The process of the caste system. Caste system
Ancient India is one of the first civilizations in the world, which brought the largest number of different spiritual values to world culture. Ancient India is a fairly rich subcontinent with a turbulent and complex history. It was here that the greatest religions were once born, empires appeared and collapsed, but the “enduring” originality of Indy culture was preserved from century to century. This civilization built large and very well-planned cities from bricks with running water and built a pictographic writing system that cannot be deciphered to this day.
India acquired its name from the name of the Indus River, in the valley of which it is located. "Indus" in lane. means "river". With a length of 3180 kilometers, the Indus originates in Tibet, flows through the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the Himalayas, and flows into the Arabian Sea. Various finds of archaeologists indicate that in Ancient India there was a human society already during the Stone Age, and it was then that the first social relations arose, art arose, permanent settlements appeared, the prerequisites arose for the development of one of the ancient world civilizations - the Indian Civilization, which appeared in Northwestern India (today almost the entire territory of Pakistan).
It dates back to approximately XXIII-XVIII centuries BC and is considered the 3rd civilization of the Ancient East. Its development, like the first two in Egypt and Mesopotamia, was directly related to the organization of high yields of irrigated agriculture. The first archaeological finds of terracotta figurines and pottery date back to the 5th millennium BC, they were made in Mehrgarh. It follows from this that Mehrgarh can already be considered a real city - this is the first city in Ancient India, which we learned about from archaeological excavations. The original deity of the indigenous population of Ancient India - the Dravidians - was Shiva. He is among the 3 main deities of Hinduism - Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva. All 3 gods are considered a manifestation of a single divine essence, but each is assigned a specific “sphere of activity.”
Thus, Brahma is considered the creator of the world, Vishnu was its guardian, Shiva was its destroyer, but it is he who recreates it. Among the indigenous inhabitants of Ancient India, Shiva was considered the main god, considered a model who had achieved his spiritual self-realization, the ruler of the world, the demiurge. The Indus Valley extends to the north-west of the subcontinent in the vicinity of ancient Sumer. There certainly were trade relations between these civilizations, and it is quite possible that it was Sumer who had a huge impact on Indian civilization. Throughout Indian history, the main route for the invasion of new ideas remained the North-West. All other routes to India were so closed by seas, forests and mountains that, for example, the great ancient Chinese civilization left almost no traces in it.
Formation of slave states.
The development of agriculture and crafts, as well as wars of conquest, led to the emergence of property inequality among the Aryans. The rajas who led the predatory campaigns accumulated a lot of wealth. With the help of warriors, they strengthen their power and make it hereditary. Rajahs and their warriors turn captives into slaves. They demand from peasants and artisans to pay taxes and work for themselves. Rajas are gradually turning into kings of small states. During wars, these small states unite into one, and then the ruler becomes a maharaja (“big king”). Over time, the council of elders loses its importance. From the tribal nobility, military leaders and officials are recruited, in charge of collecting taxes, organizing work on cutting down forests and draining swamps. Priests - brahmins - begin to play a significant role in the emerging state apparatus. They taught that the king is higher than other people, that he is “like the sun , burns the eyes and heart and no one on earth can even look at him.”
Castes and their role.
In the slave states of India in the first millennium BC. e. the population was divided into four groups called castes K. The first caste consisted of Brahmins. Brahmins did not engage in physical labor and lived on income from sacrifices. The second caste - Kshatriyas - was represented by warriors; State administration was also in their hands. There was often a struggle for power between the Brahmanas and the Kshatriyas. The third caste - Vaishyas - included farmers, shepherds and traders. The entire local population conquered by the Aryans formed the fourth caste - the Shudras. Shudras were servants and did the most difficult and dirty work. Slaves were not part of any caste. The division into castes violated the old tribal unity and opened up the possibility of uniting people coming from different tribes within one state. Caste membership was hereditary. The son of a brahmana was born a brahmana, the son of a sudra was born a sudra. To perpetuate caste and caste inequality, the Brahmins created laws. They say that the god Brahma himself established inequality between people. Brahma, according to the priests, created Brahmans from his mouth, warriors from his hands, Vaishyas from his thighs, and Shudras from his feet, which were covered in dust and dirt. The caste division doomed the lower castes to hard, humiliating work. It closed the path to knowledge and government activity for capable people. Caste division hampered the development of society; it played a reactionary role.
Four Indian Varnas
Varnas and castes in our time
One and a half thousand years BC, Indian society was divided into 4 classes. They were called varnas. From Sanskrit it is translated as “color”, “quality” or “category”. According to the Rig Veda, varnas or castes emerged from the body of God Brahma.
In Ancient India there were originally the following castes (varnas):
- Brahmins;
- Kshatriyas;
- Vaishya;
- Shudras.
