For Hindus the caste organization is their club, their business union and their benevolent and human-loving society. Due to the caste system, there is no poor or correctional in India, there is no need for it.
– Sidney Low, A Vision of India.
The ancient Indian Aryans were called Hindus because they lived in the region of the Indus river. Later on they became the main part of Indian society. Arya-Kshatriyas created small and big states in different parts of the country. Therefore, the Aryan culture got more or less publicity in the whole country. This is called Hindu culture. The non-Aryan cultures of India also got absorbed in this culture. The caste system was the main social system of Hindu culture, which evolved from the ancient Varna system of the Aryans and is continuing till now.
Meaning of caste
'Caste' Etymology of the word Sanskrit 'Jana' Derived from the root meaning 'birth' is taken from. It is related to 'species' or 'Birthgaat' from the arrangement. Modern sociologists have tried to define the prevailing caste system in Indian society in many ways.
According to sociologists, the Indian caste-system is a general form of social organization that divides Hindu society into groups, with a fair difference in status and conduct. It has taken hundreds of years to develop and many changes have taken place in it with the change of time. Today more than three thousand castes and sub-castes exist in the Hindu society of India.
Some sociologists have tried to prove that the Indian caste system is a cohesive form of families or groups of families that are related to an imaginary ancestor, totem or a common lineage with a common name. In relation to the origin of the Indian caste system, it is not correct to have an imaginary ancestor or totem because any ancestor or totem is related to a particular gotra of a caste and not to the entire caste. The basis of origin of caste system is occupation and not ancestors or gods.
According to the historian Smith- 'Caste is a group of families that are mutually organized to observe specific rules of purity of religious procedure, food and sanctity of marriage.'
According to Herbert Risley- 'Caste is the organization or group of families. The members of that group have the same name, which is related to some divine or great human existence, they have the same occupation and they are a united community in the opinion of the worthy persons.'
R. N. According to Mookerjee- 'Caste is that dynamic system of social rites based on birth and class-division which imposes rules or restrictions on its members in relation to movement, food, marriage, business and social cohabitation. is.'
According to Dr. Sham Shastri- 'The social separation related to diet and marriage is called caste.
Beginning of caste system
Apart from the four main categories, many commercial castes had started to arise from the Rigvedic period. In the Rigveda, there is mention of people doing the work of leather, tanner, capri, blacksmith-tasha, carpenter-vapta, measured bhishak-vaidya etc. These people were later organized into occupational groups and their castes began to be fixed.
Many types of occupations and crafts started taking place in the later Vedic period. Till this period Rathkar (those who build chariots), Suta (charioteer), Vai (weaver), Swarnakar, Karmar (blacksmith), Taksha, Kshatri, Kulala (potter), Ishukrit, Dhavkrit, Mrigyu (hunter), Rajjusarga, Vay , Manikar, Surakar, Vidalkar, Kantakkara, Nishad, Svani (dog-keeper), Tachak (carpenter) etc. Many occupation-oriented classes have been mentioned.
During this period the cotton enjoyed a high position. During this period the blacksmith was so respected that he was called a wise craftsman. The charioteer had the right to perform Agnihotra.
The Arabic writer Alberuni, who came to India in the tenth-eleventh century AD, has written about the four varnas of the Hindus, from which it is estimated that till this period the varna system was prevalent but the castes within the different varnas were gradually taking a gross form. . By this period the classification of Vaishyas and Shudras had also become clear again as in the post-Vedic period. The farmers and cattle herders were considered as Vaishyas and the classes engaged in various crafts were getting absorbed into the castes of Shudra Varna.
By the turn of the twelfth century, many castes were formed in India, which were different from each other in business as well as in ethics. The upper castes, such as Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, were often isolated from the lower-occupational castes.
If the members of these three upper castes take food from a carpenter, blacksmith, goldsmith, merchant of sugarcane juice or other liquids, oil weaver, rangrej, cane worker or washerman, then they had to do penance as an atonement. According to Angira, one should not touch the washerman, chamar, fisherman or the one who works in the boat.
Characteristics of Caste System
There are certain characteristics of the caste system prevalent in Indian society-
(1.) It is based on birth i.e. the caste of the member of the caste the child will be born in.
(2.) Marital relations are done within their own caste. Violation of this rule has to be punished with heavy fines and sometimes even excommunicated from the caste. At present this bond has been relaxed.
