think he is a Shudra? no, he is a Brahmin (Brahmin) from a poor family and his 8th child... another 1 Brahmin I know sells in a shop, he is the only son, he needs to earn money...
Another friend of mine is so religious and bright that one would think that he is a real, ideal Brahmin. But no, he was just a sudra, and he was proud of it, and those who know what seva means will understand why.
And even if an Indian says what caste he is, although such a question is considered rude, it will still give nothing to the tourist; a person who does not know India will not understand what and why it works in this amazing country. So there is no need to be puzzled by the caste issue, because in India it is sometimes difficult to even determine the gender of the interlocutor, and this is probably more important :)
10. Caste discrimination
India is a democratic country and, in addition to prohibiting caste discrimination, has introduced benefits for representatives of lower castes and tribes, for example, there are quotas for admission to higher educational establishments, to occupy positions in state and municipal bodies.
The problem of discrimination against people from lower castes, Dalits and tribal people in India is quite serious, casteism is still the basis of life for hundreds of millions of Indians outside major cities, it is there that the caste structure and all the prohibitions arising from it are still preserved, for example, Indian Shudras are not allowed into some temples in India, it is there that almost all caste crimes occur, for example, a completely typical crime http://indonet.ru/bl. ..
If you are seriously interested in the caste system in India, I can recommend, in addition to the articles section http://indonet.ru/ca ... on this site and publications on the Hindunet, reading books by major European Indologists of the 20th century:
1. Academic 4-volume work by R.V. Russell "Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India"
2. Monograph by Louis Dumont "Homo hierarchicus. Experience in describing the caste system"
Besides, in last years A number of books on this topic have been published in India, unfortunately I have not held them in my hands.
If you are not ready to read scientific literature, read the novel “The God of Small Things” by the very popular modern Indian writer Arundhati Roy, it can be found in RuNet.
At the end of July, a 14-year-old untouchable, held in sexual slavery by a neighbor for a month, died in a hospital ward in New Delhi. The dying woman told the police that the kidnapper threatened her with a knife, forced her to drink juice mixed with acid, did not feed her, and, together with his friends, raped her several times a day. As law enforcement officers found out, this was the second kidnapping - the previous one was committed by the same person in December last year, but he was released on bail. According to local media, the court showed such leniency towards the criminal because his victim was a Dalit (untouchable), which means her life and freedom were worth nothing. Although discrimination based on caste is prohibited in India, Dalits are still the poorest, most disadvantaged and most uneducated section of society. Why this is so and how far up the social ladder the untouchables can rise - Lenta.ru explains.
How did the untouchables appear?
According to the most common version, these are descendants of representatives of tribes who lived in India before the Aryan invasion. In the traditional Aryan system of society, consisting of four varnas - Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (traders and artisans) and Shudras (wage earners) - Dalits were at the very bottom, below the Shudras, who were also descendants of the pre-Aryan inhabitants of India . At the same time, in India itself there is a widespread version that arose back in the 19th century, according to which the untouchables are the descendants of children expelled to the forests, born from the relationship of a Shudra man and a Brahmin woman.
The oldest Indian literary monument, the Rigveda (compiled in 1700-1100 BC), says that the Brahmins originated from the mouth of the proto-man Purusha, the Kshatriyas from the hands, the Vaishyas from the thighs, and the Shudras from the feet. There is no place for untouchables in this picture of the world. The varna system finally took shape between the 7th century BC. and 2nd century AD
It is believed that an untouchable person can defile people from higher varnas, so their houses and villages were built on the outskirts. The system of ritual restrictions among the untouchables is no less strict than among the brahmanas, although the restrictions themselves are completely different. Untouchables were forbidden to enter restaurants and temples, carry umbrellas and shoes, walk around in shirts and sunglasses, but they were allowed to eat meat - which strict vegetarian Brahmins could not afford.
Is that what they call them in India - “untouchables”?
Now this word has almost fallen into disuse and is considered offensive. The most common name for untouchables is Dalits, “oppressed”, or “oppressed”. Previously, there was also the word “harijans” - “children of God”, which Mahatma Gandhi tried to introduce into use. But it didn’t catch on: Dalits found it as offensive as “untouchables.”
How many Dalits are there in India and how many castes do they have?
