Caste is associated primarily with cultures of the Indian sub-continent. The term ‘Caste’ itself is not an Indian one, coming from the Portuguese casta, meaning ‘race’ or ‘pure stock’. Indians themselves do not have a single term for describing the caste system as a whole, but have a variety of words referring to different aspects of it, the two main ones being varna and jati.
The caste system as originally detailed in the Hindu text “Manu Smriti”, consists of four categories or varna, each ranked differently in terms of social honour, Brahmins (scholars, teachers, priests) Kshatriyas (warriors, kings, administrators) Vaishyas (agriculturists, merchants) Shudras (artisans, service providers).
According to the Varna system, Brahmins are enjoined to live in poverty and their primary vocation was to learn the Vedas, sacred texts and secular subjects, teach others and pray for the well-being of all. The Kshatriya’s chief occupation was martial skills, protection of civil society and governance. The Vaishyas were those occupied with trade and agrarian activities including cattle raising, while the Sudras were workers, craftsmen and service providers of all types.
Below these 4 varna are the so-called ‘Untouchables’, those in the lowest position of all. The Jati are locally defined groups within which the Caste ranks are organized and has resulted in many different castes.
Jati is coupled with one’s occupation and as the individual is born into the caste, he/she cannot move out of that caste, according to those who propagate it.
Caste therefore, is determined by birth and can never be changed. Uniquely in the annals of prejudice, it hamstrings the individual’s ‘upward mobility’ from birth to rebirth in those religions where reincarnation plays a part, even at a distance as with Caste Christianity.
Dalits (formerly known as ‘Untouchables’ ) are regarded as inferior and this is used to justify the discrimination that they face and consign nearly all of them to only the most menial and poorly paid of occupations in India for example and creating a system that is equal to apartheid and slavery.
Here in the UK, Caste Discrimination has travelled hand in hand with the Indian diaspora, establishing itself all too deeply in communities, creating divisions where none need to be. The same could be said the world over as you have only to look at the July 2005 issue of the New Internationalist, in which their research makes clear it is present in at least 15 countries worldwide.
Some details of these caste systems in these countries are detailed in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste
In the section below we have given a lot of detail on the 4 varnas as explained by Mr Channan Chahal. It should be noted that as there is so much rigidity and discrimination presented so thoroughly, is it no wonder that those outside these 4 varnas (the Dalits) are subject to considerable caste discrimination…
The following is taken from the Report entitled “The Evil of Caste:- The Caste System as the Largest Systemic Violation of Human Rights in Today’s World” by Channan Chahal in 2009, pages 10 to 13 inclusive (original sources as given in the report are also mentioned here for clarity and convenience):
The creation of Chaturvarnya is found in the ninetieth Hymn of the Tenth Mandala (chapter) of the Rig-Veda, in which the Gods have sacrificed a godly deity called Purusha to carve out the universe and in the verse 11 and 12 the creation of mankind is described;
“When (The Gods) divided Purusha, into how-many parts did they cut him up? What was his mouth? What arms (had he)? What (two objects) are said (to have been) his thighs and feet?
The Brahmana was from his mouth, the Rajanya (rulers) were made from his arms; the being called the Vaishya was his thighs; the last Shudras sprang from his feet.”
Such anti-social religious creation was forced upon people; it should be accepted in society as “The names that are chosen should be auspicious in the case of the Brahman, indicating power in the case of the Kashatriya, indicating wealth in case of the Vaishya, and indicating contempt in the case of the Shudra.”7
Each Varna (Caste) comes with complete privileges, duties and disabilities.
