CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA

 

FEATURES OF CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA

 

Ø  THE CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA IS SPECIFICALLY A HINDU SYSTEM

Ø  THE caste system in india is based on a hierarchical structuring of society --------- in this hierarchical structure those caste groups or the varnas which are considered to follow the most pure occupation fall in the uppermost position of the caste system. while those who perform such occupation which are considered to be impure fall in the lower position of the caste hierarchy

Ø  In this way, the varnas which fall at the lowest position like the shudras are engaged in the most impure activities like manual scavenging, burning of dead bodies on the other hand the brahmins are considered to be the most pure caste group or the most pure varna group……… and are engaged in activities like reading and writing religious texts.

Ø  The caste system in india is formed of the four varnas- brahmin, kshatriya, Vaishya and shudra.

Ø  Brahmins are engaged in activities like reading and writing religious texts, kshatriyas are engaged in activities mainly fighting wars and protecting the people or kingdom, the vaishyas are considered to be good in doing business and they are mainly engaged in trading and being merchants and finally, the shudras are engaged in the most impure activities which are not performed by rest of the groups in the society. For example, manual scavenging, burning of dead corpses, and engaging in all forms of menial occupation which others are not engaged in.

Ø  In this way the social hierarchy in the caste system is created. Along with these 4 varnas, there are several sub-caste groups which are also structured in a hierarchical position. Each of these varnas are divided into several sub-caste groups which are also called as the jatis.

Ø  Jatis have been referred to as ENDOGAMOUS groups which divide the bigger varnas. All the jatis function in a similar way as the four varnas function. In other words, the jatis or the sub-caste groups are also located in a hierarchical position. Even among the jatis, like among the varnas, the notion of purity and impurity is found to a large extent. Those jatis which are more economically powerful and also fall in a higher social position always try to exploit the jatis which fall in the lower social position. For example among the Brahmins in Bengal, it has been seen through the various sociological and anthropological texts that the purest of the Brahmins are called as the Kulin Brahmins. These Kulin Brahmins do not engage in any form of social interaction with the Brahmins of lower jati or sub-caste group. For instance, Andre Beteille has shown in his study of caste system in Tamil Nadu that there are Nambudri Brahmins and Nayyar Brahmins. In this study he has shown that the Nambudri Brahmins do not engage in any form of marriage with the Nayyar Brahmins. It has been found that a Nambudri Brahmin will prefer to get married in a sub-caste group of the Kshatriya varna but will not get into any marriage relation with the Nayyar Brahmins even if they fall in the same varna.

Ø  This happens because, according to Beteille the Nayyar Brahmins have a lower position in the same varna than the Nambudri Brahmins. In the same varna, there is a tendency that a person from a higher sub-caste group or jati will not have any relation or any form of marriage alliance with someone belonging to a lower jati of the same varna. This form of social difference is found in the caste system of Indian society and it is considered that this form of social positioning is important for the existence and functioning of the caste system in India.

Ø  Similarly, if we see in the lowest varna, that is among the shudras, there are various sub-caste groups. For example nai or napit, chamar or leather worker, chandal, luhar or iron welder, khateek , rangaswamy or palmists so on and so forth. The different kinds of jatis or sub-caste groups vary from one state to the other and also from one region to the other region. However, the basic structure of functioning of the caste system or the varnas remain same throughout the country. For example in this division, a napit hold a higher position in the social hierarchy than the chamar or the chandal. Based on this higher social position, the Chamar or Chandal does not get into any social relation with the napit or in other words, the napit maintains social difference from the chamar and the chandal. In this way, the four varnas and the sub-caste groups act as endogamous groups which do not engage in inter-caste relations or marriage alliances.

Ø  Endogamous groups refer to those caste groups or varnas which do not allow for inter-caste marriages. In India, the caste system is mostly endogamous in nature. There are very few exogamous marriages.

Ø  Exogamy refers to inter-caste marriages. If there is any Exogamous marriage then this marriage takes place in two ways--------- i) Hypergamy or Anuloma marriage

Ø                                                       ii) Hypogamy or Pratiloma marriage

Ø  Hypergamous marriage or Hypergamy refers to those exogamous marriages where an Upper caste boy marries a girl from a lower caste group. For example when a Brahmin boy gets married to a lower caste girls from Shudra or Vaishya or Kshatriya caste group. This form of marriage is the most usual type or form of marriage which is found in India.

Ø  On the other hand, hypogamous marriage is that form of exogamous marriage where a lower caste boy gets married to an upper caste girl. For example, if a Shudra boy wants to get married to a Brahmin girl then it will be called as Hypogamous marriage. This form of marriage is not very normal or usual in Indian society.

Ø  All the jatis maintain the system of endogamous marriage in their own groups. In other words,  a Brahmin will prefer to get married to someone belonging to the Brahmin varna group. Similarly, a person belonging to the Kulin Brahmin jati will prefer to get married to someone belonging to the same jati group. For example, a Nayar Brahmin will prefer to get married in the jati group of the Nayar Brahmin itself. In case, if there is any form of exogamous marriage or marriage outside one’s caste and jati group then it takes place in two ways, 1) Hypergamous marriage and 2) Hypogamous marriage.

