Caste system in India

1) Features of caste system

2) Historical background of Varna to Caste or jati
3) Jati based model of caste
*) Caste as an economic, political and kinship system
4) DIPANKAR GUPTA on Caste
5)GS GHURYE on caste
6) Louis Dumont on caste
CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA

FEATURES OF CASTE SYSTEM

1)
2)
3)
4)

Caste as a system
System---> a network of interdependence components
Portuguese casta
System of inequality

Observe transition form caste to JATI

HISTORIC ORIGIN OF INEQUALITY

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)

Indus valley
Archeology findings
Burials etc.
Purity and pollution---> obsessed with bathing
But rare documentary evidences
Scripture RIGVEDA
A) > ARYANS conquered India (1750-1000)

G)
H)
I)
J)
K)
L)

Aryans internally segregated (2nd diagram)

Forces of nature
Hymns
VARNA VYAVASTHA (BODY SOCIAL)
Hierarchy
3 figures show 3 types of classification of RIGVEDIC
periods
M) Body social ( all 4 connecting society) - metaphor
N) PURUSUKTA Is not a part of original Veda, it
interpolated when aryans settled near GANGETIC
plain, and DOL increased due to agriculture
O) Now, Varna ceases to imply colour
A) > shortage of women in aryans
B) > central Asians were fairer
C) >Persian aryans vs Indian aryans
P) Surplus (iron plough)---> janapadas---> varna as
occupational group
Q) RIGVEDIC aryans lived as JANAS
A) > JANAS were tribals, living in limited territory
R) Janapadas ---> territorial units headed by Brahmins
and Kshatriyas
S) Vis became Vaisyas
A) > Vaisyas means friendly Tribe
T) Unfriendly tribes were conquered, and labelled as
SHUDRA
U) Brahmins became priests
V) Ritual became basis of hierarchy
W) Manusamriti (molten led)
X) BRAHMANAS (the literature)
Y) Doubts--->
A) > 4 fold division seems to be simplistic
B) > No centralised authority to implement
Z) SHUDRA served all three

DEEPANKAR GUPTA ON CASTE

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

varna changed into JATI

Marx---> Asiatic mode of production (India & china)
Kings were the owner of land
No private property
In Britain, pvt. Property developed much earlier
Taxes in kind Before Brits

7) Magasthnese visited Pataliputra, no purity vs pollution

1) > meat eating was common
8) Mauryan empire---> peak of asiatic mode of production
9) Varna, mere a reference group---> jatis
10)Occupational specialisation
11) FAIN YAN ---> meat eating was common
1) > animal slaughtering in rituals
Decline of mauryan empire
2) > criticised by buddhism
was the reason
12)Mauryan empire---> DOL intense
1) > not limited to 4 fold division
2) > warrior, frame of reference
13)Varna scheme is --> textual or book view
14)Decline of mauryan empire
1) > feudalisation increased
2) > weak rulers
3) > local people captured power
4) > legitimisation of their power by granting lands
to Brahmins
5) > Brahmins established genealogy
6) > institution of provable property collapsed
7) > trade declined due to invasion of huns
8) > deurbanisation and stagnant economy
9) > now, everybody looked upto Brahmins
(landowners)
10)> provided their services to them
11) > Multi caste village developed ---> called JATIS
12)> land owning JATIS and service JATIS
15) Distinction still persisted
16)Different JATIS belong to different Varnas
17)Kayastha could not find any varna, though a upper caste/JATI
18)Any JATI may claim any varna status, but other might protest

JATI BASED MODEL OF CASTE

1) Contextual view/field view

2) Actual observation of reality
3) Since on ground, we find JATI not varna
4) JATI, more rigid since feudalisation, stagnant economy and dwindling trade
5) Karma theory to justify JATI system
6) Purity & pollution to justify the hierarchy
7) Karma + PP---> idea of untouchability emerged
8) PP --> Indus valley origin, aryans did not believe it originally
9) Harsha time flesh eating was common
10)Buddhism rejection of meat, pressurised Brahmins
11) Buddhist and Janis were peasants and artisans---> labelled shudras
1) > since peasants killed insects, and artisans flesh eaters
12)Now, they are vaish (since merchants)
13)Caste based hierarchy was at peak during Brits, no scope for political avenue
14)Previously--->
1) > Maratha kanabis--> Kshatriyas

2) > REDDY peasants to Kshatriyas

3) > mobility by power acquisition
15)Brits never let any revolt succeeded

JATI MODEL OF CASTE

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
G)

