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Caste

A caste system is a rigid system of social stratification, which divides members of a society into different castes. Castes are separated socially, economically and physically to varying degrees. Intermarriage between castes is limited, occupations may be assigned to particular castes, and lower castes may live in separate communities.

Caste systems have existed throughout history and throughout the world, but the most well-known caste system today is the Indian Varna system. Around one in 25 people in the world experiences some form of caste discrimination; more than half of these are in India.

The word caste is derived from the Portuguese word casta, meaning lineage, breed or race.

Overview

Anthropologists use the term more generally to refer to a social group that is endogamous and occupationally specialised; such groups are common in highly stratified societies with a very low degree of social mobility. Broadly understood, South Africa during the era of apartheid, the practice of slavery in the antebellum South of the United States through the Civil Rights movement, colonial Latin America under Spanish and Portuguese rule, and India prior to 1947 were all class-based societies.

Caste is unique to Hinduism. Aside from India, caste systems still exist today in other parts of South Asia, and some countries in Africa have equivalents of the Untouchables (Dalit) as a small proportion of the population.

Indian caste system

The Indian caste system is a social system in which people are divided into separate communities, known in English as castes, and in Hindi as jatis. The origin of the caste system is unknown (it exists in Indian populations uninfluenced by Brahmanas) but it affected the many societies that occupy the Indian sub-continent, and later it was transmitted to Nepal. Most Western thought and writing on the subject misapplies the term caste to the Sanskrit word for class. In Hindu religious terms there is no such thing as a caste system, only a class system. This class system was a basically simple division of society into four classes (Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra) arranged in a hierarchy. Beyond these four classes were the panchamas (or fifths) . These groups were regarded as impure and therefore "Untouchable" (Dalit) outcastes. For most Indians however, the central fact of their identity is the caste grouping they belong to, not the class that it may be thought to fall under. Legally the Indian government forbids the practice of caste-based discrimination (eg in the 1948 Constitution) but the law is often ignored, particularly in rural areas.

Caste system

The caste system has existed in India from time immemorial. The word "caste" is used to translate the Sanskrit word "jati". It should not be misidentified with the sanskrit "varna" which designates class. This word also has meanings of "color" or "quality". The colors by which the four classes of Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra are identified cannot be reasonably corresponded to the color of human skin. Given the long history of humans on the Indian sub-continent and the semi-independent development of numerous socio-cultural groups, the population came to be differentiated by occupational groupings, perhaps from pre-historic times. By the time, we see the development of a pan-Indian cultural notion, essentially that of being "Hindu", the jatis had proliferated as had the complexity of India's economic structure. Hinduism came to be "Varnashrama Dharma", the order of (four) classes and (four) stages in life. In practical terms, jatis were associated with one of the four classes with mobility of the jatis across classes being determined by the socio-economic value of their jati-dharma or jati-function/occupation. Most Indian law givers, maintained that the class of Brahmanas are foremost followed by the Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. Manu believed that function of the Shudra class is to serve the higher three classes.

Perhaps the most interesting point about this caste-class structure is not that it is heirarchical (which it is without a doubt) but rather than the heirarchy deliberately disperses social, economic, political, and physical power.

Jatis have also been largely endogamous except when different ethnic groups merged their jati identification. Hence, the extra-ordinary ethnic diversity within jati groups, as too the similarities across them.

Much attention has been paid to the limitations on marraiges across varna categories. Again it is instructive to note that many influential Brahmanas, presumptive superiors in the traditional ordering, had a parentage that spanned varna-s.

The jati and varna system do not appear to have been the product of a conquering or dominating socio-economic class. Both systems have survived and indeed identification with jati has strengthened, long after the supposed era of Brahmana dominace. The system is instead an implicit negotiation between India's numerous occupational (and infrequently ethnic) groups. The jati system at any given point is time is a point of equilibrium between these elements of society both at local and pan-Indian levels.

Jati

Mixed in with the Varna Class system was the Jati caste system. The Jati was effectively a system similar to guilds, and was associated with occupation. If the Varnas gave structure to society, the Jati gave structure to each Varna.

