4 castes of ancient India. All about Indian castes

Many Europeans, Americans, and also our compatriots believe that Eastern culture is much more sublime and more humane than the values ​​of the pragmatic Western world. However, they forget that it was in India that one of the harshest forms of social stratification arose - caste, dooming millions of people and their descendants to a lifetime of poverty and lawlessness, while a select minority is surrounded by honor and has access to all the benefits of civilization.

The division into castes (or, as they are called in India, "varnas") arose in the era of the decomposition of the primitive communal system, when property inequality appeared. The first written mention of the caste system dates back to the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. e. The Rigveda tells about the appearance of four varnas that exist in India to this day:

• Brahmins are a caste of priests. These days the Brahmins are also engaged in religious rites, often they are officials or teachers;
• Kshatriyas are the warrior caste. Today kshatriyas not only serve in the army and police, but also occupy important positions in the state administration;
• vaishyas are farmers and merchants. Many Vaishyas could even surpass the upper castes in wealth and influence. In modern India, the Vaishyas continue to engage in trade and agriculture, as well as credit and banking operations;
• Sudras - a semi-subordinate caste of peasants and workers, usually in the service of representatives of the higher castes. Despite the low prestige of this caste, many Shudras could accumulate solid wealth and have large plots of land.

There is also a separate group of the population, including all those who are not included in the four above-mentioned castes - the untouchables or Dalits. Anthropologists and historians believe that the untouchable caste arose during the Aryan conquest of India (XII-VII centuries BC). The conquerors who came to the new lands wanted to keep the local Dravidian peoples in subjection, so they came up with a social system in which the natives could not normally integrate into society and take any significant position in it. So, all the Aryan invaders became members of one or another caste (depending on their occupation), and all the vanquished were declared untouchable. The Dalits did the dirtiest work. They dressed leather, removed dead animals from the streets, and cleaned toilets. They were strictly forbidden to enter the courtyards of representatives of other castes and use public wells. Although the untouchables were despised by everyone, these people also had a certain amount of power. It was believed that the untouchable could defile a person from a higher caste. The most dangerous such defilement was for a Brahmin. The mere touch of a Dalit on a Brahmin's garment meant years of trying to purify his karma for the latter.

The life of a representative of each varna is clearly regulated. Caste determines what clothes a person can wear, what he can eat, how he should communicate with others. Representatives of different castes, with rare exceptions, are forbidden to marry each other. Children born in a certain caste can no longer change their social position. Officially, the transition from one caste to another is possible only with a lowering of status. It is impossible to move to a more prestigious caste. However, many Hindus resort to tricks that allow them to go beyond the strict varna system. First, since each caste has its own set of surnames, it is possible to bribe an official and take a high-caste surname. Secondly, one can abandon Hinduism and adopt a religion where there is no caste division. Some Hindus then return to Hinduism again, but at the same time they declare that before the change of religion they were Brahmins or Kshatriyas.

Religious explanation of human inequality

The caste system follows from the religious ideas of the Hindus. According to the Rig Veda, the entire cosmos was created from the body of the first man Purusha. Purusha was sacrificed by the gods for the creation of the world. From separate parts of his body arose: earth, air, wind and heavenly bodies. In addition, Purusha gave rise to the entire human race. Brahmins arose from his mouth, kshatriyas from his hands, vaisyas from his thighs, and sudras from his feet.

The doctrine of reincarnation also aims to perpetuate the existing social inequality in India. According to Hindu ideas, a person who strictly observes all the rules of his caste, after death, can be born in the body of a representative of a higher varna.

Caste division today

Despite the fact that the division into castes seems cruel and undemocratic to a Westerner, in modern India, castes have not only not disappeared, but have become more structured. Each caste today is divided into additional subgroups - jati. There are more than 80 different jati in total. Although there are no documents that would prescribe a person's belonging to one or another varna, caste division is strictly protected by religion and traditions.

The largest caste of modern India are the untouchables - about 1/5 of the entire population of the country. Dalits live in special ghettos where unemployment and crime flourish. Untouchables cannot receive a normal education or quality medical care. They are not allowed to enter shops, pharmacies, hospitals, temples and public transport used by members of other castes. Like thousands of years ago, these people are doing the dirtiest and hardest work.