Little tradition view

Contextual or field view
Caste operated within a limited locality
Local population practices hereditary endogamy and mutually exclusive caste
Hierarchy is not universal
Localised view
System of stratification---> 2 forms of hierarchy (MNS)
A) > ritual dimension
B) > secular dimension

RITUAL AS BASIS OF HIERARCHY

A) Purity and pollution
B) Higher caste, more ritual
C) UPNAYANA CEREMONY
A) > child at birth is SHUDRA
D) Eg. Brahmins

SECULARISM AS BASIS OF HIERARCHY

A) Based on political power, economic power, number and lately education too
B) Ritual and secular may not overlap, but generally that do
C) Eg, Vokkalingas

STUDY OF MNS IN RAMPURA

A) Brahmins > okalingas (ritually)

B) OKALINGAS > Brahmins (day to day matters--> land,
power & politics)
C) Dominant caste of secular hierarchy tips
D) Brahmins may/may not dominant caste
E) Passage of time---> change in caste system
A) > ritual hierarchy downing (eg. Desanskritisation )
B) > secular hierarchy upping (green revolution,
reservation)

Can we say that ritual

dimension of hierarchy
creates castes, and the
secular dimension
creates classes?

How green revolution

helped big farmers and
then also helped BC in
social mobility?

F) Ritual hierarchy, most conspicuous in south India's rural areas

G) Ritual hierarchy leads to untouchability
H) Ritual hierarchy countered by constitution
A) > village, train, metro, tea
I) Urban anonymity, no ritual
J) Education benefitted upper caste
K) Reservation helped lower caste to march forward
L) Dalit chamber of commerce

CASTE AS AN ECONOMIC SYSTEM

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

occupational specialisation
Service to landowners in lieu of grains
JAJMANI system
Karma theory dictates to stick with one's occupation
Barber and washer man absorb the pollution

WILLIAM WISER

A) Jajmani system (Brahmins perform yajya for yajman)

B) Caste as economic system
A) > how caste functioned as economic system
B) > economic dimension of caste
C) >Modernity
D) >land reforms
C) No Jajmani system today
D) Traditionally, ritual identity for cognition
E) Eg. IAS of andhra (Brahmins vs goldsmith)

CASTE AS POLITICAL SYSTEM

1) Handle inter caste dispute via councils

2) Council members from dominant group
1) > abolished now
3) Due to constitution
1) > power pool (TK OOMEN)
2) > many competitive groups emerged
4) Caste based reservation in assemblies
5) Caste based parties
6) OBCs for SP
7) STs for BSP

CASTE AS KINSHIP SYSTEM

A) IRAWATI KARVE

I) caste, an extended group

II) Connected by blood or marriage
III) Caste endogamy is breaking in urban areas
IV) Sub-caste differences are ignored
V) Eg. AGGARWALS
I) >BISA AGGARWAL
II) > DASA AGGARWAL
III) > Now marriages
VI) However, Bed rock of caste is still intact
VII)Caste consciousness and caste awareness in urban areas
I) > policy of reservation
II) > political tool
III) > caste adapted on the framework of modernity
VIII)Eg. Caste association in urban areas, fulfill each others' needs
IX) Loan facility to members
X) Celebrate common festivals
XI) Hostel and library facilities
XII)Solidarity (financial, social and psychological)

B) GN RAMU

I) Caste has two functions in urban areas

I) > expressive function (solidarity and belongingness)
II) > instrumental function (hostels, loans and matchmaking)

CONCLUSION

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

Caste survived in form of consciousness

Caste as a system is gone
But not castism and caste identities
No hierarchy anymore
But caste as a difference---> favouring castism

Caste has penetrated into eternal social institutions such

as kinship system, political system and economic system.
Thus, as long as these institutions survive, caste would
survive!










DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON CASTES

Indologist approach

Sociological approach

1) Study Indian society with

unique methods devised only for
Indian society

Use the same framework

developed in Europe to study
Indian society

2) no Eurocentric approach

Empirical examination of Indians

society with universal method

3) Indian society by indian culture

study by empirical research

4) rely on scriptural text

European devised methodologies

1) GS GHURYE

A)
B)
C)
D)

indologist
Father of Indian sociology
Systematic study of Indian society (indologist)
Scriptural text were normative (shaped behaviour)
but
E) Questionable assumption since no centralised
authority like church for Christians and one
scripture
F) GHURYE professor in Bombay university
G) Trained in sanskritik literature SO PREDISPOSED

A) (I think Brahmins
were working as
centralised authority,
every walking
Brahmin was a
church and every
word he used to utter
was like a word of
God)