Approximately 170 million people - 16.6 percent of the total population. The issue of the number of castes is very complex, since Indians themselves almost never use the word “caste,” preferring the more vague concept of “jati,” which includes not only castes in the usual sense, but also clans and communities, which are often difficult to classify as one or another. another varna. Moreover, the boundary between caste and sub-caste is often very blurred. We can only say with certainty that we are talking about hundreds of jatis.
Do Dalits still live in poverty? How is social status related to economic status?
In general, the lower castes are indeed significantly poorer. The bulk of India's poor are Dalits. The average literacy rate in the country is 75 percent, among Dalits it is just over 30. Almost half of Dalit children, according to statistics, drop out of school because of the humiliation they are subjected to there. It is Dalits who make up the bulk of the unemployed; and those who are employed tend to be paid less than members of the upper castes.
Although there are exceptions: there are approximately 30 Dalit millionaires in India. Of course, against the backdrop of 170 million poor people and beggars, this is a drop in the bucket, but with their lives they prove that you can achieve success even as a Dalit. As a rule, these are truly outstanding people: Ashok Khade from the Chamar (tanner) caste, the son of an illiterate poor shoemaker, worked as a docker during the day, and at night he read textbooks to get an engineering degree, and slept under the stairs on the street, since he did not enough money to rent a room. Now his company is doing deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This is a typical Dalit success story, a kind of blue dream for millions of underprivileged people.
Have the untouchables ever tried to start a rebellion?
As far as we know, no. Before the colonization of India, this thought could hardly have arisen in our heads: at that time, expulsion from the caste was equivalent to physical death. After colonization, social boundaries began to gradually blur, and after India gained independence, rebellion became meaningless for Dalits - they were provided with all the conditions to achieve their goals through political means.
How deeply submissiveness has become ingrained in the Dalit consciousness can be illustrated by an example given by Russian researchers Felix and Evgenia Yurlov. The Bahujan Samaj Party, which represents the interests of the lower castes, organized special training camps, in which they learned to “overcome age-old fear and apprehension in the face of high-caste Hindus.” Among the exercises was, for example, the following: a stuffed figure of a high-caste Hindu with a mustache and a tilak (dot) on his forehead was installed. The Dalit had to overcome his shyness, approach the scarecrow, cut off its mustache with scissors and erase the tilak.
Is it possible to break out of the untouchables?
It is possible, although not easy. The easiest way is to change religion. A person who converts to Buddhism, Islam or Christianity technically falls out of the caste system. Dalits first began converting to Buddhism in noticeable numbers at the end of the 19th century. Mass conversions are associated with the name of the famous Dalit rights activist Dr. Ambedkar, who converted to Buddhism along with half a million untouchables. The last such mass ceremony took place in Mumbai in 2007 - then 50 thousand people simultaneously became Buddhists.
Dalits prefer to convert to Buddhism. Firstly, Indian nationalists treat this religion better than Islam and Christianity, since it is one of the traditional Indian religions. Secondly, over time, Muslims and Christians developed their own caste divisions, albeit not as clearly expressed as among Hindus.
Is it possible to change caste while remaining Hindu?
There are two options: the first is all kinds of semi-legal or illegal methods. For example, many surnames indicating membership in a particular caste differ by one or two letters. It is enough to be slightly corrupt or charming a clerk in a government office - and, voila, you are already a member of another caste, and sometimes even a varna. It is better, of course, to perform such tricks either in the city, or in combination with moving to another area, where there are not thousands of fellow villagers around who knew your grandfather.
The second option is the “ghar vapasi” procedure, literally “welcome home”. This program is implemented by radical Hindu organizations and aims to convert Indians of other religions to Hinduism. In this case, a person becomes, for example, a Christian, then sprinkles ashes on his head, declaring his desire to perform “ghar vapasi” - and that’s it, he is a Hindu again. If this trick is done outside your home village, you can always claim that you belong to a different caste.
Another question is why do all this. You will not be asked for a caste certificate when applying for a job or when entering a restaurant. In India, over the last century, the caste system has been demolished under the influence of the processes of modernization and globalization. The attitude towards a stranger is built on the basis of his behavior. The only thing that can let you down is the surname, which is most often associated with caste (Gandhi - traders, Deshpande - Brahmins, Acharis - carpenters, Guptas - Vaishyas, Singhs - Kshatriyas). But now, when anyone can change their last name, everything has become much easier.