Attempts to establish social equality were made by many Indian civil rights activists, including Mahatma Gandhi. They were able to ensure that the constitution of India recognized the equality of the untouchables with representatives of other castes, however, in fact, the attitude towards Dalits in modern India remains the same as 4,000 years ago. The courts are lenient with criminals who commit illegal acts against the untouchables, Dalits receive lower salaries compared to members of other castes.

Despite the fact that today India is open to Western liberal ideas, the untouchables have never dared to rebel. The centuries-old habit of being submissive and the fear of polluting karma prevent these people from starting the fight for freedom and equality.

“India is a modern state in which there is no place for discrimination and inequality,” Indian politicians orate from the stands. "Cast system? We live in the 21st century! Any form of discrimination based on caste is a thing of the past,” public figures broadcast on the talk show. Even the local villagers, when asked whether the caste system is alive, answer at length: “everything is no longer the same.”

Having seen enough at close range, I set myself the task of observing and making up my own opinion: whether the caste system of India remained only in textbooks or on paper, or whether it lives for itself, disguised and hiding.

Village children from different castes play together.

As a result, having lived in India for 5 months, I can say with confidence:

1. The caste system exists in Indian state and today. People are given official relevant documents, which reflect their belonging to a caste.
2. Huge efforts of politicians, PR people and television are aimed at eradicating discrimination based on caste.
3. In society, the caste system has been preserved and lives happily ever after. Elements of discrimination are still present. Of course, not in the same form as before, but nonetheless. “Caste is unimportant these days,” say Indians with their naive eyes wide open. And their daily actions confirm the opposite.

A bit of theory. What is caste system.

In India, there are 4 main castes depicting the human body. Russians like to argue about whether caste, Varna, what is what. I do not pretend to be a scientific treatise and will use the terminology used by the "ordinary" Indians with whom I spoke on the issue. They use castes and podcasts in the English version. Jati is in live Hindi used. If they want to know the caste of a person, they only ask what his jati is. And if they say where he is from, they usually give his last name. The caste is clear to everyone by the surname. When asked what Varna is, ordinary Indians could not answer me, they did not even understand this word. For them, it is ancient and unused.

1st caste - head. Brahmins. Priests (priests), thinkers, scientists, doctors.

Married couple from the Brahmin caste.

2nd caste - shoulders and arms. Kshatriyas. Warriors, police, rulers, organizers, administrators, landowners.

3rd caste - torso or abdomen. Vaishya. Farmers, artisans, merchants.

Furniture makers. 3rd caste.

4th caste - legs. Sudras. Servants, cleaners. The Indians call them Untouchable - untouchables. They can both perform the lowest work and hold high positions - thanks to the efforts of the government.

Within the castes are divided into a large number of podcasts, which are arranged in a hierarchical order relative to each other. There are several thousand podcasts in India.

No one in Khajuraho could really tell me what is the difference between podcasts within the 1st and 2nd castes, what, more specifically, is their purpose. Today, only the level is clear - who is higher, who is lower relative to each other.

With the 3rd and 4th castes it is more transparent. Directly by the surname, the people determine the purpose of the caste. Shearing, sewing, cooking, preparing sweets, fishing, making furniture, grazing goats are examples of podcast 3. Leather dressing, removal of dead animals, cremation of bodies, cleaning of sewers are examples of podcasts of the 4th caste.

The child from the caste of cleaners is the 4th.

So what has survived from the caste systems in our time, and what has sunk into oblivion?

I share my observations on the life of the people of Madhya Pradesh. Residents of advanced cities - I know what's wrong with you :) You are already much closer to the west. But we are in the wilderness the way I write :)

Manifestations of the caste system that have disappeared or changed today.

1. Previously, settlements were built on the principle of the division of castes. Each of the 4 castes had their own streets, squares, temples, etc. Today, somewhere there are communities, and somewhere mixed. It doesn't bother anyone. Only a few villages have retained their original organization, with a clear division of the territory. For example, in .

The old village of Khajuraho. She kept the organization of the streets in accordance with the castes.

1. All children have equal opportunities in education. The issue may be money, but not caste.

The boy at sunset grazes buffaloes and learns a lesson from a notebook.