H) Made connection between Indian society and Sanskrit text

I) Book "caste & race in India"
J) European Orientalists studied Vedas
to understand inequality
K) 2 way classification based on skin
colour (ARYA VARNA & Krishna
varna)
L) Dravidians vs aryans
M) 4 varna racial theory was given by
RISELY
A) > Nasal index
N) GHURYE accepted racial theory in
toto
O) GHURYE- 4 Varnas have developed
as a result of interaction
A) > evolution of caste through ages
P) Rigveda two fold classification (ARYA
and KRISHNA)
A) >ARYANS are further subdivided
Q) Assimilation of local people in
aryan---> SHUDRAS
R) VARNA VYAVASTHA emerged
S) Original segregation of aryans was
3 fold

POST VEDIC PERIOD (PANCHAMS emerged)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

Rigid distinction
Dwija (BKV) ekjati(SHUDRAS)
Late comers were assimilated and labelled as "PANCHAMS)
UPNAYANA ceremony since we all are SHUDRAS at the time of birth!
SWARNAS (B K V S) and AVARNAS (ATI SHUDRAS OR PANCHAMS)
AVARNAS--> untouchables
This period dedicated to Brahmins consolidation of power
As a consequence of it
1) > caste hierarchy became rigid, caste endogamy
1) >> however, scriptures showed shantanu of Ramayana
2) > Glorification of Brahmins
1) >> Brahmins are real visible deities, gods are invisible deities
2) >> gifts & lands
3) >> idea of untouchability

GHURYE on nature of caste in modern India

1) GHURYE only indologist used empirical study

2) Gave features of caste system

Ghurye's features of caste system (same by SC DUBE)


1) Caste as a segmental division

A)
B)
C)
D)

Closed system of stratification (ascription)

Each caste's own Norms, morality and edicts
Caste person can change occupation, but can't change a caste
Occupation allies two generals are alike, but caste hierarchies....

2) castes are arranged in hierarchy

A) no unanimous acceptance of hierarchy

B) Local character of hierarchy (same is today)
A) Sikhs are minority in TAMILNADU, not in Punjab
B) Nagas are minority all over India except Nagaland
C) Hindus minority in arunachal
C) Local domination caste has final say
D) Kshatriyas most open & diffused caste
E) No true Kshatriyas today
F) NANDAS KING were SHUDRAS, later became KSHATRIYAS
G) SATHVANAS and SUNNAS Brahmins became KSHATRIYAS
H) GUPTA RULERS WERE VAISH ---> they became KSHATRIYAS
I) It is all about capturing and holding power
J) In 6th C, Buddha protested hereditary basis, asked for merit basis

3) Restriction of exchange of food and social intercourse

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

Cooked food in water bs ghee

Kachha food vs pucca food
Who will accept from whom
South India strictly follows it
Brahmin doctor wrap the wrist then check pulse

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

banning entry to temple, wells, education and roads

Peshawa rule in Bombay, door closed 9am to 3pm
Shadow pollution!
VAIKOM SATYAGRAH IN KERALA
broomstick

4) Imposition of civil & religious disabilities and privileges on different sections

5) Restricted choices of occupation

A) Occupational speciality in caste

B) Some deviance was permissible
C) Purity vs pollution eg. Leather and cremation

6) Restriction on marriage

A)
B)
C)
D)

caste endogamy
Hypergamy where women in scarcity
ANULOMA & PRATILOMA
Hypogamy ---unmanush----incest (BR AMBEDKAR)

A)
B)
C)
D)

French scholar
Indological approach
Modern western ideology and traditional ideology are incompatible
Can't approach traditional society like India in terms of western ideas (against
sociological/European approach)
Book. "homo hierarchicus"---> book on caste system
Modern western society is individualistic
Traditional society is holistic
Western society perceives hierarchy in terms of inequality (segregation and
discrimination)
A) > implicit idea ---> repudiation of hierarchy
Indian society perception
A) > make a virtue of society
B) > hierarchy, a basis of justice
Traditional view <> modern view
Tradition and Indian ideology----> principle of hierarchy----> mutual opposition of pure
and impure
Purity and pollution~social status
Hierarchy disjunction between status and power (Indian society)
> status is based on purity, not power
Many traditional kings ---> magico-religious power
In India, not so
Brahmins monopoly over religious power, kings only political power
King not a spiritual authority
Power became secularised at early stage in India
Brahmins hold over religious power ensured welfare of other
A) > done rituals for them
B) > kings may come and go, but transcendental religious power of values will
remain
C) > king's power fluctuates
King controlled artha
Brahmins controlled dharma

