Rejected in India. Untouchables: the life of the most severe caste in India
Recently I was preparing an essay on anthropology on the topic "The Mentality of India". The creation process was very exciting, because the country itself impresses with its traditions and characteristics. For those who are interested, please read.
I was especially struck by: the fate of women in India, the phrase that "Husband is an earthly God", the very difficult life of the untouchables (the last estate in India), and the happy existence of cows and bulls.
Contents of the first part:
1. General information
2. Castes
1
. General information about India
INDIA, the Republic of India (in Hindi - Bharat), a state in South Asia.
Capital - Delhi
Area - 3,287,590 km2.
Ethnic composition. 72% Indo-Aryans, 25% Dravidians, 3% Mongoloids.
The official name of the country , India, comes from the ancient Persian word Hindu, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit Sindhu (Skt. सिन्धु), the historical name of the Indus River. The ancient Greeks called the Indians the Indoi (ancient Greek Ἰνδοί) - "the people of the Indus". The Constitution of India also recognizes a second name, Bharat (Hindi भारत), which comes from the Sanskrit name of an ancient Indian king whose history was described in the Mahabharata. The third name, Hindustan, has been used since the time of the Mughal Empire, but has no official status.
Territory of India in the north it extends in the latitudinal direction for 2930 km, in the meridional direction - for 3220 km. India is washed by the waters of the Arabian Sea in the west, the Indian Ocean in the south and the Bay of Bengal in the east. Its neighbors are Pakistan in the northwest, China, Nepal and Bhutan in the north, Bangladesh and Myanmar in the east. In addition, India has maritime borders with the Maldives in the southwest, with Sri Lanka in the south and with Indonesia in the southeast. The disputed territory of the state of Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with Afghanistan.
India ranks seventh in the world in terms of area, second largest population (after China) , currently lives in it 1.2 billion people. India has had one of the highest population densities in the world for thousands of years.
Religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism originated in India. In the first millennium AD, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam also came to the Indian subcontinent and had a great influence on the formation of the diverse culture of the region.
More than 900 million Indians (80.5% of the population) practice Hinduism. Other religions with a significant following are Islam (13.4%), Christianity (2.3%), Sikhism (1.9%), Buddhism (0.8%) and Jainism (0.4%). Religions such as Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Bahai and others are also represented in India. Among the aboriginal population, which is 8.1%, animism is common.
Almost 70% of Indians live in rural areas, although in recent decades migration to big cities has led to a sharp increase in the urban population. The largest cities in India are Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Delhi, Kolkata (formerly Kolkata), Chennai (formerly Madras), Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. In terms of cultural, linguistic and genetic diversity, India ranks second in the world after the African continent. The gender composition of the population is characterized by the excess of the number of men over the number of women. The male population is 51.5%, and the female population is 48.5%. There are 929 women for every thousand men, a ratio that has been observed since the beginning of this century.
India is home to the Indo-Aryan language group (74% of the population) and the Dravidian language family (24% of the population). Other languages spoken in India are descended from the Austroasiatic and Tibeto-Burmese linguistic family. Hindi, the most spoken language in India, is the official language of the Government of India. English language, which is widely used in business and administration, has the status of "auxiliary official language", it also plays a large role in education, especially in secondary and higher education. The Constitution of India defines 21 official languages that are spoken by a significant part of the population or that have classical status. There are 1652 dialects in India.
Climate humid and warm, mostly tropical, tropical monsoon in the north. India, located in tropical and subequatorial latitudes, fenced off by the wall of the Himalayas from the influence of continental Arctic air masses, is one of the hottest countries in the world with a typical monsoonal climate. The monsoonal rhythm of rainfall determines the rhythm of household work and the whole way of life. 70-80% of the annual precipitation falls during the four months of the rainy season (June-September), when the southwest monsoon arrives and it rains almost incessantly. This is the time of the main field season "kharif". October-November is the post-monsoon period when the rains mostly stop. The winter season (December-February) is dry and cool, when roses and many other flowers bloom, many trees bloom - this is the most pleasant time to visit India. March-May is the hottest, driest season, with temperatures often exceeding 35°C, often rising above 40°C. This is a time of sweltering heat, when the grass burns out, leaves fall off the trees, air conditioners run at full capacity in rich houses.
national animal - tiger.
national bird - peacock.
national flower - lotus.
national fruit - mango.
