Castes in India: Features of Society

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Indian society is divided into estates called castes. This division took place many thousands of years ago and has survived to this day. Hindus believe that, following the rules established in their caste, in the next life you can be born as a representative of a slightly higher and revered caste, take a much better position in society.

After leaving the Indus Valley, the Indian Aryans conquered the country along the Ganges and founded many states here, whose population consisted of two estates, differing in legal and material status. The new Aryan settlers, the victors, seized for themselves land, and honor, and power in India, and the defeated non-Indo-European natives were thrown into contempt and humiliation, turned into slavery or a dependent state, or, driven into the forests and mountains, led there in inaction thoughts of a meager life without any culture. This result of the Aryan conquest gave rise to the origin of the four main Indian castes (varnas).

Those original inhabitants of India, who were subdued by the power of the sword, were subjected to the fate of captives and became simply slaves. The Indians, who submitted voluntarily, renounced their fatherly gods, adopted the language, laws and customs of the victors, retained personal freedom, but lost all land property and had to live as workers on the Aryan estates, servants and porters, in the homes of rich people. From these came the sudra caste. "Shudra" is not a Sanskrit word. Before it became the name of one of the Indian castes, it was probably the name of some people. The Aryans considered it beneath their dignity to enter into marriage with the representatives of the Shudra caste. Shudra women were only concubines among the Aryans. Over time, between the Aryan conquerors of India themselves, sharp differences of states and professions formed. But in relation to the lower caste - the dark-skinned, subjugated indigenous population - they all remained a privileged class. Only the Aryans had the right to read the sacred books; only they were consecrated by a solemn ceremony: a sacred thread was placed on the Aryan, making him "reborn" (or "twice born", dvija). This rite served as a symbolic difference between all Aryans from the Shudra caste and driven into the forests, despised by the native tribes. Consecration was performed by laying on a cord, which is worn placed on the right shoulder and dipping obliquely along the chest. In the Brahmin caste, the cord could be placed on a boy from 8 to 15 years old, and it is made of cotton yarn; for the Kshatriya caste, who received it not earlier than 11 years old, it was made from kushi (Indian spinning plant), and among the Vaisya caste, who received it not earlier than the 12th year, it was woolen.

"Twice-born" Aryans over time were divided by differences of occupation and origin into three estates or castes, which bear some resemblance to the three estates of medieval Europe: the clergy, the nobility and the urban middle class. The embryos of caste devices among the Aryans existed even in those days when they lived only in the Indus basin: there, from the mass of the agricultural and shepherd population, the warlike princes of the tribes, surrounded by people skilled in military affairs, as well as the priests performing the rituals of sacrifice, were already distinguished. With the resettlement of the Aryan tribes further inland, to the country of the Ganges, the warlike energy increased in bloody wars with the exterminated natives, and then in a fierce struggle between the Aryan tribes. Until the conquests were completed, the entire people were engaged in military affairs. Only when the peaceful possession of the conquered country began, it became possible to develop a variety of occupations, the possibility of choosing between different professions appeared, and a new stage in the origin of castes began.

The fertility of the Indian land aroused the attraction to the peaceful acquisition of livelihoods. This quickly developed a tendency innate to the Aryans, according to which it was more pleasant for them to work calmly and enjoy the fruits of their labor than to make heavy military efforts. Therefore, a significant part of the settlers ("Vishy") turned to agriculture, which gave abundant harvests, leaving the struggle against enemies and the protection of the country to the princes of the tribes and the military nobility formed during the period of conquest. This class, engaged in farming and partly shepherding, soon expanded so that among the Aryans, as in Western Europe, it formed a huge majority of the population. Therefore, the name Vaishya "settler", originally denoting all the Aryan inhabitants in the new regions, began to denote only the people of the third, working Indian caste, and the warriors, kshatriyas and priests, brahmanas ("praying"), who over time became privileged estates, made the names of their professions by the names of the two higher castes.

The four above-mentioned Indian estates became completely closed castes (varnas) only when brahmanism rose above the ancient service of Indra and other gods of nature - a new religious teaching about Brahma, the soul of the universe, the source of life from which all beings originated and to which all beings will return. This reformed doctrine gave religious sanctity to the division of the Indian nation into castes, especially the priestly caste. It said that in the cycle of life forms traversed by everyone on earth, a brahmana is the highest form of being. According to the dogma of rebirth and transmigration of souls, a being born in a human form must pass through all four castes in turn: be a sudra, vaisya, kshatriya and finally a brahmana; after passing through these forms of being, it is reunited with Brahma. The only way to achieve this goal is that a person, constantly striving for the deity, exactly fulfills everything commanded by the brahmanas, honors them, pleases them with gifts and signs of respect. Offenses against the brahmanas, which are severely punished on earth, subject the wicked to the most terrible torments of hell and rebirth in the forms of despised animals.

The belief in the dependence of the future life on the present was the main support of the Indian caste division and the dominion of the priests. The more decisively the Brahman clergy placed the dogma of transmigration of souls as the center of all moral teaching, the more successfully it filled the people's fantasy with terrible pictures of hellish torment, the more honor and influence it acquired. Representatives of the highest caste of Brahmins are close to the gods; they know the path leading to Brahma; their prayers, sacrifices, holy deeds of their asceticism have magical power over the gods, the gods have to fulfill their will; bliss and suffering in the future life depends on them. It is not surprising that with the development of religiosity among the Indians, the power of the brahmana caste increased, tirelessly praising in their holy teachings reverence and generosity to the brahmanas as the surest ways to obtain bliss, which inspired the kings that the ruler must have his advisers and make the brahmanas judges, is obliged to reward their service with rich content and godly gifts.