Unlike the Varna system which required spiritual purity in order to ascend, Jati could be changed with comparative ease. Marriages would be arranged within one's varna, but sometimes between Jati sub-castes. Due to its inheritability, there is a lot of 'caste prejudice' between castes, usually taking the form of disassociation with lower castes, though sometimes it would degenerate into petty 'gang wars,' usually among the lowest caste(s) and the Pariahs.

Modern perceptions of caste

Whilst the ancient Vedas are said to talk about only four castes, contemporary India has numerous castes and sub-castes, officially documented (primarily to determine those deserving reservation, an affirmative action process similar to and predating the US system) through the census.Caste-based politics have strong roots in many Indian states. Sometimes, converts to other religions like Christianity, or Islam, retain their caste identity, often due to the economic benefits it carries, and also to retain their ties with the community for social reasons.

The embracement of the lower castes into the mainstream community was brought about by Mahatma Gandhi who called them "Harijans" (people of God).

Currently, India has tough laws against untouchability on the basis of caste. In India caste affects daily life. Matrimony between members of different castes is still looked down upon, Intercaste marriages are very rare. Caste based atrocities are still fairly common in many economically backward states and isolated rural districts.There is a policy for the socio-economic upliftment of the erstwhile lower castes, by the provision of education , reservation of admission seats in institutions for higher education, and a 12.5% quota in government jobs with faster promotions.These affirmative actions have often been challenged in courts, and through mass protests. Anti-reservation activists allege that the process, which they suspect is fuelled by political gains, artificially fosters the divisions. A few allege that in the process of categorizing people "who need reservation", caste based identities become firmly entrenched in the Indian psyche. Many also allege that the progress of the meritorious is cramped by the reservation system, which has not been set any deadline by the Constitution of India. Pro-reservation activists allege that the system helps in upliftment of the long-suppressed masses and needs to be in place until all sections achieve an equal status in the Indian society.

Nepalese caste system

The caste system in Nepal can be traced back to the introduction of Muluki Ain (1854) by Jung Bahadur Rana after his return from his European tour. The Muluki Ain (1854) was a written version of social code that had been in practice for several centuries in Nepal. Its caste categories diverged from the four varnas of the classical Vedic model and instead had three categories to accommodate the tribal peoples between the pure and impure castes. These were further classified into five hierarchies with the following order precedence. (Harka Gurung 2005:3,Occational Papers in Sociology and Anthropology)

· Thagadhari, (Wearer of holy chord) · Matwali v Namasyane Matwali (Non-enslavable alcohol-drinkers) v Masyane Matwali (Enslavable alcohol drinkers) · Pani nachalne choichoto halnu naparne, (ure but touchable castes) · Pani nachalne chiochoti halnu parne, (ure and Untouchable castes)

The above mention categories implies that Thagadhari (Wearer of holy chord) remains in the highest hierarchy in Hindu caste system followed by Matwali, (Non-enslavable alcohol-drinkers) and enslavable alcohol drinkers touchable caste and lastly untouchable.

Muluki Ain imposes the caste system in Nepal in order to incorporate people of different origin to bring under one umbrella of caste system. The first categories of Thagadhari which include Parbate Brahmin and Chettri are the in the higher categories of hierarchy where as Brahmins of Terai and Newari Brahmin as per Muluki Ain do not fall under this categories.

Matwali group, salvable and enslavable falls under second categories, which include the people of ethnic origin and Brahmins of terai and Newari Brahmins. It also includes those people in the non-enslavable group such as Magar, Gurung, Rai, and Limbu etc and enslavable are Tamang, Chepang, Thami etc.

Untouchable are the categories of varnas system in ancient Manu's Code but some people such as Musalman and foreigners as well falls under these categories Untouchables are divided into Pani nachalne choichoto halnu naparne, (ure but touchable castes) and Pani nachalne chiochoti halnu parne, (ure and Untouchable castes). In present day context caste system falls under Hindu varna system i.e,Brahmin,Khatria Vaisias and Sudra respectively instead of following Muluki Ain's codification, as ethnic group do not follow the caste system because they have their own culture, tradition ,religion and values system which do not fall under caste system.

See Also

• Indian caste system

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