The national currency is the Indian rupee.
India can be called the cradle of human civilization. The Indians were the first in the world to learn how to grow rice, cotton, sugar cane, and they were the first to breed poultry. India gave the world chess and the decimal system.
The average literacy rate in the country is 52%, with 64% for men and 39% for women.
2. Castes in India
CASTS - division of Hindu society in the Indian subcontinent.
Caste for many centuries was determined primarily by the profession. The profession that passed from father to son often did not change over the course of dozens of generations.
Each caste lives according to its own dharma - with that set of traditional religious prescriptions and prohibitions, the creation of which is attributed to the gods, divine revelation. Dharma determines the norms of behavior for members of each caste, regulates their actions and even feelings. Dharma is that elusive, but immutable, which is pointed out to the child already in the days of his first babbling. Everyone should act in accordance with his own dharma, deviation from dharma is lawlessness - this is how children are taught at home and at school, this is how the brahmin, the mentor and spiritual leader, repeats. And a person grows up in the consciousness of the absolute inviolability of the laws of dharma, their immutability.
At present, the caste system is officially banned, and the strict division of crafts or professions depending on the caste is gradually being phased out, while at the same time a state policy is being pursued to reward those who have been oppressed for centuries at the expense of representatives of other castes. It is widely believed that castes are losing their former importance in the modern Indian state. However, developments have shown that this is far from the case.
In fact, the caste system itself has not gone away: when a student enters a school, they ask his religion, and if he professes Hinduism - the caste, in order to know if there is a place for representatives of this caste in this school in accordance with state norms. When applying to a college or university, caste is important in order to correctly assess the threshold scores (the lower the caste, the lower the score is enough for passing score). When applying for a job, caste is again important in order to maintain a balance. Although castes are not forgotten when they arrange the future of their children, supplements with marriage announcements are released weekly to major newspapers in India, in which the columns are divided into religions, and the most voluminous column is with representatives of Hinduism - on castes. Often, under such ads, describing the parameters of both the groom (or bride) and the requirements for prospective applicants (or applicants), the standard phrase "Cast no bar" is placed, which means "Caste does not matter" in translation, but, to be honest, I have a little doubt that a bride from the Brahmin caste will be seriously considered by her parents for a groom from a caste below the Kshatriyas. Yes, inter-caste marriages are also not always approved, but they happen if, for example, the groom occupies a higher position in society than the bride's parents (but this is not a mandatory requirement - cases are different). In such marriages, the caste of children is determined by the father. So, if a girl from a Brahmin family marries a Kshatriya boy, then their children will belong to the Kshatriya caste. If a Kshatriya boy marries a Veishya girl, then their children will also be considered Kshatriyas.
The official tendency to downplay the importance of the caste system has led to the fact that the corresponding column has disappeared from the censuses conducted once a decade. The last time information about the number of castes was published in 1931 (3000 castes). But this figure does not necessarily include all local podcasts that function as social groups in their own right. In 2011, India plans to conduct a general census, which will take into account the caste of the inhabitants of this country.
The main characteristics of the Indian caste:
. endogamy (marriages exclusively between members of a caste);
. hereditary membership (accompanied by the practical impossibility of transferring to another caste);
. the prohibition to share a meal with representatives of other castes, as well as to have physical contact with them;
. recognition of a firmly fixed place for each caste in the hierarchical structure of society as a whole;
. restrictions on choosing a profession;
The Indians believe that Manu is the first person from whom we all descended. Once upon a time, the god Vishnu saved him from the Flood that destroyed the rest of humanity, after which Manu came up with the rules that people should now be guided by. Hindus believe that it was 30 thousand years ago (historians stubbornly date the laws of Manu to the 1st-2nd century BC and generally claim that this collection of instructions is a compilation of the works of various authors). Like most other religious prescriptions, the laws of Manu are distinguished by exceptional meticulousness and attention to the most insignificant details of human life - from swaddling babies to cooking recipes. But there are also much more fundamental things. It is according to the laws of Manu that all Indians are divided into four estates - varnas.