(3.) In ancient times, each caste usually had an ancestral occupation, but in modern times this feature has disappeared.
(4.) In the caste system there is strict control on food and drink. Every caste does not have food and drink behavior with some other castes.
(5.) Caste rules have to be followed on the occasion of social customs and festivals.
(6.) In this system, many castes are considered high-level and some are low-level. High-level castes are not treated equally with low-level castes.
Difference between Varna system and Caste system
Varna system and caste system are two forms of social system of Aryans. Despite the fundamental similarities between these two systems, there are many differences-
(1.) The varna-system was started in the Rigvedic and later-Vedic period, while the caste-system arose much after that.
(2.) Varna was initially related to the color of human skin, but later its basis was based on karma. Caste was related to being born in a community engaged in a certain occupation.
(3.) The varna system was born naturally but the caste system is a complex form of the varna system itself.
(4.) Varna was related to political and social status but caste was related to traditional occupation and specific social customs.
(5.) The same varna consisted of people doing one occupation and different occupations, but in one caste there were people doing the same occupation.
(6.) Varna-system was originally based on karma, whereas caste-system was based on birth.
(7.) In the varna system, among the different varnas and communities, eating and drinking and cohabitation, marriage relations etc. were prevalent, but such practices were forbidden in different castes.
(8.) Untouchability was not predominant in the varna system, but the discrimination of untouchability was at its peak in the caste system.
(9.) Less emphasis was given on the purity of blood in the Varna system, but more emphasis was given on the purity of blood and the specificity of religious and social customs in the caste system.
(10.) The varna-system was changeable, that is, any person could adopt that varna by adopting the qualifications of another varna, but caste-change is not possible in the caste-system.
Origin of caste system
The origin of the caste system is a developed and complex form of the varna system itself. Many theories have been propounded regarding the origin of the caste system-
(1.) Theory of Varna-Origin from Virat Purush: According to the Purushasukta of Rigveda, Brahmins originated from the mouth of the Virat Purush (Brahm), Kshatriyas originated from the arms of Virat Purusha, Vaishyas originated from the thighs of Virat Purusha and Shudras originated from the feet of Virat Purush.
In this way, the concept of divine element and god-order was created in the origin of the varnas so that the common man should maintain faith in the varna system. Just as the division of Varna was considered divine, in the same way the caste-system was also considered to be God-made.
(2.) Theory of Origin from Totems: According to Hokat, in ancient times the king was considered the representative of God and he had to perform many religious functions. Therefore, the king appointed different people for different tasks and gave them position and prestige. The brothers and sisters of these people got organized in a group.
Senart believes that people worshiped different totem deities and their descendants started thinking of themselves as the children of the same totem. The believer of one deity started imposing restrictions in matters of food and drink and matrimonial relations etc. with those who believed in another deity. Thus different groups were formed which later turned into castes.
(3.) Theory of Political Control: The famous sociologist Abedubais believes that the Brahmins made a clever political plan for their profit and to maintain their sovereignty. He kept other people of the society under his control by keeping the monopoly of the performance of religious functions, the caste-system was the result of this plan.
(4.) Principle of purity of blood: In the beginning of the Aryan civilization, there was no social and commercial structure of any kind. All Aryans lived equally in one community. On coming to India, he defeated the original inhabitants of India. In order to maintain the purity of their blood, the Aryans gave them a lower social status than themselves.
Thus on the basis of purity of blood two Varnas were formed – one Arya and the other Anarya (Dasy). The idea of purity of blood divided the Aryans into Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra varnas. In course of time, small business groups were formed in each varna as per the requirement. In order to maintain the purity of their blood, the people of each group separated their marriage and food relations with people of different occupations and the caste-system came into existence.
(5.) Economic Theory: Sociologist Vaijit Evatson believes that the origin of the caste system was the result of the protection of economic interests. With the development of civilization, new businesses also started spreading and gradually these businesses were organized into economic unions. Later, to protect the interests of their respective businesses, the business was converted into a lineage tradition.
From this the caste system originated. Professor Nesfield is of the opinion that ethnic differences are due to differences in industries. J. s. Mill believes that the feeling of high and low in occupations led to a feeling of high and low in the caste system. Some scholars believe that the caste-system was formed on the basis of division of labor such as priests, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, carpenters, weavers etc.
(6.) Geographical Theory: Clibret, the exponent of this theory, believes that due to settling in different places, the food, customs and other things of the group settled at one place differed from the group settled at another place. This difference gave rise to the caste system.