1. All people have the opportunity to work in government agencies or large companies. People belonging to the lower castes are allocated quotas, jobs, and so on. God forbid, they will talk about discrimination. When entering a university or a job, the lower castes are generally in chocolate. For example, a passing score for a kshatriya might be 75, and for the same seat for a sudra, 40.
2. Unlike the old days, a profession is often chosen not according to caste, but as it happens. Take at least the employees of our restaurant. The one who has to sew clothes and the fisherman work as cooks, one waiter is from the caste of laundresses, and the second is from the kshatriyas - the caste of warriors. The janitor is called to be a janitor - he is from the 4th caste - Shudra, but his younger brother already washes only the floor, but not the toilet, and goes to school. The family hopes for a bright future for him. In our family (kshatriyas) there are several teachers, although traditionally this is the patrimony of the brahmins. And one aunt sews professionally (one of the podcasts of the 3rd caste does this). My husband's brother is studying to be an engineer. Grandfather dreams of when someone will go to work in the police or the army. But so far no one has.
3. Some things were forbidden for castes. For example, the consumption of meat and alcohol by the first caste - the Brahmins. Now many Brahmins have forgotten the precepts of their ancestors and use whatever they want. At the same time, society condemns this very strongly, but they still drink and eat meat.
4. Today people are friends regardless of castes. They can sit together, chat, play. Previously, this was not possible.
5. Government organizations - such as schools, universities, hospitals - are mixed. Any person has the right to come there, no matter how some wrinkle their noses.

Evidence for the existence of a caste system.

1. The untouchables are sudras. In cities and the state, they are protected, but in the outback they are still considered untouchable. In the village, the sudra will not enter the house of the higher castes, or will only touch certain objects. If he is given a glass of water, then he is thrown out. If someone touches a sudra, he will go to take a shower. As an example, our uncle has a gym. It is located in a rented building. 3 representatives of the 4th caste came to my uncle. He said, sure, do it. But the brahmin, the owner of the house, said - no, I do not allow untouchables to be in my house. I had to refuse them.
2. A very clear proof of the viability of the caste system is marriage. Most weddings in India today are organized by parents. These are the so-called arranged-marriage. Parents are looking for their daughter's fiance. So, the first thing they look at when choosing it is the caste. In large cities, there are exceptions when young people from modern families find each other for love and marry under the sigh of their parents (or simply run away). But if the parents themselves are looking for a groom, then only in accordance with the caste.
3. We have 20,000 inhabitants in Khajuraho. At the same time, no matter who I ask about - from what caste, they will definitely answer me. If a person is little known, then his caste too. At least the top - 1,2,3 or 4, and very often they know the podcast - where it is inside. People easily say who is taller than whom and by how many steps, how the castes relate to each other.
4. The arrogance of people from the upper castes - 1st and 2nd - is very striking. Brahmins are calm, but periodically express slight contempt and disgust. If a lower caste or Dalit works as a cashier at a railway station, no one will wonder what caste he belongs to. But if he lives in the same village as a Brahmin, and everyone knows what caste he is from, the Brahmin will not touch him and take something. Kshatriyas are outright bullies and braggarts. They bully the representatives of the lower castes as a joke, command them, and they only giggle stupidly, but do not answer anything.

The representative of the 2nd caste is the Kshatriyas.