Very often they confuse varnas, of which there are only four, with castes, of which there are a great many. A caste is a rather small community of people united by profession, nationality and place of residence. And varnas are more like such categories as workers, entrepreneurs, employees and intellectuals.
There are four main varnas: Brahmins (officials), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (merchants) and Shudras (peasants, workers, servants). The rest are "untouchables".
The Brahmins are the highest caste in India.
Brahmins emerged from the mouth of Brahma. The meaning of the life of the Brahmins is moksha, or liberation.
These are scientists, ascetics, priests. (teachers and priests)
Today Brahmins most often work as officials.
The most famous is Jawaharlal Nehru.
In a typical rural area, the highest stratum of the caste hierarchy is formed by members of one or more Brahmin castes, constituting from 5 to 10% of the population. Among these Brahmins there are a number of landowners, a few village clerks and accountants or accountants, a small group of clergy who perform ritual functions in local shrines and temples. Members of each Brahmin caste marry only within their circle, although it is possible to marry a bride from a family belonging to a similar sub-caste from a neighboring area. Brahmins are not supposed to plow or do certain types of manual work; women from their midst can serve in the house, and landowners can cultivate allotments, but only not plow. Brahmins are also allowed to work as cooks or domestic servants.
A Brahman is not entitled to eat food prepared outside his caste, but members of all other castes may eat from the hands of Brahmins. In choosing food, a Brahmin observes many prohibitions. Members of the Vaishnava caste (who worship the god Vishnu) have been vegetarian since the 4th century, when it became widespread; some other castes of Shiva-worshipping Brahmins (Shaiva Brahmins) do not abstain from meat in principle, but abstain from the meat of animals included in the diet of the lower castes.
Brahmins serve as spiritual guides in the families of most high or middle status castes, with the exception of those considered "impure". Brahmin priests, as well as members of a number of religious orders, are often recognized by "caste signs" - patterns painted on the forehead with white, yellow or red paint. But such marks only indicate belonging to the main sect and characterize this person as worshiping, for example, Vishnu or Shiva, and not as a subject of a certain caste or sub-caste.
Brahmins, to a greater extent than others, adhere to the occupations and professions that were provided for by their varna. For many centuries, scribes, scribes, clergymen, scientists, teachers and officials came out of their midst. Back in the first half of the 20th century. in some areas, brahmins occupied up to 75% of all more or less important government positions.
In dealing with the rest of the population, the Brahmins do not allow reciprocity; thus, they accept money or gifts from members of other castes, but they themselves never make gifts of a ritual or ceremonial nature. Among the Brahmin castes there is no complete equality, but even the lowest of them stands above the rest of the highest castes.
The mission of a member of the Brahmin caste is to learn, teach, receive gifts and give gifts. By the way, all Indian programmers are Brahmins.
Kshatriyas
Warriors who came out of the hands of Brahma.These are warriors, rulers, kings, nobles, rajas, maharajas.
The most famous is Buddha Shakyamuni
For a kshatriya, the main thing is dharma, the fulfillment of duty.
Following the Brahmins, the most prominent hierarchical place is occupied by the Kshatriya castes. In rural areas they include, for example, landlords, possibly associated with former ruling houses (eg Rajput princes in Northern India). Traditional occupations in such castes are the work of managers on estates and service in various administrative positions and in the army, but now these castes no longer enjoy their former power and authority. In ritual terms, the kshatriyas are immediately behind the brahmins and also observe strict caste endogamy, although they allow marriage with a girl from a lower podcast (a union called hypergamy), but in no case can a woman marry a man of a podcast below her own. Most kshatriyas eat meat; they have the right to take food from the Brahmins, but not from representatives of any other castes.
Vaishya
Arising from the thighs of Brahma.
These are artisans, merchants, farmers, entrepreneurs (strata that are engaged in trade).
The Gandhi family is from the Vaishyas, and at one time the fact that it was born with the Nehru Brahmins caused a huge scandal.
The main life stimulus is artha, or the desire for wealth, for property, for hoarding.
