What Does "Caste" Mean?: The Origins of The Caste System
What Does "Caste" Mean?: The Origins of The Caste System
What Does "Caste" Mean?: The Origins of The Caste System
story of Brahma —
the four-headed, four-handed deity worshipped as the creator of the universe.
According to an ancient text known as the Rigveda, the division of Indian society was based on Brahma's divine
manifestation of four groups.
Priests and teachers were cast from his mouth, rulers and warriors from his arms, merchants and traders from his thighs,
and workers and peasants from his feet.
Although born into the Kshatriya caste, Mahatma Gandhi spent much of his life working to bring the Untouchables
equality. It was Gandhi who first named the Untouchables "Harijans," meaning "children of God."
Others might present a biological explanation of India's stratification system, based on the notion that all living things
inherit a particular set of qualities. Some inherit wisdom and intelligence, some get pride and passion, and others are stuck
with less fortunate traits. Proponents of this theory attribute all aspects of one's lifestyle — social status, occupation, and
even diet — to these inherent qualities and thus use them to explain the foundation of the caste system.
This Indian immigrant is still conscious of his Brahman heritage. Here he is shown standing in front of
an altar in his home in the United States.
Thus, it has been impossible to determine the exact origins of the caste system in South Asia. In
the midst of the debate, only one thing is certain: South Asia's caste system has been around for
several millennia and, until the second half of the 20th century, has changed very little during all
of that time.
In ancient India, the ranked occupational groups were referred to as varnas, and the hereditary
occupational groups within the varnas were known as jatis. Many have immediately assumed
that ascribed social groups and rules prohibiting intermarriage among the groups signify the
existence of a racist culture. But this assumption is false. Varnas are not racial groups but rather
classes.
The Untouchables
Brahmins were considered the embodiment of purity, and untouchables the embodiment of
pollution. Physical contact between the two groups was absolutely prohibited. Brahmins adhered
so strongly to this rule that they felt obliged to bathe if even the shadow of an untouchable fell
across them.
Gandhi renamed the untouchables Harijans, which means "the people of God." Adopted in 1949,
the Indian Constitution provided a legal framework for the emancipation of untouchables and for
the equality of all citizens.
In recent years, the Untouchables have become a politically active group and have adopted for
themselves the name Dalits, which means "those who have been broken."