1. Many representatives of the 3rd and 4th castes show demonstrative respect to people from the 1st and 2nd. They call the Brahmins Maraj, and the Kshatriyas - Raja or Dau (patron, protector, elder brother in Bhundelkhand). They fold their hands in namaste to the level of the head when they greet, and in response they only deign to nod their heads. They often jump up from their chairs when the upper caste approaches. And, worst of all, they periodically try to touch their legs. I already wrote that in India, when they say hello or during important holidays, they can touch their feet. Mostly they do it with their families. Even the Brahmins touch their feet in the temple or during the ceremony. So some individuals strive to touch the feet of people of a higher caste. It used to be common, but now, in my opinion, it looks ingratiating. It is especially unpleasant when an elderly person runs to touch the feet of a young person in order to show respect to him. By the way, the 4th caste, as oppressed earlier, and now actively defended, behaves more impudently. Representatives of the 3rd caste behave respectfully and are happy to serve, and the janitor can snap back. It is very funny to watch, again, using the example of a restaurant, how employees, without hesitation, scold each other. At the same time, it is given to everyone with great effort to make a remark to the cleaner, and they are trying to shift this mission to me. He always listens to me, looking with delight with wide open eyes. If the rest have the opportunity to communicate with whites - the place is a tourist one, then the Shudras rarely succeed, and they retained awe of us.
2. Despite the fact that representatives of different castes spend time together, as I wrote earlier (point 6 of the last block), nevertheless, inequality is felt. Representatives of the 1st and 2nd castes communicate with each other on an equal footing. And in relation to others, they allow themselves more impudence. If you need to do something, the one with the lower caste will immediately blow up. Even between friends, these marajis and dhows are constantly heard. It happens that parents can forbid their children from friendship with representatives of lower castes. Much, of course, depends on education. What is more vividly expressed on the street, at the institute, for example, is no longer noticeable - here everyone usually communicates on an equal footing and with respect.

Children of farmers - 3rd caste.

1. Above, I wrote about equal and even better conditions for low castes when applying for government jobs or large companies. However, this does not work in small towns and villages. I asked my husband if he could hire a sudra as a cook. He thought for a long time, and said, after all, no. No matter how great the cook is, it's not possible. People won't come, the restaurant will have a bad reputation. The same applies to hairdressing, sewing, etc. Therefore, for those who want to break out to the top, the only way is to leave their native places. Where there are no friends.

In conclusion, I want to say about the new caste that rules the world. And in India too. This is a caste of money. Everyone will remember that a poor kshatriya is a kshatriya, but they will never show as much respect as a rich kshatriya. It saddens me to see how educated but poor Brahmins are sometimes flattered and humiliated in front of those who have money. A rich sudra will rotate in a “higher”, so to speak, society. But he will never receive the same respect as the Brahmins. They will run to him to touch his feet, and remember behind his eyes that he is. What is happening now in India is probably very similar to the slow death of European high society, when rich Americans and local merchants slowly penetrated into it. The lords resisted at first, then secretly slandered, and in the end they completely turned into history.

Indian society is divided into estates called castes. Such a division occurred many thousands of years ago and has survived to this day. Hindus believe that following the rules established in their caste, in the next life you can be born a representative of a slightly higher and more revered caste, take a much better position in society.

History of the origin of the caste system

The Indian Vedas tell us that even the ancient Aryan peoples living on the territory of modern India about one and a half thousand years before our era already had a society divided into estates.

Much later, these social strata began to be called varnas(from the word "color" in Sanskrit - according to the color of the clothes worn). Another variant of the name of varnas is caste, which already comes from the Latin word.

Initially, in ancient India there were 4 castes (varnas):

• brahmins - priests;
• kṣatriya—warriors;
• vaisya--workers;
• sudras are laborers and servants.

A similar division into castes appeared due to different levels of well-being: The rich wanted to be surrounded only by their own kind., prosperous people and disdained to communicate with the poorer and uneducated.

Mahatma Gandhi preached the fight against caste inequality. with his biography, this is truly a man with a great soul!

Castes in modern India

Today, Indian castes have become even more structured, they have a lot of various sub-groups called jati.

During the last census of representatives of various castes, there were more than 3 thousand jati. True, this census took place more than 80 years ago.

Many foreigners consider the caste system a relic of the past and believe that the caste system no longer works in modern India. In fact, everything is completely different. Even the Indian government could not come to a consensus regarding such a stratification of society. Politicians are actively working on dividing society into layers during elections, adding to their election promises the protection of the rights of a particular caste.

In modern India more than 20 percent of the population belongs to the untouchable caste: they have to live in their own separate ghettos or outside the settlement. Such people should not go to shops, government and medical institutions, and even use public transport.

There is a completely unique subgroup in the untouchable caste: the attitude of society towards it is rather contradictory. These include homosexuals, transvestites and eunuchs who make a living by prostitution and begging tourists for coins. But what a paradox: the presence of such a person at a holiday is considered a very good sign.

