CASTE IN INDIA

CASTE IN INDIA

The Indian social structure has developed over time mainly on the basis of caste; indeed, it is generally believed that, as a phenomenon, caste is a specificity unique to Indian society. Modem education, urbanisation, economic devel­opment and socio-political reform movements have, to an extent, brought about a change in attitude towards the rigidities of the caste system. On the other hand, the introduction of democratic institutions and elected repre­sentatioa in governance at grassroot level upwards have given a fresh dimension to caste identity: political parties have no hesitation in catering to caste interests to swell their vote banks.
The origins of the caste system are not clear. It is generally agreed that a division of labour came about as a result of the growth of an agricultural society and villages when the new ethnic element was introduced in the indigenous population of the day with the arrival of the Indo-Aryans. An element of race (and colour of the skin) no doubt played a part in.the social divisions that emerged. The chatur vania system was created and it is generally believed that the Indo-Aryans emerged as the custodians of knowledge (brahmin) and the defenders of territory (kshsatriya) while the others were assigned the lower status of vaisya and sudra with the work of cultivation and manufacture of artisan goods. Unclean jobs-treating the dead bodies of animals, for instance-were for the lowest strata of society and described as 'exterior' castes, or outcastes.

Division of labour is not unique to India; what is unique to India is the institutionalisation of this division of labour into the rigid system of caste so much so that a vocation became a fixed hereditary trait of a family. In due course of time, the varna system acquired the features of a class division. The brahmin and kshatriya emerged as the upper classes. However, caste is not class, as mobility from one caste to another is not possible. Caste to this day deter­mines, in large parts of the country, the pattern of social interaction and commensal relations, Le., whether food or water may be accepted from a member of a certain caste, as Aijazuddin Ahmad observes. Over time, four major castes have divided and sub-divided into many more sub­castes. Access to land has historically been determined by caste. The upper castes were also the landed gentry, while those on the lower rungs of the caste society were landless, working on the land owned by the upper castes. The landed sections of population emerged as "dominant" castes as MN. Srinivas observes in his India: Social Structure. The system remained the same, by and large, throughout the Mughal rule and was reinforced by the British when they established their empire. With land getting accumulated in the hands of the higher castes, the sudras, the artisans, and the other sections, especially the outcastes, were rendered to abject levels of poverty. The lowest rungs of this caste society have been given the status of scheduled castes (SC) in independent India.