IndiaIndia

Social hierarchical controls Social hierarchical controls

Roots of HinduismRoots of Hinduism The The VedasVedas (“Wisdom”) were (“Wisdom”) were

collections of prayers and collections of prayers and hymns of the Indo-European hymns of the Indo-European Aryans who migrated into Aryans who migrated into India around 1500 B.C.India around 1500 B.C.– Reflect the knowledge Reflect the knowledge

that priests needed to that priests needed to carry out their functionscarry out their functions

The Aryans developed a The Aryans developed a social structure with sharp social structure with sharp distinctions between distinctions between individuals and groups individuals and groups according to the occupations according to the occupations and roles in societyand roles in society– These distinctions These distinctions

became the basis of the became the basis of the caste systemcaste system

– Brahmins Brahmins (priests) were (priests) were at the top of the caste at the top of the caste systemsystem

Fanciful depiction of the Indo-Fanciful depiction of the Indo-Aryans entering IndiaAryans entering India

Aryan Social OrderAryan Social Order

Aryan social hierarchy served to maintain order Aryan social hierarchy served to maintain order and stability that other societies such as and stability that other societies such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China maintained Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China maintained through state and political structures through state and political structures

The term caste comes from the Portuguese word The term caste comes from the Portuguese word castacasta meaning a social class of hereditary and meaning a social class of hereditary and usually unchangeable statususually unchangeable status– Coined by Portuguese merchants and mariners who Coined by Portuguese merchants and mariners who

visited India during the 16visited India during the 16thth Century Century

Caste and Caste and VarnaVarna

As the Aryans settled in India they As the Aryans settled in India they interacted with more people to include the interacted with more people to include the darker-skinned Dravidiansdarker-skinned Dravidians

The Aryans began using the word The Aryans began using the word varna varna meaning “color” to refer to the major social meaning “color” to refer to the major social classesclasses– This suggests that social distinctions arose This suggests that social distinctions arose

partly from differences in skin colorpartly from differences in skin color

VarnasVarnas After about 1000 After about 1000

B.C., Aryans B.C., Aryans increasingly increasingly recognized four recognized four main main varnas.varnas.

BrahmansBrahmans KshatryasKshatryas VaisyasVaisyas SudrasSudras

The varnas represent the different parts of God.

Brahmans = The head of God – hear, see, think, and speak for God

Kshatryas = The arms of God – protectors of the bodyKshatryas = The arms of God – protectors of the body

Vaisyas = The stomach of God – feed and care for the bodyVaisyas = The stomach of God – feed and care for the body

Sudras = The feet of God – perform labor of the bodySudras = The feet of God – perform labor of the body

UntouchablesUntouchables Some centuries later, Some centuries later,

the Aryans added the the Aryans added the category of category of untouchablesuntouchables

The untouchables The untouchables performed dirty or performed dirty or unpleasant tasks such unpleasant tasks such as butchering animals as butchering animals or handling dead or handling dead bodiesbodies

Such work made them Such work made them become so polluted that become so polluted that their very touch could their very touch could defile individuals of defile individuals of higher statushigher status

Members of the untouchable Members of the untouchable class dispose of corpses after class dispose of corpses after

the 2004 tsunamithe 2004 tsunami

After many years, another group was added. The Untouchables.

Subcastes Subcastes (Jati)(Jati)

Until about the 6Until about the 6thth Century, the four Century, the four varnas varnas were sufficient to maintain the desired social were sufficient to maintain the desired social distinctions, but increased urbanization and distinctions, but increased urbanization and specialization demanded a more complex specialization demanded a more complex hierarchyhierarchy

Jati Jati emerged as subcastesemerged as subcastes– Largely determined by occupationLargely determined by occupation– By the 18By the 18thth and 19 and 19thth Centuries there were several Centuries there were several

thousandthousand jati jati– Even untouchables hadEven untouchables had jati jati and some looked down and some looked down

on others as more polluted and miserable than on others as more polluted and miserable than themselvesthemselves