The third category includes merchants, shopkeepers and moneylenders. These castes recognize the superiority of the Brahmins, but do not necessarily show such an attitude towards the Kshatriya castes; as a rule, vaishyas are more strict about the rules regarding food, and are even more careful to avoid ritual pollution. The traditional occupation of the 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 landlords and village entrepreneurs, not directly participating in the cultivation of the land.
Shudra
Came out from the feet of Brahma.
Peasant caste. (Labors, servants, artisans, workers)
The main aspiration at the sudra stage is kama. These are pleasures, pleasant experiences delivered by the senses.
Mithun Chakraborty from Disco Dancer is a Sudra.
They, due to their numbers and ownership of a significant part of the local land, play an important role in solving the social and political issues of some areas. Shudras eat meat, marriage of widows and divorced women is allowed. The lower sudras are numerous podcasts whose profession is of a highly specialized nature. These are the castes of potters, blacksmiths, carpenters, joiners, weavers, buttermakers, distillers, masons, hairdressers, musicians, tanners (those who sew products from finished - dressed leather), butchers, scavengers and many others. The members of these castes are supposed to practice their hereditary profession or trade; however, if the sudra is able to acquire land, any of them can take up agriculture. Members of many artisan and other professional castes have a traditional relationship with the higher castes, which consists in the provision of services for which no monetary allowance is paid, but an annual remuneration in kind. This payment is made by each household in the village, whose requests are satisfied by this representative of the professional caste. For example, a blacksmith has his own circle of clients, for whom he manufactures and repairs inventory and other metal products all year round, for which he, in turn, is given a certain amount of grain.
Untouchables
Engaged in the dirtiest work, often beggars or very poor people.
They are outside of Hindu society.
Activities such as tanning or slaughtering animals are seen as clearly defiling, and while these jobs are very important to the community, those who do them are considered untouchables. They are engaged in cleaning dead animals from the streets and fields, toilets, dressing skins, cleaning sewers. They work as scavengers, tanners, flayers, potters, prostitutes, laundresses, shoemakers, and are hired for the most difficult work in mines, construction sites, etc. That is, everyone who comes into contact with one of the three dirty things indicated in the laws of Manu - sewage, corpses and clay - or leads a wandering life on the street.
In many ways they are outside of Hindu society, they were called "outcasts", "low", "registered" castes, and Gandhi proposed the euphemism "harijanas" ("children of God"), which became widely used. But they themselves prefer to call themselves "dalits" - "broken". Members of these castes are prohibited from using public wells and pumps. You can not walk on the sidewalks, so as not to inadvertently come into contact with a representative of the highest caste, because they will have to be cleansed after such contact in the temple. In some areas of cities and villages, they are generally forbidden to appear. Under the ban for Dalits and visiting temples, only a few times a year they are allowed to cross the threshold of the sanctuaries, after which the temple is subjected to a thorough ritual purification. If a Dalit wants to buy something in a store, he must put money at the entrance and shout from the street what he needs - the purchase will be taken out and left on the doorstep. Dalit is forbidden to start a conversation with a representative of a higher caste, to call him on the phone.
After laws were passed in some states of India to penalize canteen owners for refusing to feed Dalits, most catering establishments set up special cupboards with utensils for them. True, if the dining room does not have a separate room for Dalits, they have to dine outside.
Until recently, most Hindu temples were closed to the untouchables, there was even a ban on approaching people from higher castes closer than the set number of steps. The nature of the caste barriers is such that it is believed that the Harijans continue to defile members of the "pure" castes, even if they have long abandoned their caste occupation and are engaged in ritually neutral activities, such as agriculture. Although in other social settings and situations, such as being in an industrial city or on a train, an untouchable may have physical contact with members of higher castes and not defile them, in his native village, untouchability is inseparable from him, no matter what he does.
When Ramita Navai, a British journalist of Indian origin, decided to make a revolutionary film that would reveal to the world the terrible truth about the life of the untouchables (Dalits), she endured a lot. Courageously looked at the Dalit teenagers, frying and eating rats. Little children splashing in the gutter and playing with the parts of a dead dog. To a housewife carving their rotten carcass of a pig into neater pieces. But when the well-groomed journalist was taken with her to the work shift by the ladies from the caste, which traditionally cleans toilets by hand, the poor thing vomited right in front of the camera. “Why do these people live like this?! - the journalist asked us in the last seconds documentary film Dalit means broken. Yes, because the child of the Brahmins spent the morning and evening hours in prayer, and the son of a kshatriya at the age of three was put on a horse and taught to swing a saber. For a Dalit, the ability to live in the mud is his prowess, his skill. The Dalits know better than anyone: those who are afraid of dirt will die faster than others.