According to legend, Brahma created 4 castes from parts of his body
The emergence of castes in ancient India
There are many reasons for the emergence of varnas or the so-called Indian castes. For example, the Aryans (not to be confused with the pseudoscientific “Aryans”), having conquered Indian land, decided to divide the local people according to skin color, origin and financial status. This simplified social relationships and created winning conditions for the board. The Aryans obviously elevated themselves to a higher caste and took only Brahmin girls as wives.
A more detailed table of Indian castes with rights and responsibilities
Caste, Varna and Jati - what is the difference?
Most people confuse the concepts of “caste” and “varna”; many consider them synonymous. But this is not the case, and it needs to be dealt with.
Every Indian, without the right to choose, was born in a closed group - in varna. They are sometimes called the Indian caste. However, caste in India is a subgroup, a stratification in each varna, so there are countless castes today. Only in 1931, according to the census, data on 3,000 Indian castes were published. And varna is always 4.
In fact, there are more than 3000 castes in India, and there are always four varnas
Jati is the second name of caste and sub-caste, and every resident of India has a jati. Jati - belonging to a particular profession, to a religious community, it is also closed and endogamous.
Each varna has its own jatis.
You can draw a primitive analogy with our society. For example, there are children of rich parents. This is varna. They study in separate kindergartens, schools and universities, and communicate mainly with each other. These children, growing into teenagers, are divided into subcultures. Some become hipsters, some become “elite” entrepreneurs, others become creative intellectuals, and some become free travelers. This is jati or caste.
Castes in India can be divided by religion, profession and even interests
Four Indian Varnas
They can be divided by interests, by chosen professions. However, oddly enough, people of this varna rarely “mix” with other, lower varnas and even castes, and always strive to communicate with those who are higher than them. Brahmins
- the highest varna or caste in India. It included priests, clergy, sages, teachers, spiritual guides and those people who connected other people with God. Brahmins were vegetarians and could only eat food prepared by people of their castes.
Brahmins are the highest and most respected caste in India Kshatriyas
is an Indian caste or varna of warriors, defenders of their country, combatants, soldiers and, surprisingly, kings and rulers. Kshatriyas were the protectors of brahmanas, women, old people, children and cows. They were allowed to kill those who did not observe the dharma.
The most prominent representatives of the Kshatriya warrior caste are the Sikhs Vaishya
- these are free community members, traders, artisans, farmers, the working class. They did not like to do hard physical labor and were extremely scrupulous about food. Among them could be very wealthy and wealthy people - owners of enterprises and lands.
The Vaishya caste is often rich merchants and landowners who do not like hard menial work- the lowest varna or caste of India. It included servants, laborers and laborers. All those who had neither home nor land, and performed the most difficult physical work. Shudras did not have the right to pray to the gods and become “twice-born”.
Shudras are the lowest caste in India. They live poorly and work very hard
The religious ceremony that was performed by the three upper varnas or castes of India was called “upanayana”. During the process of initiation, a consecrated thread corresponding to his varna was placed around the boy's neck, and from then on he became “dvija” or “twice-born”. He received a new name and was considered a brahmachari - a student.
Each caste has its own rituals and initiations
Hindus believe that living a righteous life allows one to be born into a higher caste in the next life. And vice versa. And the brahmins, who have already gone through a large cycle of rebirths on Earth, will be incarnated on other, divine planets.
The untouchable caste - myth and reality
Special attention should be paid to the untouchables. The existence of 5 Indian castes is a myth. In fact, untouchables are those people who did not fall into the 4 varnas for some reason. According to Hinduism, they led an impious life in their previous rebirth. The “caste” of untouchables in India is most often homeless, poor people who carry out the most humiliating and dirty work. They beg and steal. They defile the Indian Brahmin caste with their presence.
This is how the untouchable caste lives in India today
The Government of India protects the untouchables to some extent. It is a criminal offense to call such people untouchables or even out-caste. Discrimination on social grounds is prohibited.
Varnas and castes in India today
What castes are there in India today? - you ask. And there are thousands of castes in India. Some of them are few in number, but there are also castes known throughout the country. For example, hijras. This is the Indian untouchable caste, in India it includes transgenders, transsexuals, bisexuals, hermaphrodites, intersex people and homosexuals. Their processions can be seen on the streets of cities and towns, where they make offerings to the Mother Goddess. Thanks to numerous protests, the Indian hijra caste achieved official recognition of itself as a “third gender”.
People with non-traditional sexual orientation (Hijras) in India also belong to the untouchable caste
Varnas and castes in India in our time are considered some kind of relic of the past, but in vain - the system remains. In big cities, the boundaries are somewhat blurred, but in the villages the old way of life is still preserved. According to the Indian Constitution, discrimination against people based on varna or caste is prohibited. There is even a Constitutional Table of Castes, in which, by the way, the term “community” is used instead of “Indian caste”. It states that every citizen of India has the right to receive an appropriate document that indicates their caste membership.