Castes and SubcastesCastes and Subcastes

Prescribed an individual’s role in society in Prescribed an individual’s role in society in the minutest of detailthe minutest of detail– Members of the same Members of the same jatijati ate together, ate together,

intermarried, and cared for their own sick intermarried, and cared for their own sick – Elaborate rules dictated how members of Elaborate rules dictated how members of

different different jatijati addressed each other and addressed each other and communicatedcommunicated

– Violation of the rules could result in expulsion Violation of the rules could result in expulsion from the larger groupfrom the larger group

Social OrderSocial Order

Individuals came to identify themselves Individuals came to identify themselves more closely with their more closely with their jatijati than with their than with their cities or statescities or states

The caste system served as the principal The caste system served as the principal foundation of social stability in India, doing foundation of social stability in India, doing what states and empires did to maintain what states and empires did to maintain public order elsewherepublic order elsewhere

MobilityMobility

There were some provisions for movement There were some provisions for movement between classes, but individual upward between classes, but individual upward mobility was not easymobility was not easy

– More often it occurred for a group as More often it occurred for a group as members of a members of a jatijati improved their condition improved their condition collectivelycollectively

The caste system enabled foreign people to The caste system enabled foreign people to find a place in Indian societyfind a place in Indian society

Expansion of the Caste SystemExpansion of the Caste System

As more people migrated to India, especially As more people migrated to India, especially Turks and Muslim merchants, the caste Turks and Muslim merchants, the caste system continued to provide ordersystem continued to provide order

Immigrant groups gained recognition as Immigrant groups gained recognition as distinct groups under the umbrella of the distinct groups under the umbrella of the caste systemcaste system– Established codes of conduct both within their Established codes of conduct both within their

group and in their interactions with othersgroup and in their interactions with others

Caste and Economic DevelopmentCaste and Economic Development

Since Since jatijati was so closely tied to occupation was so closely tied to occupation they often took the form of workers’ guilds they often took the form of workers’ guilds that were able to powerfully represent the that were able to powerfully represent the group’s interestsgroup’s interests

Merchants and artisans established distinct Merchants and artisans established distinct jatijati based on their particular type of based on their particular type of commerce or industrycommerce or industry

Geographic ExpansionGeographic Expansion

At first the caste system was confined to At first the caste system was confined to northern India where the Aryans had first northern India where the Aryans had first enteredentered

As commercial relationships pushed south, As commercial relationships pushed south, the caste system took hold there as wellthe caste system took hold there as well

By the 11By the 11thth Century the caste system was Century the caste system was the principal basis of social organization in the principal basis of social organization in southern Indiasouthern India

Caste in India TodayCaste in India Today

The preamble of India’s constitution forbids negative public The preamble of India’s constitution forbids negative public discrimination on the basis of caste. discrimination on the basis of caste.

In reality, caste ranking and caste-based interaction In reality, caste ranking and caste-based interaction continuecontinue– More prominent in the countryside than in urban settings and more More prominent in the countryside than in urban settings and more

in the realms of kinship and marriage than in less personal in the realms of kinship and marriage than in less personal interactionsinteractions

– ““The National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) is part of The National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) is part of a wider struggle to abolish ‘untouchability’ and to ‘cast out caste’. a wider struggle to abolish ‘untouchability’ and to ‘cast out caste’. ‘Untouchability’ and caste discrimination continue to be a brutal ‘Untouchability’ and caste discrimination continue to be a brutal reality for more than 160 million Dalits living in India today, despite reality for more than 160 million Dalits living in India today, despite the fact that more than half a century has passed since India was the fact that more than half a century has passed since India was born as a ‘democratic’ and independent state.”born as a ‘democratic’ and independent state.” http://www.dalits.org/ http://www.dalits.org/

How were populations controlled in How were populations controlled in India?India?

How were populations controlled in How were populations controlled in India?India?

Caste systemCaste system– Maintained order by assigning an individual to a Maintained order by assigning an individual to a

place in the social hierarchy and established a place in the social hierarchy and established a rigid code of behavior based on that assignmentrigid code of behavior based on that assignment

– Allowed immigrant groups to find a place in Allowed immigrant groups to find a place in society by recognizing them as distinct groups society by recognizing them as distinct groups within the overall systemwithin the overall system