So that the lower Indian castes do not envy the privileged position of the Brahmans and do not encroach on it, the teaching was developed and intensively preached that the forms of life for all creatures are predetermined by Brahma, and that the progress along the degrees of human rebirth is accomplished only by a calm, peaceful life in a given position, true performance of duties. Thus, in one of the most ancient parts of the Mahabharata it is said: “When Brahma created beings, he gave them their occupations, each caste a special activity: brahmanas - the study of the high Vedas, warriors - heroism, Vaisyam - the art of labor, sudram - obedience to other flowers: therefore ignorant brahmanas, not glorious warriors, unsophisticated vaisyas and disobedient sudras are blameworthy. This dogma, which ascribed to every caste, every profession a divine origin, consoled the humiliated and despised in the insults and deprivations of their present life with the hope of improving their fate in their future existence. He gave religious consecration to the Indian caste hierarchy.

The division of people into four classes, unequal in their rights, was from this point of view an eternal, unchanging law, the violation of which is the most criminal sin. People have no right to overthrow the caste barriers established between them by God himself; they can achieve improvement of their fate only by patient obedience. The mutual relations between the Indian castes were graphically characterized by teaching; that Brahma produced the brahmanas from his lips (or the first man Purusha), the kshatriyas from his hands, the best from the thighs, the sudras from the feet soiled in mud, therefore the essence of nature for the brahmanas is “holiness and wisdom”, for the kshatriyas it is “power and strength ", for the vaisyas -" wealth and profit ", for the sudras -" service and obedience. " The doctrine of the origin of castes from different parts of the highest being is set forth in one of the hymns of the latest, newest book of the Rig Veda. In the more ancient songs of the Rig Veda, there are no caste concepts. The brahmanas attach great importance to this hymn, and every true believing brahmana recites it every morning after bathing. This hymn is the diploma with which the brahmanas legitimized their privileges, their dominion.

Thus, the Indian people were led by their history, their inclinations and customs to the fact that they fell under the yoke of the caste hierarchy, which turned estates and professions into tribes alien to each other, drowning out all human aspirations, all the inclinations of humanity. The main characteristics of castesEach Indian caste has its own characteristics and unique characteristics, rules of existence and behavior. Brahmanas are the highest caste Brahmins in India are priests and priests in temples. Their position in society has always been considered the highest, even higher than the position of the ruler. At present, representatives of the brahmana caste are also engaged in the spiritual development of the people: they teach various practices, look after the temples, and work as teachers.

Brahmanas have very many prohibitions: Men cannot work in the field and do any manual labor, but women can do various household chores. A representative of the priestly caste can marry only on his own kind, but as an exception, a wedding on a brahmana from another community is allowed. A brahmana cannot eat what a person of another caste has prepared; a brahmana would rather starve than take forbidden food. But he can feed a representative of absolutely any caste. Some brahmanas are not allowed to eat meat.

Kshatriyas - a caste of warriors

The kshatriya representatives have always served as soldiers, guards and policemen. At present, nothing has changed - the kshatriyas are engaged in military affairs or go to administrative work. They can marry not only in their own caste: a man can marry a girl from a lower caste, but a woman is forbidden to marry a man from a lower caste. The kshatriyas are allowed to eat animal products, but they also avoid forbidden foods.

Vaishya Vaishyas have always been the working class: they were engaged in agriculture, raised livestock, traded. Now representatives of the vaisyas are engaged in economic and financial affairs, various trade, banking. Probably, this caste is the most scrupulous in matters related to food intake: Vaishya, like no one else, monitor the correctness of food preparation and will never take contaminated dishes. Shudras - the lowest caste The Sudra caste has always existed in the role of peasants or even slaves: they were engaged in the dirtiest and hardest work. Even in our time, this social stratum is the poorest and often lives below the poverty line. Even divorced women can be married to Shudras. Untouchable The caste of the untouchables stands out separately: such people are excluded from all social relations. They do the dirtiest jobs: cleaning the streets and toilets, burning dead animals, making leather.

Amazingly, the representatives of this caste could not even step on the shadows of the representatives of the higher classes. And only quite recently they were allowed to enter churches and approach people of other classes. Unique features of castes Having a brahmana in the neighborhood, you can give him a lot of gifts, but you should not expect a response. Brahmanas never give gifts: they accept, but they do not give. In terms of land ownership, the sudras may be even more influential than the vaisya.

Shudras of the lower stratum practically do not use money: they are paid for their work with food and household utensils. You can transfer to a lower caste, but it is impossible to get a caste with a higher rank. Castes and modernity Today the Indian castes have become even more structured with many different subgroups called jati. During the last census of representatives of various castes, there were more than 3 thousand jati. True, this census took place more than 80 years ago. Many foreigners consider the caste system a relic of the past and are convinced that the caste system no longer works in modern India. In fact, everything is completely different. Even the Indian government was unable to come to a consensus on this stratification of society. Politicians actively work on dividing society into layers during elections, adding protection of the rights of a particular caste to their election promises. In modern India, more than 20 percent of the population belongs to the untouchable caste: they have to live in their own separate ghettos or outside the village. Such people should not enter shops, government and medical institutions, or even use public transport.

The caste of the untouchables has a completely unique subgroup: the attitude of society towards it is rather contradictory. This includes homosexuals, transvestites and eunuchs who make a living by prostitution and ask tourists for coins. But what a paradox: the presence of such a person at the holiday is considered a very good sign. Another awesome Untouchables podcast is Pariah. These are people completely expelled from society - marginalized. Previously, it was possible to become a pariah even by touching such a person, but now the situation has changed a little: they become a pariah either born from an inter-caste marriage, or from pariah parents.