2.1 Brahman (First Varna)
“For the sake of preserving all this creation, the most glorious being has ordained separate duties for those who sprang from his mouth, arms, thighs and feet. For Brahman he ordered teaching, study, sacrifices and sacrificing as priest for others and also giving and receiving gifts.”8
“The Brahman’s superiority is inherent and it remains intact, no matter what his condition in life may be. Rich or poor, unfortunate or prosperous, he always goes on the principle engraved in him that he is the most noble, the most excellent and the most perfect of all created beings; the rest of mankind are infinitely beneath him, and that there is nothing in the world, so sublime or so admirable as his customs and practices.”9
2.2 Kashatriya (Second Varna)
“The Kashatriya are responsible for defence of the nation, giving alms, sacrifice, also study, and absence of attachment to subject of sense, in short these are the duties for a Kashatriya.”10
The Lord Krishna said to Arjun (the hero of the Mahabharata) “O Arjun, having regard to your natural pattern of behaviour to fight, there is no reason for you to hesitate to kill others, as for a Kashatriya there is nothing more meritorious than to fight. O Bertha (Arjun), only lucky Kashatriya (warrior Varna) have the chance to such a war presenting itself unsought before them is an open door to heaven.”11
2.3 Vaishya (Third Varna)
“Tending to the cattle, giving alms, sacrifice, study, trade usury, and also agriculture is for the Vaishya.”12
These upper three Varnas have been separated from the beginning. They have been called the ‘twice-born’, “There are four Castes (Varnas) Brahmans, Kashatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. The upper three Castes Brahmans, Kashatriyas and Vaishya are the twice-born.
Their first birth is from the mother; the second from the investiture with the sacred girdle. In that (second birth) the Savitri (one of the numerous of Hindu Goddesses) is the mother, but the teacher said to be the father. They call the teacher father, because he gives instructions in the Vedas.”13
2.4 Shudra (Fourth Varna)
The maintenance of superiority of the Brahman and subjugation of the Shudra is the real success story of the Hindus, “A Traivarnika student shall never study (the Vedas) in a burial ground nor anywhere near it within the throw of a Samya. If the village has been built over a burial ground or its surface has been cultivated as a field, the recitation of the Veda in such a place is not prohibited. But if the place is known to have been a burial ground, he shall not study there.
A Shudra and an outcast are included in the term burial ground, and the rules given in the Sutra 6 applies to them. Some declare that one ought to avoid study in the same house where they dwell. But if a student and Shudra women merely look at each other, the recitation of the Veda must be interrupted.”14
“The Brahman Caste is sprung from the Gods; the Shudras from the Asuras (daemons).”15
“The Shudras sprung from non-existence.”16 “The wicked Shudra-Race is manifestly a burial ground. Therefore the Vedas must never be recited in the presence of a Shudra.”17
2-5 Avarna (fifth Varna)
The original ‘Chaturvarnya’ had only four (Varna) Castes. There was some people of Aryan and Anaryan origin who revolted against it; “Oh you, Indra18, who saved us from the hands of the cruel Rakshasas19 and from the Aryas living on the banks of Indus, do thou deprive the Dasas of their weapons.”20 The people who rejected philosophical aspect of Brahmanism and its Caste based social division of society came from all walks of life. “Oh you most revered Indra, those Dasas and Aryas who are irreligious and who are our enemies, make it easy for us with your blessings to subdue them. With your help we shall kill them.”21
Manu in his Simiriti put all those people who did not accept the authority of the Vedas, who would not pay homage to their Gods, refuse to be categorised in separate Castes, did not abide by religious dictums by abstaining from inter-Caste liaison and the Shudras were put into the fifth Varna ‘Avarna’. “In Manu Simiriti, not only the rules and regulations for Four Varnas are described, but also, in the tenth chapter those of the Avarnas are also described. This supports the contention that five classes of the Hindu society of Brahmana, Kashatriya, Vaishya, Shudra and Avarnas were the creation of the Manu.”22