Another amazing untouchable podcast - pariah. These are people who are completely expelled from society - marginalized. Previously, it was possible to become a pariah even by touching such a person, but now the situation has changed a little: a pariah becomes either born from an inter-caste marriage or from pariah parents.

Conclusion

The caste system originated millennia ago, but still continues to live and develop in Indian society.

Varnas (castes) are divided into podcasts - jati. There are 4 varnas and many jati.

In India there are societies of people who do not belong to any caste. This - exiled people.

The caste system gives people the opportunity to be with their own kind, provides the support of fellows and clear rules of life and behavior. This is the natural regulation of society, existing in parallel with the laws of India.

Ancient India is one of the first civilizations of the world, which brought to the world culture the largest number of various spiritual values. Ancient India is quite the richest subcontinent with a turbulent and complex history. It was here that the greatest religions were once born, empires appeared and collapsed, but from century to century the “enduring” identity of the Indy culture was preserved. This civilization built large and very well-planned cities with bricks with running water and built a pictographic script, which to this day cannot be deciphered.

India got its name from the name of the Indus River, in the valley of which it is located. "Indus" in the lane. means "river". With a length of 3180 kilometers, the Indus originates in Tibet, flows through the Indo-Gangetic lowland, the Himalayas, 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 was born, permanent settlements appeared, prerequisites arose for the development of one of the ancient world civilizations - the Indian Civilization, which appeared in Northwest India (today almost the entire territory of Pakistan).

It dates back approximately to the XXIII-XVIII centuries BC and is considered the 3rd civilization of the Ancient East in time of appearance. Its development, like the first two in Egypt and Mesopotamia, was directly connected with 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. From this it follows that Mehrgarh can already be considered a real city - this is the first city in Ancient India, which we became aware of from the excavations of archaeologists. The primordial deity of the indigenous population of ancient India - the Dravidians, was Shiva. He is one of 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 “field of activity”.

So, Brahma is considered the creator of the world, Vishnu was his keeper, Shiva was his destroyer, but it is he who recreates it. Shiva among the indigenous people of Ancient India was considered the main god, was considered a model who had achieved his spiritual self-realization, the ruler of the world, the demiurge. The Indus Valley extends to the NW of the subcontinent in the neighborhood of ancient Sumer. Between these civilizations, of course, there were trade relations, and it is quite possible that it was Sumer who had a huge impact on Indian civilization. Throughout Indian history, the northwest has remained the main route for the invasion of new ideas. All other routes to India were so closed by the 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 aggressive wars, led to the appearance of property inequality among the Aryans. The rajas who led the predatory campaigns accumulate a lot of wealth. With the help of warriors, they strengthen their power, make it hereditary. The Rajas and their warriors turn the captives into slaves. From the peasants and artisans they demand the payment of taxes and work for themselves. Rajas are gradually turning into kings of small states. During wars, these small states are united into one, and then the ruler becomes a maharaja (“big king”). Over time, the council of elders loses its significance. From the tribal nobility, military leaders and officials are recruited who are in charge of collecting "taxes, organizing deforestation and draining swamps. Brahmin priests 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 eyes and heart and no one on earth can even look at him.

Castes and their role.

In the slave-owning states of India in the first millennium BC. e. The population was divided into four groups, called castes. 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; they also controlled the administration of the state. Power struggles often took place between Brahmins and Kshatriyas. The third caste - vaishyas - included farmers, shepherds and merchants. All the local population conquered by the Aryans made up the fourth caste - the Shudras. Shudras were servants and did the hardest and dirtiest work. Slaves were not included in any caste. The division into castes broke the old tribal unity and opened up the possibility of uniting people who came from different tribes within the same state. Caste was hereditary. The son of a brahmin was born a brahmin, the son of a sudra was born a sudra. To perpetuate castes and caste inequality, the Brahmins created laws. They say that the god Brahma himself established inequality between people. Brahma, according to the priests, created Brahmins from his mouth, warriors from his hands, Vaishyas from his thighs, and Shudras from his feet, which were covered with dust and dirt. Caste division doomed the lower castes to hard, humiliating work. It closed the way for capable people to knowledge and state activity. Caste division hindered the development of society; it played a reactionary role.

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