In this way, many theories have been propounded regarding the origin of Indian caste system, but none of these theories are complete. The development of the Indian caste system has taken place gradually and it is a mixed result of geographical, political, social, religious and economic factors.
Evolution of Caste System
The caste system which replaced the varna system gradually became more complex. Many castes were formed under different varnas and these castes also got divided into sub-castes. Each caste had a particular occupation and that occupation was monopolized by that caste. Now the race of man was fixed from birth and it could not change. With the increase in the number of castes, the narrowness and immutability in the caste system also increased. Many factors played a role in the development of the caste system-
(1.) Role of the priests: 'Karma' in place of 'Birth' The priests (Brahmins) had a major role in making the base. He declared the varnas to be divine creations. The superiority and prominence of Brahmins was firmly established in this system. The Brahmin sources composed the Dharmashastras and gave the order that a person who is not a Brahmin by birth will not be able to do the work of a priest.
'Gautam Dharma Sutra' The creator of the book, Gautam, ordered that a Brahmin should take food in the house of a Brahmin or a Kshatriya. In special circumstances, he can also take food at the house of Vaishya, but usually not. इससे स्पष्ट है कि सहभोज और खान-पान की प्रथा परस्पर वर्गों या समूहों में निषिद्ध की जा रही थी।
ब्राह्मणों ने समाज पर अपना प्रभुत्व बनाए रखने के लिए धर्मशास्त्रों में नवीन सिद्धान्त, निषेध, नियम आदि का निर्माण किया। ब्राह्मणों के भोजन की शुद्धता सम्बन्धी नियमों ने विभिन्न जातियों और वर्गों के पारस्परिक सहभोज को पूरी तरह समाप्त कर दिया। फलस्वरूप लोग छोटे-छोटे समुदायों में बँटने लगे और विभिन्न जातियों में परिवर्तित हो गए।
(2.) नवीन व्यवसायों की भूमिका: आर्यों की आर्थिक-समृद्धि के साथ-साथ, नवीन व्यवसायों का विकास हुआ जिन्हें अपनाने वालों की पृथक्-पृथक् जातियाँ तथा उपजातियाँ बनने लगीं। व्यापारियों तथा शिल्पकारों ने अपने आपको विभिन्न श्रेणियों, संघों तथा समुदायों में विभक्त कर लिया जो कालान्तर में उनकी जातियाँ तथा उपजातियाँ बन गईं। इस प्रकार व्यवसायों की भिन्नता एवं विशेषता ने जाति-प्रथा के विकास में महत्त्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाई।
(3.) विदेशी आक्रांताओं की भूमिका: ईसा के पूर्व तथा बाद की प्रारम्भिक सदियों में यूनानी, शक, कुषाण, हूण, पह्लव तथा पार्थियन आदि विदेशी आक्रांता भारत में अपने छोटे-छोटे राज्य स्थापित करने में सफल हो गए। वे भारत के विभिन्न हिस्सों में बस गए। इन विदेशी लोगों ने स्थानीय रीति-रिवाजों और व्यवसायों को अपना लिया।
भारतीय संस्कृति ने उन्हें भी व्यवसाय के आधार पर हिन्दू समाज में सम्मिलित कर लिया। इन लोगों ने भी अपने-अपने व्यवसायों के आधार पर अपनी नवीन जातियाँ बना लीं। ‘गुर्जर’ जाति का उद्भव खिजरों से माना जाता है जो कि विदेशी आक्रांता के रूप में भारत में आए थे। आज भी कुछ लोग अपनी जाति ‘हूण’ लिखते हैं।