How about changing varna without changing caste?
There is a chance that your caste will undergo the process of Sanskritization. In Russian this is called “vertical mobility of castes”: if one caste adopts the traditions and customs of another caste of higher status, there is a chance that sooner or later it will be recognized as a member of a higher varna. For example, a lower caste begins to practice vegetarianism, characteristic of brahmins, dress like brahmins, wear a sacred thread on the wrist and generally position themselves as brahmins, it is possible that sooner or later they will begin to be treated as brahmins.
However, vertical mobility is characteristic mainly of the higher varna castes. Not a single Dalit caste has yet managed to cross the invisible line separating them from the four varnas and become even Shudras. But times are changing.
In general, being a Hindu, you are not required to declare membership in any caste. You can be a casteless Hindu - your right.
Why change the caste in principle?
It all depends on which direction to change - up or down. Raising your caste status means that others who value caste will treat you with more respect. Downgrading your status, especially to the level of the Dalit caste, will give you a number of real advantages, which is why many representatives of higher castes try to enroll as Dalits.
The fact is that in modern India the authorities are waging a merciless fight against caste discrimination. According to the constitution, any discrimination on the basis of caste is prohibited, and you will even have to pay a fine for asking about caste when hiring.
But the country has a mechanism of positive discrimination. A number of castes and tribes are included in the Scheduled Tribes and Castes (SC/ST) list. Representatives of these castes have certain privileges, which are confirmed by caste certificates. Seats are reserved for Dalits in the civil service and in parliament, their children are admitted free of charge (or for half the fee) to schools, and places are allocated for them in institutes. In short, there is a quota system for Dalits.
It's hard to say whether this is good or bad. The author of these lines met Dalits who were capable of giving a head start to any Brahmin in terms of intelligence and general development - quotas helped them rise from the bottom and get an education. On the other hand, we had to see Dalits going with the flow (first according to quotas for college, then according to the same quotas for the civil service), not interested in anything and not wanting to work. They cannot be fired, so their future is secured until old age and a good pension. Many in India criticize the quota system, many defend it.
So Dalits can be politicians?
How can they? For example, Kocheril Raman Narayanan, who was the President of India from 1997 to 2002, was a Dalit. Another example is Mayawati Prabhu Das, also known as the Iron Lady Mayawati, who served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for a total of eight years.
Are the number of Dalits the same in all states of India?
No, it varies, and quite significantly. The largest number of Dalits live in the state of Uttar Pradesh (20.5 percent of all Dalits in India), followed by West Bengal (10.7 percent). However, as a percentage of the total population, Punjab leads with 31.9 percent, followed by Himachal Pradesh with 25.2 percent.
How can Dalits work?
Theoretically, anyone - from the president to the toilet cleaner. Many Dalits act in films and work as fashion models. In cities where caste lines are blurred, there are no restrictions at all; In villages where ancient traditions are strong, Dalits are still engaged in “unclean” work: skinning dead animals, digging graves, prostitution, and so on.
If a child is born as a result of an inter-caste marriage, which caste will he be assigned to?
Traditionally in India, a child was registered as a lower caste. It is now believed that a child inherits his father's caste, except in the state of Kerala, where according to local law, the mother's caste is inherited. This is theoretically possible in other states, but in each individual case it is decided through the courts.
A typical story happened in 2012: then a Kshatriya man married a woman from the Nayak tribe. The boy was registered as a kshatriya, but then his mother, through the court, ensured that the child was registered as a nayak so that he could take advantage of the bonuses provided to disadvantaged tribes.
If I, as a tourist in India, touch a Dalit, will I then be able to shake hands with a Brahmin?
Foreigners in Hinduism are already considered unclean because they are outside the caste system, so they can touch anyone and for whatever reason without desecrating themselves in any way. If a practicing Brahman decides to communicate with you, he will still have to perform purification rituals, so whether you shook the Dalit’s hand before or not is essentially indifferent.
Do they make inter-caste porn with Dalits in India?
Of course they do. Moreover, judging by the number of views on specialized sites, it is very popular.