In India, anyone can obtain a caste document
So, the caste system in India has not only survived and survived to this day, it still works to this day. Moreover, other peoples are also divided into varnas and castes, they simply do not give this social division a name.
We already live in the 21st century and we think that many secrets of science and technology have already been revealed, many social issues have been resolved, etc. Despite all these achievements, there are still places where, to this day, social society is divided into different layers - castes. What is the caste system? Caste (from the Portuguese casta - gens, generation and descent) or Varna (translated from Sanskrit - color), a term applied primarily to the main division of Hindu society in the Indian subcontinent. According to Hindu belief, there are four main Varnas (castes) - Brahmans (officials), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (merchants) and Shudras (peasants, workers, servants). From the earliest works of Sanskrit literature it is known that the Aryan-speaking peoples during the period of the initial settlement of India (from approximately 1500 to 1200 BC) were already divided into four main classes, later called Varnas. Modern castes are divided into a large number of sub-castes - jati. Hindus believe in reincarnation and believe that those who follow the rules of their caste will rise to a higher caste by birth in a future life, while those who violate these rules will lose social status. Brahmans Brahmans are the highest layer of this system. Brahmins serve as spiritual mentors, work as accountants and accountants, officials, teachers, and take possession of lands. They are not supposed to follow the plow or perform certain types of manual labor; women from their midst can serve in the house, and landowners can cultivate plots, but not plow. Members of each Brahmin caste marry only within their own circle, although it is possible to marry a bride from a family belonging to a similar subcaste from a neighboring area. When choosing food, a Brahmin observes many prohibitions. He has no right to eat food prepared outside his caste, but members of all other castes can eat from the hands of brahmanas. Some Brahmin sub-castes may consume meat. Kshatriyas Kshatriyas are right behind the brahmanas in ritual terms and their task is mainly to fight and protect their homeland. Today, kshatriyas' occupations include working as estate managers and serving in various administrative positions and in the military. Most kshatriyas eat meat and, although they allow marriage with a girl from a lower subcaste, a woman under no circumstances can marry a man from a subcaste lower than her own. Vaishyas Vaishyas are the layers that engage in trade. Vaishyas are more strict in their observance of food regulations and are even more careful to avoid ritual pollution. The traditional occupation of Vaishyas is trade and banking; they tend to stay away from physical labor, but sometimes they are included in the management of the farms of landowners and village entrepreneurs, without directly participating in the cultivation of the land. Shudras “Pure” Shudras are a peasant caste. They, due to their numbers and ownership of a significant part of local land, play an important role in solving social and political issues in some areas. Shudras eat meat, and widows and divorced women are allowed to marry. The lower Shudras are numerous sub-castes whose profession is of a highly specialized nature. These are the castes of potters, blacksmiths, carpenters, joiners, weavers, oil makers, distillers, masons, barbers, musicians, tanners, butchers, scavengers and many others. Untouchables Untouchables are engaged in the dirtiest jobs and are in many ways outside the boundaries of Hindu society. They are engaged in cleaning dead animals from the streets and fields, toilets, tanning leather, etc. Members of these castes are forbidden to visit the houses of the “pure” castes and take water from their wells, they are even forbidden to step on the shadows of other castes. Most Hindu temples until recently were closed to untouchables; there was even a ban on approaching people from higher castes closer than a set number of steps. The nature of caste barriers is such that they are believed to continue to pollute members of “pure” castes, even if they have long since abandoned their caste occupation and are engaged in ritually neutral activities such as agriculture. Although in other social settings and situations, such as while in an industrial city or on a train, an untouchable may have physical contact with members of higher castes and not pollute them, in his home village untouchability is inseparable from him, no matter what he does. Throughout Indian history, the caste structure has shown remarkable stability in the face of change. Neither Buddhism, nor the Muslim invasion, which ended with the formation of the Mughal Empire, nor the establishment of British rule shook the fundamental foundations of the caste organization of society.
The caste system in India is a social hierarchy that divides the entire population of the country into distinct groups of both low and high origin. Such a system presents various rules and prohibitions.
Main types of castes
Types of castes come from 4 varnas (which means genus, species), according to which the entire population was divided. The division of society into varnas was based on the fact that people cannot be the same; there is a certain hierarchy, since each person has his own path in life.
The highest varna was varna brahmins, that is, priests, teachers, scientists, mentors. The second in rank is the kshatriya varna, which means rulers, nobility, and warriors. Next varna Vaishyas, these included cattle breeders, farmers, and traders. The last varna sudra consisted of servants and dependent people.
The first three varnas and sudras had a clear, even sharp boundary between themselves. The highest varna is also called “dvija”, which means twice-born. Ancient Indians believed that people were born a second time when an initiation ceremony took place and a sacred thread was tied onto them.