There are hundreds of untouchable castes.
Every fifth Indian is Dalit - this is at least 200 million people.
Hindus believe in reincarnation and believe that the one who observes the rules of his caste will rise to a higher caste by birth in a future life, while the one who violates these rules will not understand who he will become in his next life.
The first three high estates of the Varnas were ordered to undergo an initiation ceremony, after which they were called twice-born. Members of the high castes, especially the Brahmins, then put on the “sacred thread” over their shoulders. The twice-born are allowed to study the Vedas, but only Brahmans could preach them. The Shudras were strictly forbidden not only to study, but even to listen to the words of the Vedic teachings.
Clothing, despite all its seeming uniformity, is different for different castes and noticeably distinguishes a member of a high caste from a member of a low one. Some wrap the thighs with a wide strip of cloth that falls to the ankles, while others should not cover the knees, women of some castes should drape their body in a strip of cloth of at least seven or nine meters, while women of others should not use fabric longer than four or five on a sari. meters, some were ordered to wear a certain type of jewelry, others were forbidden, some could use an umbrella, others had no right to do so, etc. and so on. The type of dwelling, food, even vessels for its preparation - everything is determined, everything is prescribed, everything is studied from childhood by a member of each caste.
That is why in India it is very difficult to impersonate a member of any other caste - such an imposture will be immediately exposed. Only he can do this who has studied the dharma of a foreign caste for many years and has had the opportunity to practice it. And even then he can only succeed so far from his locality, where they know nothing about his village or city. And that is why the most terrible punishment has always been exclusion from the caste, the loss of one's social face, the severance of all industrial ties.
Even the untouchables, who from century to century did the dirtiest work, brutally suppressed and exploited by members of the higher castes, those untouchables who were humiliated and disdained as something unclean, they were still considered members of the caste society. They had their own dharma, they could be proud of their adherence to its rules and maintained their long-established industrial relations. They had their own well-defined caste face and their own well-defined place, albeit in the lowest layers of this multi-layered hive.
Bibliography:
1. Guseva N.R. - India in the mirror of centuries. Moscow, VECHE, 2002
2. Snesarev A.E. - Ethnographic India. Moscow, Nauka, 1981
3. Material from Wikipedia - India:
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%98%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%8F
4. Online Encyclopedia Around the World - India:
http://www.krugosvet.ru/enc/strany_mira/INDIYA.html
5. Marry an Indian: life, traditions, features:
http://tomarryindian.blogspot.com/
6. Interesting articles about tourism. India. Women of India.
http://turistua.com/article/258.htm
7. Material from Wikipedia - Hinduism:
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%98%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%83%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BC
8. Bharatiya.ru - pilgrimage and travel through India, Pakistan, Nepal and Tibet.
http://www.bharatiya.ru/index.html
In reality, things don't work out that way at all. The most ancient cultures still cultivate the traditions inherited from their ancestors, dividing people by no means according to their qualities - but only by birthright. This is the case, for example, in India, where the untouchable caste makes up as much as 20% of the entire society and has almost no rights.
Faktrum tells about the history and life of the untouchables.
1. Varna system
India still has a caste system. The whole society is divided into four varnas: brahmin scholars, kshatriya warriors, vaishya farmers and sudras, servants. Apparently, this division was born as a result of the contact of an already existing tribal structure with the cultural customs of assimilated communities, whose members were distinguished by a different skin color. Representatives of these four varnas can interact with each other - only contacts with shudras are considered undesirable.
Photos: www.dnpmag.com
2. Sudras
Closest to the untouchables is the Shudra caste. These people from time immemorial were forced to do hard and dirty work. Actually, the Shudras can be called some kind of peasants of India, who own large plots of land. People from this caste work in socially acceptable positions. Such a person can be a blacksmith, a carpenter, a distiller, a bricklayer, and even a musician.