Ø  In majority of the cases, it is Hypergamous marriage or marriage between an upper caste Boy and a lower caste or a jati girl, is usually common or preferred. In case of hypogamous marriage, the cases are not so usual and might often lead to several complications, conflicts and differences between the two caste or the jati groups.

Ø  The varna or the jati division is primarily based on occupational difference or occupational division of labour. Based on the occupational differences the varnas and the jatis are located in the hierarchical structure of the society. Thus a Kulin Brahmin is considered to be engaged in the occupation of reading and writing similarly, a Chamar is engaged in the occupation of leather work or Napit or Nai is engaged in the occupation of being a barber or hair-cutter. However, in contemporary Indian society these occupational differences do not get much importance, because most of the younger generation switch from their father’s occupation to newer occupation. During the pre-British period and British period the idea was this that a Brahmin’s son will become a Brahmin similarly, other castes will also follow in the same way. However, with the abolition of untouchability and many other such movements which aimed at removing caste inequality, the situation has comparatively changed in contemporary India. But the caste system and the notion of caste inequality still persists in the country widely.

Ø  In this way, even if the idea of untouchability has come to an end, the system of caste and caste inequality has not come to an end. Even in contemporary India, there is huge amount of disrespect and disregard for lower caste people and inter-caste marriages. Specially, there is huge amount of dislike towards hypogamous marriage which is considered quite unlikely in the present situation. However, the scholarly writings of European scholars about the caste system in India and the evidences and analyses done by the Indian sociologists is very different from those of the European scholars.

Caste as understood by European and Indian Scholars

u  European scholars like David Pocock, Mckim Mariot, Herbert Risley, WW Hunter, Louis Dumont and many others have noted that the caste system in Indian society is something which has divided the Indian society into several categories or groups. According to these scholars, the caste system in Indian has brought about significant disunity and inequality between the different groups of people. On the other hand, the Indian scholars like M.N. Srinivas, T.N. Madan, N.K. Bose, Andre Beteille and many others have pointed out that the caste system has in reality kept a close connection between the different groups of people. Unlike the European scholars, the Indian scholars stated that the different caste groups have helped in keeping unity in the Indian society for more than 300 years starting from the Vedic period.

u  The Indian scholars stated that the occupational difference which has taken place along with the caste system has helped in keeping unity among the different groups of people. This is because one caste group or varna group did not engage in doing any other activity. For instance, a Brahmin did not involve in doing the work of the Kshatriya a Kshatriya did not engage in doing the work of the Vaishya and similarly, the Brahmin, Kshatriya and the Vaishya did not engage in doing the work which was performed by the Shudras. In this way, according to the Indian scholars, the caste system helped in maintaining a clear division of labour in the form of occupational categorization and it also helped in avoiding any form of conflict between two caste groups. The Indian scholars pointed out that as a result of this increased division of labour the caste system could sustain for almost 300 years of India's history with its unequal features. 

-    M.N. Srinivas, through his fieldwork in Coorg, Mysore found out that among the sub-caste groups or jatis, there is a system of adopting or imitating the habits, cultural patterns and lifestyle of the people belonging to the immediately upper caste groups or the sub-caste groups. This has been called as the process of sanskritisation. Wearing of sacred thread, eating vegetarian food, practicing teetotalism, reading the religious texts and offering prayers are some of the important cultural practices which are followed by the different sub-caste groups falling at the lowest position of the caste hierarchical structure in order to improve their social position in the hierarchical position of Indian society. According to Srinivas, this imitation or adoption of the practices of the upper castes has brought about cohesion between the different sub-caste groups or jatis in the caste structure. This form of cohesion has resulted in what is termed as the cohesive role of sanskritisation. 

-    Along with the notion of sanskritisation, M.N. Srinivas has also pointed out that this is the way how caste mobility takes place in the rural economy. A person belonging to lower caste is unable to change his or her caste through birth. However, following the principles and practices of the upper caste group people is a way of improving the social position of one's caste group in the social hierarchy. Prof. N.K. Bose, Hitesh Ranjan Sanyal, and many other sociologists have pointed out the various socio-historical records of caste mobility in different states of India.  For example such instances of caste mobility is found among the Namashudras, Telis, Sadgopes and many other caste groups who have been trying to improve their position in the social hierarchy. 

-     M.N. Srinivas also pointed out that in contemporary rural economy in India the predominance of Brahmins and Kshatriyas is no more same as it was during the British period and in the pre-colonial period. In contemporary rural economy, there is predominance of those caste groups which have a higher population and also has large tracts of land. As a result of high population and large tracts of land, these caste groups are considered to be both economically and politically powerful in nature. These caste groups fall in the lower social position of the caste structure, however, they have important position in the villages because of their population and as a result of the fact that they have huge tracts of land under their ownership. These caste groups have been called as the Dominant caste groups in the rural areas. According to M.N. Srinivas, the dominant caste groups in the rural areas have most of the power in them, however, they do not have ritual purity. For example, in a rural economy, the members of the dominant caste groups are have the right to make arrangements for any religious celebration. However, the main offerings or prayers are mainly performed by the priest or the Brahmin which falls in the highest social position of the caste hierarchy and holds the highest position of ritual purity. Okkaligas and Lingayats in Tamil Nadu, Yadavs in UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujjars and Rawats in Rajasthan, are some of the important dominant caste groups which are found in the different states. The dominant caste groups vary from one state to the other and from one region to the other.