3. Categories of Discrimination
3.1 Superiority by age.
“One should consider a Brahman ten year-old and a Kashatriya hundred year old as father and son; but of them the Brahman is the father. Wealth, kindred age, sect and knowledge, those are the causes of respect; the most important is the last mentioned. In whom amongst the three higher Castes the most and the best of those five may be, he is worthy of respect; a Shudra is not worthy of respect on the ground of his wealth or knowledge no matter how high he may be. It is only on grounds of his age and that too only if he has attained the tenth decade of his life that he becomes worthy of respect and not before.”23
“For not by years, not by grey hair, not by wealth, nor kindred is superiority; the seers made the rules, who knows the Vedas completely, he is great amongst us. Of Brahmans, superiority is by knowledge, but of Kashatriyas by valour; Vaishya by reason of property and wealth, and of Shudra by age only. One is not therefore aged, just because his head is grey; however, although a youth, has perused the Vedas (Brahman), him the Gods consider an elder.”24
3.2 Duties
“The one duty the Lord assigned to the Shudra is to serve the upper three Castes without grudging.”25
“To serve the upper three Castes is ordained for the Shudra. The higher the Caste which he serves the greater is the merits.”26
“Now the supreme duty of the Shudra and that which ensures his blessings is merely obedience towards celebrated priests who understand the Vedas and live like householders. If he be pure, obedient to higher Castes, mild in speech, without conceit, and always submissive to the Brahman, he attains (in the next transmigration) a high birth.”27
The Caste system is set up in such a way in the Hindu religion that one’s Caste is recognised at a glance by means of appearance, dress sense, by name, the way one greets others, general pattern of behaviour and use of language in general.
3.3 Greetings
“A Brahman should salute stretching forward his right arm on a level with his ear, a Kashatriya holding his arm on a level with the breasts, a Vaishya holding it on a level with his waist, a Shudra holding it low and stretching forward from the waist with joined hands.”28
3.4 Names
“The name to be chosen should be auspicious in the case of a Brahman, indicating power in the case of a Kashatriya, indicating wealth in the case of the Vaishya and indicating contempt in the case of the Shudra.”29
3.5 Dress
“The wealth of the Shudra shall be Dogs and Donkeys. The dress of the Shudra shall be the garments of the dead; they should eat their food from broken dishes, black iron shall be their ornaments and they always should wonder from place to place.”30
Nobody can accuse the Hindu law givers for leaving something to chance or incomplete as far as the superiority of the Brahman and degradation of the Shudra was concerned. The Caste system deprived the Shudras of all the worldly opportunities. It deprives them of social equality, the right to think for themselves, to safeguard their welfare, to migrate to other parts of the country to get better employment and it is also designed to economically exploit and suppress the lower Caste masses.
3.6 Economical exploitation
“A Brahman may take possession of the goods of the Shudra with perfect peace of mind, for, nothing at all belongs to the Shudra as his own, and he is one, whose property may be taken away by his master.”31
“Indeed, an accumulation of wealth should not be made by a Shudra even if he is able to do so, for the sight of mere possession of wealth by a Shudra injures the Brahman.”32
7 Vishnu Simiriti. Chapter XXVII, Sutra 6‐9
8 Manu Simiriti. Chapter. I. Verse 87‐88
9 Abbe J.A. Dubois as quoted by Oliver, J Cox in Caste, Class and race P. 15S
10 Manu Simiriti. Chapter I, Verse 89
11 Bhagavad‐Gita chapter II verses 31‐32
12 Manu Simiriti. Chapter I, verse 90
13 Vashishtha Dharma Sutra. Chapter II. Verse 1‐ 4.
14 Apastamba Dharma Sutra Prasna I. Patala 3 Khanda 9 Sutra 6‐11
15 Taittiriya Brahmana. i.2.6.7. Quoted by Muir op. Cit. I, p21
16 Muir Vol. I. P 21
17 Vashishtha Dharam Sutra. Chapter XVIII< verse 11‐15
18 One of Hindu Gods
19 Outcastes or Untouchables
20 Rig Veda , Viii.24.27
21 Rig Veda, x.38.3
22 DR. Patwardhan. Manu Simiriti. Introduction.
23 Manu Simiriti. Chapter II. Verse. 135‐37.
24 Manu Simiriti. Chapter II. Verse 154‐56
25 Manu Simiriti. Chapter I, Verse 91
26 Apastamba Dharma Sutra. Prasna, I, Patala, 1, Lhanda I, Sutra 7‐8.
27 Manu Simiriti. Chapter IX, Verse 334‐335
28 The Apastamba Dharma Sutra Prasna I, Patala 2, Khanda 5, Sutra 16
29 Vishnu Simiriti XXVII, Sutr 6‐9
30 Manu Simiriti. Chapter X, Verse 52
31 Manu Simiriti Chapter VIII, verse 417.
32 Manu Simiriti, Chapter X, verse 129.