LOUIS DUMONT

E)
F)
G)
H)
I)
J)
K)
L)
M)
N)
O)
P)
Q)
R)
S)
T)

U)
V)


CALENSTINE BOUGAL

A)
B)
C)
D)

French scholar
Book on caste system
3 main features of caste
>separation (marriage and physical
contact)
E) > interdependence (occupational
specialisation)
F) >hierarchy (superior/inferior)

DUMONT analysed BOUGLE

A) 3 features can be reduced to one

I.e. purity and pollution
B) Mutual opposition of pure and
impure
C) Bodily emission (Saliva)
D) Impure defiles pure
E) Impure must be separated
F) Purity is relational and relative
G) Death, cremation and leather work---> impure
H) Temporary pollution (removed by
rituals)
I) Permanent pollution (ascription)
J) Every part is ranked vis a vis to other
and whole

Critics of GHURYE and Dumont for Indological approach

A) Tried to study Indian society from scriptural text, and assigned normative character
to them, which did not exist, since there was no centre authority ( (I think Brahmins
were working as centralised authority, every walking Brahmin was a church and every
word he used to utter was like a word of God)
B) Real life was not shaped by text
C) No centre authority as church
D) Great deal of variation persisted
E) Localisation and not homogenisation
F) As per dumont (Brahmin > Kshatriyas)
G) Reality (Kshatriyas > Brahmins) gifts and patronage
H) One jati in one village pure, impure in other (depending upon land ownership)
I) Power > text
J) Ritual dimension lost its importance
K) Today an caste can't be understood in terms of purity pollution continuum

Traditional India

A) Principle of hierarchy is to attribute ranks to different elements on relation to whole

B) For correct understanding of Indian society, transcend individual ideology and
embrace holistic ideology
C) Evaluation of caste division as inequality driven or unjust is inappropriate, cause it tries
to introduce the ideology of individual into Indian society, which was foreign to
traditional India (western view)
D) Highest moral value on society as a whole----> holistic perspective
E) Whereas west puts more value on individualism (freedom, autonomy)
F) Must approach Indian society holistically

Contemporary phenomenon and caste

1) Fission & Fusion
2) Jats (HOODAS AND CHAUTALAS)
3) Bihar (M-Y Conglomeration)

MN SRINIVAS ON CASTE

1) initially, student of GHURYE

2) Later, structural functionalist
3) As a functionalist highlighted interdependence among caste
4) Interdependence leads to solidarity in village (2 kinds of solidarity)
5) Rampura village
6) Coorg village
7) Brahmanisation, Sanskritisation, westernisation
8) Mobility in caste
9) Historical perspective to caste
10)1st one to distinguish between book view and field view of looking at caste
11) Prof. Srinivas distinguished between hierarchy dimensions too

Srinivas two types of hierarchy



1) Ritual dimension of hierarchy

A) Dominated by Brahmins


2) Secular dimension of Hierarchy

A) Dominated by Vokalingas

The above hierarchies do not overlap





2 kinds of solidarity



1) vertical solidarity

A) Jajmani system
B) Occupational interdependence

2) Horizontal solidarity

A) Unity
B) Easy to assemble people on caste lines

Sanskritisation

1) Low caste or tribal group takes over ritual, customs, beliefs, ideology and style of life
of high - particularly DWIJA - caste
2) Effect of improving position
3) Improvement either in economy or political position
4) Higher self consciousness resulting from the contact of great tradition of Hinduism

Westernisation

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Common among DWIJAS OR EVEN DALITS

Westernisation was the other high for DWIJAS
Dalits, since sanskritisation was not possible all the time
Dalits converted to Christianity
Brits came----> caste acquired a political role----> caste identities increased

Conclusion on caste

1) Dravidian movement of TN was based on caste lines (anti Brahmin, anti Hindi,
anti north, anti Sanskrit, anti aryan and all the antis)
2) Mobilising people based on caste lines for political power
1) > greater horizontal mobility

2) For vertical mobility, one has to first go for horizontal mobility

3) Previously, small caste groups 'coz small principalities

4) Now, geographical expansion----> larges caste groups (Dalit chamber of commerce)

5) Vertical unity is downing
6) Jajmani system is withering
7) Interdependence among caste is declining
8) Large groups mobilised for power eg. JATS and GUJJARS for quota
9) In andhra, reddy's were Mobilised by congress
10)Kamas were mobilised by communists
11) Policy of reservation has given new life to caste
1) > enhanced horizontal solidarity

"Caste as a system has died, but caste identities are

still strong and lingering"

Dimensions