(4.) आर्य जाति का विभिन्न क्षेत्रों में जाकर बसना: आर्य प्रजा के प्रसार के साथ-साथ आर्यों के विभिन्न समूह भारत के विभिन्न क्षेत्रों में फैल गए। इन समूहों ने स्थानीय प्रथाओं एवं रीति-रिवाजों को अपना कर अपनी सामाजिक प्रथाओं और आचार-विचार के भिन्न नियम बना लिए। इस कारण उनमें और उनके सजातीय बन्धुओं में अंतर दिखाई देने लगा।
ये अंतर समय के साथ अधिक दृढ़ होते चले गए तथा उनमें समस्त प्रकार के सामाजिक सम्पर्क और व्यवहार विलुप्त हो गए। परिणामस्वरूप नवीन जातियों का निर्माण होता चला गया। उदाहरण के लिए ब्राह्मण जाति के विभिन्न क्षेत्रों में बसे ब्राह्मण समूह अपने आपको पृथक् जाति के समझने लगे। इस प्रकार ब्राह्मण वर्ण में ही गोरवाल ब्राह्मण, पालीवाल ब्राह्मण, श्रीमाली ब्राह्मण, पुष्करणा ब्राह्मण, आदिगौड़ ब्राह्मण, गुर्जर-गौड़ ब्राह्मण, गौड़ ब्राह्मण आदि सैंकड़ों जातियां-उपजातियाँ बन गईं।
(5.) रीति-रिवाजों में परिवर्तन एवं जाति बहिष्कार: अनेक बार स्थानीय प्रभाव के कारण अथवा अन्य परिस्थितियों के कारण किसी-किसी जाति के रीति-रिवाज में परिवर्तन करने लगे परन्तु उस जाति के बहुत से लोगों को रीति-रिवाजों में परिवर्तन पसन्द नहीं आए।
अतः वे अपने को उनसे अलग करके अपनी नई जाति बना लेते थे। कभी-कभी जाति के रीति-रिवाजों, प्रथाओं तथा अनुशासन का उल्लंघन करने वाले परिवारों अथवा समूहों को जाति से बहिष्कृत कर दिया जाता था। ऐसे लोग भी आपस में खान-पान एवं वैवाहिक सम्बन्ध स्थापित करके नवीन जाति के रूप में संगठित हो जाते थे।
(6.) जैन एवं बौद्ध धर्मों की भूमिका: यद्यपि जैन एवं बौद्ध दोनों ही धर्मों में ब्राह्मणों की बनाई वर्ण-आश्रम व्यवस्था को नकारा गया था किंतु इन दोनों धर्मों में धार्मिक रीतियों के आधार पर नई जातियों ने जन्म लिया। पहले अधिकांश जातियों में शाकाहारी और मांसाहारी दोनों प्रकार के लोग थे किंतु अहिंसा के प्रभाव से बहुत-सी जातियों के शाकाहारियों ने मांसाहारियों से अलग होकर अपनी पृथक् जातियाँ बना लीं।
(6.) नवीन धार्मिक सम्प्रदायों की भूमिका: उत्तरवैदिक-काल से लेकर मध्ययुग में विकसित होने वाले नवीन धार्मिक सम्प्रदायों के अनुयाइयों ने भी पृथक् जातियों का रूप ले लिया, जैसे कि लिंगायत, कबीर-पन्थी, रामदासी, दादूपन्थी, रामस्नेही इत्यादि।
(7.) दार्शनिक मान्यताओं की भूमिका: भारतीय दर्शन की, भाग्यवाद, कर्मवाद और पुनर्जन्मवाद की विचारधारा ने भी जाति-प्रथा को ठोस बनाने में अपना योगदान दिया। किसी जाति विशेष में जन्म लेने को भाग्य के साथ जोड़ दिया गया। धर्मशास्त्रों के रचयिताओं, व्याख्याकारों और टीकाकारों ने जाति-प्रथा को पुष्ट करने का प्रयत्न किया।
(8.) अन्य कारकों की भूमिका: आर्य राजाओं ने ब्राह्मणों की बनाई हुई व्यवस्थाओं को स्वीकार करके जाति-व्यवस्था को स्थाई बनाने में योगदान दिया। सैंकड़ों वर्षों से अस्तित्त्व में रहने के कारण जाति-प्रथा की जड़ें इतनी गहरी हो गईं कि इस व्यवस्था को बदलना अथवा त्यागना सम्भव नहीं रहा। भारत में इस्लाम के प्रवेश के बाद मुस्लिम आक्रान्ताओं ने हिन्दुओं को बल-पूर्वक मुसलमान बनाना आरम्भ किया।
इस पर हिन्दुओं ने स्वयं को जाति की मजबूत दीवारों में सुरक्षित बनाने का प्रयास किया। इस कारण जाति-व्यवस्था और भी अधिक जटिल व कठोर हो गयी। प्रत्येक जाति ने अपने अस्तित्त्व को बनाए रखने के लिए अपने चारों ओर रीति-रिवाजों और परम्पराओं का मजबूत परकोटा बना लिया जिसे लांघकर न तो कोई बाहर जा सकता था और न भीतर आ सकता था।