3. Untouchables
The untouchable caste is outside the social division of India. They work in the dirtiest places, clean up dead animals, clean toilets and tan leather. The doors of temples are closed for the untouchables. People can do nothing with their position, which is determined only by birthright. Untouchables are strictly forbidden to enter the courtyards of the houses of any member of the higher castes, and anyone who dares to desecrate a public well with his bucket will face a quick and cruel reprisal right on the street.
4. Desecration
The untouchables are despised and, at the same time, feared by all other castes. The fact is that a person from the lower stratum of society can defile anyone else with his presence. Brahmins are especially strict about their surroundings: as soon as an untouchable touches at least the edge of a Brahmin's clothes, the latter will have to spend many years trying to cleanse the stained karma.
5. Where did the untouchables come from
The existence of a whole class of pariahs was determined by history itself. In ancient times, India was conquered by civilized Aryans, who did not integrate representatives of the conquered tribes into their society. The Aryans preferred to use the indigenous population as attendants. They immediately began to build separate settlements located outside the walls of the main settlements. This practice gradually widened the gap between the conquerors and the oppressed, not giving the latter even a single chance to be integrated into society.
6. Occupation
Worst of all, the untouchables themselves completely accepted the existing tradition of the Aryans for caste division. These people themselves were divided into several sub-castes, according to the type of activity. At the moment, the representatives of Chamar-tanners, dhobi-washerwomen and pariahs, who are engaged in very dirty work - taking out garbage and cleaning toilets, are most common. The society of modern India is 20% untouchable, although the struggle for integration into ordinary society has been going on for more than a dozen years.
7. Fight for equality
The first sprouts of resistance appeared already in the 20th century. The main activist was Gandhi, who tried to destroy the stereotype cultivated in society by renaming the caste into Harijans, the people of God. The case of Gandhi was continued by the representative of the Brahmin caste, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. The untouchables in his interpretation became Dalits, the oppressed. Ambedkar ensured that the Dalits were given certain quotas in each area of activity. That is, representatives of the untouchables now have, theoretically, the opportunity to merge into Indian society.
But the practical solution of the problem is still very far away. Only in 2008, one of the Dalit caste decided to marry a Kshatriya girl. The arrogant groom was guarded by a detachment of 500 carabinieri - and yet, the new family was simply expelled from the city.
The history of the 20th and 21st centuries is full of equality “to the brim”. Modern society has successfully fought for the rights of women, children and even pets. We proudly accept the achievements of civilization, believing that it has reached the most extreme limits of the Earth. In reality, things are quite different...
The most ancient cultures still cultivate the traditions inherited from their ancestors, dividing people by no means according to their qualities, but only according to the right of birth. This is the case, for example, in India, where the untouchable caste makes up as much as 20% of the entire society and has almost no rights. We will tell about the history and life of the untouchables.
1. Varna system
India still has a caste system. The whole society is divided into four varnas: brahmin scholars, kshatriya warriors, vaishya farmers and sudras, servants.
Apparently, this division was born as a result of the contact of an already existing tribal structure with the cultural customs of assimilated communities, whose members were distinguished by a different skin color.
Representatives of these four varnas can interact with each other - only contacts with shudras are considered undesirable.
2. Shudra
Closest to the untouchables is the Shudra caste. These people from time immemorial were forced to do hard and dirty work. Actually, the Shudras can be called some kind of peasants of India, who own large plots of land.
People from this caste work in socially acceptable positions. Such a person can be a blacksmith, a carpenter, a distiller, a bricklayer, and even a musician.
3. Untouchables
The untouchable caste is outside the social division of India. They work in the dirtiest places, clean up dead animals, clean toilets and tan leather.
The doors of temples are closed for the untouchables. People can do nothing with their position, which is determined only by birthright.
Untouchables are strictly forbidden to enter the courtyards of the houses of any member of the higher castes, and anyone who dares to desecrate a public well with his bucket will face a quick and cruel reprisal right on the street.
4. desecration
The untouchables are despised and, at the same time, feared by all other castes. The fact is that a person from the lower stratum of society can defile anyone else with his presence.
Brahmins are especially strict about their surroundings: as soon as an untouchable touches at least the edge of a Brahmin's clothes, the latter will have to spend many years trying to cleanse the stained karma.
