|
The Hindu caste system is comparable to class structures in other countries, except that this Indian system has been rigidly enforced and has lasted for two or three thousand years. The caste system was enforced as law throughout the subcontinent until the adoption of the Indian constitution in 1949, which outlawed the caste system. However, it remains a deeply ingrained social structure, particularly in rural India. There are four main castes into which everyone was categorized. At the very top were the Brahmins -- the priests, scholars, and philosophers. The second highest caste was the Kshatriyas. These were the warriors, rulers, and those concerned with
the defense and administration of the village or state. Third came the Vaishyas, who were traders, merchants, and people involved in agricultural production. The lowest caste was the Shudras -- the laborers and servants for the other castes. Each caste included many hierarchical subcastes divided by occupation. Below even the Shudras were the Untouchables. These people had no caste at all. They performed the most menial of jobs, such as dealing with dead bodies and cleaning toilets. Higher-caste people believed that if they touched one of the caste-less, they would be contaminated and would need to go through cleansing rituals. Caste was determined by birth --
you fell into the same caste as your parents, and there was almost no way to change it. The caste system dictated your occupation, choice of spouse, and many other aspects of your life. If you did something outside your caste, you could be excommunicated from your caste. That would cut you off from doing any work to support yourself because you could only do the jobs allowed by your caste. Many believe the caste system began as a form of subjugation of local populations by the Aryan peoples who invaded and settled India. The Aryans were in the higher castes, and they put the native peoples of the subcontinent into the lower castes. The system favored those at the top economically, so they were motivated to maintain the status quo. Both Buddhism and Jainism sought to reform the caste
system, but were unsuccessful. Finally, the Industrial Revolution had an impact on centuries of history. While the caste system is not explicitly religious, the Hindu religion has played a large part in maintaining its structure. Hinduism preaches a cycle of birth and reincarnation, in which a person's soul is reborn into a new form after death. Your actions in this life determine your fate when you are born again. If you are faithful and dutiful in this life, next time, you'll get a better lot. The caste system fits well with this belief. Lower-caste people believed that if they lived a good life, they could be reborn in a higher caste
in the next. Today, features of the caste system linger throughout Indian society. Laws prohibit discrimination based on caste, and the government runs affirmative action programs for lower castes, especially the Untouchables (now called Dalits). But caste continues to play a part in marriages, and some politicians actually campaign for caste-based votes. Maybe the system will change more dramatically in this new millennium.
|