The main goal of the brahmans was that they had to teach others and learn themselves, bring gifts to the gods, and perform sacrifices. The main color is white.
Kshatriyas
The task of the kshatriyas is to protect the people and also to study. Their color is red.
Vaishya
The main responsibility of Vaishyas is cultivating land, raising livestock and other socially respected work. Yellow color.
Shudras
The purpose of the sudras is to serve the three highest varnas and engage in hard physical work. They did not have their own quest and could not pray to the gods. Their color is black.
These people were outside the castes. Most often they lived in villages and could only do the hardest work.
Over the centuries, the social structure and India itself have changed significantly. As a result, the number of public groups increased from four to several thousand. The lowest caste was the most numerous. Of the total population, it included approximately 40 percent of the residents. The upper caste was small, comprising about 8 percent of the population. The middle caste was approximately 22 percent and the untouchables were 17 percent.
Members of some castes may be scattered throughout the country, while others, for example, live in one area. But in any case, representatives of each caste live separately and isolated from each other.
Castes in India can be easily identified based on numerous characteristics. People have different types, the manner of wearing them, the presence or absence of certain relationships, marks on the forehead, hairstyle, type of housing, food consumed, dishes and their names. It is almost impossible to pose as a member of another caste.
What helps keep the principles of caste hierarchy and isolation unchanged for so many centuries? Of course, it has its own system of prohibitions and rules. This system controls social, everyday and religious relations. Some rules are unchangeable and eternal, while others are changeable and secondary. For example, every Hindu from birth to death will belong to his caste. The only exception can be his expulsion from the caste due to violation of laws. No one has the right to choose a caste of his own free will or to move to another caste. It is forbidden to marry a person from outside your caste only if the husband belongs to a higher varna than his wife. The opposite is categorically unacceptable.
In addition to the untouchables, there are also Indian hermits who are called sannyasins. Caste rules do not affect them in any way. Each caste has its own type of occupation, that is, some are engaged only in agriculture, others in trade, others in weaving, etc. The customs of the caste must be strictly observed and executed. For example, a higher caste cannot accept food or drink from a lower caste, otherwise it will be considered ritual pollution.
This entire system of hierarchy of social strata of the population is based on a powerful foundation of ancient institutions. According to them, a person is considered to belong to a particular caste because he performed all caste duties poorly or well in his past life. As a result of this, a Hindu must undergo births and deaths, which are influenced by previously received karma. Previously, movements had been created that rejected these divisions.
Caste system of modern India
Every year in modern India, caste restrictions and the strictness of their observance are gradually weakening. Not all prohibitions and rules require strict and zealous observance. By appearance It is already difficult to determine which caste a person belongs to, with the exception, perhaps, of the Brahmins, whom you can see in temples or, if you go to. Only the caste rules regarding marriage are completely unchanged and will not be relaxed. Also today in India there is a struggle against the caste system. To achieve this, special benefits are established for those who are officially registered as representatives of a lower caste. Discrimination based on caste is prohibited by Indian law and can be punishable as a criminal offence. But still, the old system is firmly rooted in the country, and the fight against it is not as successful as many would like.
caste system), a system of social stratification of a society, in which people are grouped in accordance with a definition. ranks. Options K.s. can be found in all ind. religious about-wah, not only Hindus, but also among Jains, in Muslims, Bud. and christ. communities. The division into castes comes from the three-level social division of the Aryans, who invaded the North. India approx. 1500 BC However, only Hindus developed theological. and legislator. the basis of caste division is Hindu law). The three hierarchies of K.s., or varnas, represented the Brahmins (priests and intellectuals), the Kshatriyas (rulers, warriors and administrators) and the Vaishyas (farmers and merchants). Each varna was divided into several. castes, or jatis, traditionally defined by occupation, but often associated with geography, marital relations, or dietary patterns. Relig. confirmation of the varna-jati system is contained in the Rig Veda, the oldest text of the Vedas, where it is described as purusha, originally cosmic. man was divided by the gods into varnas, each of which has distinctive features and a special role in society. One of the prejudices of K.s. - the concept of purity: the degree of pollution is determined by the occupation of the jati, their traditions. food or customs. Those who do the most dirty work are considered untouchable. The latter are outside the varnas, although they are part of K.s. Mahatma Gandhi, in order to improve the status of the untouchables, renamed them Harijans (children of God), but from this the name. he subsequently abandoned it in favor of others - Dalits (oppressed). The untouchables remain the most oppressed members of India. about-va, despite the law stipulating for them the right to state. jobs, places in educational institutions and parliament. In recent years, proposals for similar positive discrimination for other castes have been Ch. care ind. politicians. Critics are positive. discrimination claim that in democr. system, such a policy is nothing more than an election trick and that urbanization and modernization will gradually destroy the K.s., however, its supporters refer to the general for durability K.s.