5. Where did the untouchables come from?
The existence of a whole class of pariahs was determined by history itself.
In ancient times, India was conquered by civilized Aryans, who did not integrate representatives of the conquered tribes into their society. The Aryans preferred to use the indigenous population as attendants. They immediately began to build separate settlements located outside the walls of the main settlements.
This practice gradually widened the gap between the conquerors and the oppressed, not giving the latter even a single chance to be integrated into society.
6. Occupation
Worst of all, the untouchables themselves completely accepted the existing tradition of the Aryans for caste division. These people themselves were divided into several sub-castes, according to the type of activity.
At the moment, the representatives of Chamar-tanners, dhobi-washerwomen and pariahs, who are engaged in very dirty work - taking out garbage and cleaning toilets, are most common.
The society of modern India is 20% untouchable, although the struggle for integration into ordinary society has been going on for more than a dozen years.
7. Fight for equality
The first sprouts of resistance appeared already in the 20th century. The main activist was Gandhi, who tried to destroy the stereotype cultivated in society by renaming the caste into Harijans, the people of God.
The case of Gandhi was continued by the representative of the Brahmin caste, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. The untouchables in his interpretation became Dalits, the oppressed. Ambedkar ensured that the Dalits were given certain quotas in each area of activity. That is, representatives of the untouchables now have, theoretically, the opportunity to merge into Indian society.
But the practical solution of the problem is still very far away. Only in 2008, one of the Dalit caste decided to marry a Kshatriya girl. The arrogant groom was guarded by a detachment of 500 carabinieri - and yet, the new family was simply expelled from the city.
into separate groups - castes. In fact, there is a division in every country, but only in India it is too obvious. From a higher caste, a person can easily descend to a lower one - almost never. There are four castes in total: brahmins or priests, kshatriyas or warriors, vaishyas - artisans and merchants, shudras - attendants, but one last fifth caste, which is not part of the four varnas, is untouchable.
The Brahmin caste is the elite of Indian society, the untouchables are the lowest and most disrespectful. Lower caste people are not allowed to drink water from the same source as higher caste people. They cannot use the services public transport, hospitals and clinics, go to shops, government offices and temples.
Touching people from the lowest caste is strictly forbidden, because. it is believed that in this way a person can defile himself. Previously, it was believed that you can go to the untouchable caste with one touch to them. This is where their name comes from.
The untouchables themselves are divided into several separate groups, mainly according to the type of activity, although there are some exceptions. The Chamars are a group that includes tanners, leather dressers, and shoemakers. Another group of untouchables is called dhobi, they include laundresses - people who do laundry. Mata or barbers (barbers) are engaged in cutting or shaving the beard. There are also garbage collectors and janitors. All these groups of people are more or less respectful, although they are untouchables. After all, without these people the existence of society would be impossible.
The criminal component of the "untouchable" society is Sansi, thieves. They are treated not only without respect, but with contempt and even hatred. The most strange and little-studied group of Indian outcasts are the Hijra. In fact, they include men and women of homosexual orientation and transvestites. True hijra. They engage in begging, prostitution, extortion, and sometimes stealing.
The last group of untouchables are Dalits, they are also called pariahs. In general, they do not belong to any of the castes; pariahs are born from "mixed" marriages. Those. These are people whose parents belonged to different castes.
As early as the beginning of the 20th century, the untouchable caste began the struggle for equality. According to the constitution, caste division is unlawful; at present, persecution on the basis of caste is considered a criminal offense. But this is only on paper, but in reality everything is different. The untouchables are not allowed into cafes and restaurants, and if they are allowed, then “separate dishes” are reserved for them. As before, they are not allowed to enter the hospitals for ordinary people, they are not given good jobs. And although the untouchables are constantly fighting for their rights, Indian society will not soon move away from the "caste" relic of the past.
Four Indian varnas
Varnas and castes in our time
One and a half thousand years BC, Indian society was divided into 4 estates. They were called varnas. From Sanskrit it is translated as “color”, “quality” or “category”. According to the Rigveda, the varnas or castes emerged from the body of God Brahma.
