Defining Caste

[Guest guest]

I would suggest that the term "caste" be used with care. It should

generally be defined at the beginning to avoid confusion.

 

Caste sometimes means jnati (nyat in Gujarati or Hindi), which is an

exogamous group. These are (or were) distinct jnatis:

 

Agrawal and Khandelwal (Banias in North India)

Brhatcharanam and Ashtasahasram (Smartha brahmins of Tamilnadu)

Deshasth and Kokanasth (Brahmins of Maharashtra region)

 

This division is often of regional origin. The jnatis show tendencies

of dividing and merging resulting in smaller or larger jnatis.

 

Caste is sometines taken to mean the four varna. For all practical

purposes, this divison cesed to exist in a clear form a long time

ago. Even when this was an applicable divison, there were quite a few

exceptions.

 

The term caste is sometimes used to indicate the perceived "ranking"

in terms of high and low. The terms "high" and "low" are relative and

not absolute. Some groups are percieved to be significantly "lower"

thant others, while being "higher" than many others. The percieved

ranking sometimes changes with time (and depending on individual

points of view).

 

Untouchability is sometimes termed "caste". There is a relationship

of ranking with untouchability. The so-called "shudras" (those

traditionally not wearing the sacred thread), are mostly

not "untouchable". Incidentally the maha-brahmanas are generally

considered untouchable.

 

A jnati is a social circle, and generally its existance can not be

influenced by external forces. The varnas, in separate form, have

ceased to exist. However "ranking" and untouchability can be

influenced by organizations.

 

Yashwant

[Guest guest]

I'm sorry, I should have written that jnati is an endogamous group

(which is always divided into exogamous groups termed gotra etc).

 

A jnati is sometimes also termed a biradari (community of brothers)

or samaj.

 

Yashwant

 

 

> Caste sometimes means jnati (nyat in Gujarati or Hindi), which is

>an exogamous group.

[Guest guest]

See the article "The Indian Caste System and the British", by Kevin

Hobson.

 

It is posted at the url: http://www.britishempire.co.uk/. Select menu

choice "Articles" and you will see this listed.

 

ABSTRACT: Today, people think that the rigid caste system operated in

India is the result of ancient requirements of religion. But just how

much of this rigidity was due to their religion? Or how much was it

due to a conscious direction by the British to create artificial

divisions in order to make it easier to divide and rule the sub-

continent and its people?