IN ancient india originally there were such castes (varnas):
- Brahmins;
- Kshatriyas;
- Vaishya;
- Sudras.
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 pseudo-scientific “Aryans”), having conquered Indian land, decided to divide the local people according to skin color, origin and financial situation. This simplified social relationships and created a winning environment for government. The Aryans raised themselves, obviously, to the higher caste, and took only Brahmin girls as wives.
More detailed table of Indian castes with rights and duties Casta, varna and jati - what's the difference?
Most people confuse the concept of "caste" and "varna", many consider them synonyms. But this is not the case, and this should be dealt with.
Every Indian, without the right to choose, was born in a closed group - in Varna. Sometimes they are called the Indian caste. However, the 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 the varn 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 the caste and podcast, and every inhabitant 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 jati.
You can draw a primitive analogue with our society. For example, there are children of rich parents. This is varna. They study in separate kindergartens, schools and universities, communicate mainly with each other. These children, growing up into teenagers, are divided into subcultures. Someone becomes a hipster, someone becomes an “elite” entrepreneur, others become a creative intelligentsia, and someone becomes a free traveler. This is jati or caste.
Castes in India can be divided by religion, profession and even interests. They can be divided by, by interests, by chosen professions. However, oddly enough, people of this varna rarely “mix” with others, lower varnas and even castes, and always strive to communicate with those who are above them.
Four Indian varnas
Brahmins- the highest varna or caste in India. It included priests, clerics, sages, teachers, spiritual mentors and those people who connected other people with God. The Brahmins were vegetarians and could only eat food prepared by the people of their castes.
Brahmins are the highest and most respected caste in India. Kshatriyas- this is an Indian caste or varna of warriors, defenders of their country, warriors, soldiers and, surprisingly, kings and rulers. The kshatriyas were the protectors of the brahmins, 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, merchants, artisans, farmers, the working class. They did not like to engage in hard physical labor and were extremely scrupulous about food. Among them could be very prosperous and wealthy people - owners of enterprises and lands.
The vaishya caste are often wealthy merchants and landowners who do not like hard menial work. Shudra- the lowest varna or caste of India. It included servants, laborers and laborers. All those who had neither a house nor land, and did the hardest physical work. The Shudras had no right to pray to the gods and become "twice-born".
Sudras are the lowest caste in India. They live in poverty and work very hard The religious rite, which was held by the three upper varnas or castes of India, was called "upanayana". During the process of initiation, a consecrated thread was put on the boy's neck, corresponding to his varna, 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 rites and initiations. Hindus believe that 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, are waiting for incarnation on other, divine planets.
Untouchable caste - myth and reality
Special attention should be paid to the untouchables. The existence of 5 Indian castes is a myth. In fact, the untouchables are those people who did not fall into 4 varnas for some reason. According to Hinduism, they led an impious life in a past rebirth. The “caste” of untouchables in India is most often homeless, impoverished people who carry out the most humiliating and dirty work. They beg and steal. By their presence they defile the Indian Brahmin caste.
This is how the untouchable caste lives in India today The Government of India protects the untouchables to some extent. It is criminally punishable to call such people untouchable or even non-caste. Social discrimination is prohibited.
Varnas and castes in India today
What are the castes in India today? - you ask. And there are thousands of castes in India. Some of them are not numerous, but there are also castes known throughout the country. For example, hijras. This is the Indian caste of untouchables, in India it includes transgenders, transsexuals, bisexuals, hermaphrodites, intersex and homosexuals. Their processions can be found on the streets of cities and towns, where they make offerings to the Mother Goddess. Thanks to multiple protests, the Indian Hijri caste has achieved official recognition of itself as a “third gender”.
People with non-traditional sexual orientation (Hijri) in India also belong to the untouchable caste Varnas and castes in India in our time are considered some relic of the past, but in vain - the system remains. IN big cities the borders are somewhat erased, but in the villages the old way is still preserved. According to the Constitution of India, it is forbidden to discriminate people on the basis of varna or caste. 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 belonging to a caste.
In India, anyone can get a document on belonging to a caste So, the caste system in India has not only been preserved and has come down to our days, it works to this day. Moreover, other peoples are also divided into varnas and castes, they simply do not give this social division a name.