Photos of upper caste Hindus. Castes in India: features of society - Enchanted Soul

Any traveler who decides to visit India has probably heard or read that the population of this country is divided into castes. There is nothing like this in other countries; castes are considered a purely Indian phenomenon, so every tourist simply needs to get acquainted with this topic in more detail.

How did castes appear?

According to legend, the god Brahma created varnas from parts of his body:

Mouths are brahmins.
Hands are kshatriyas.
Hips are vaishyas.
The feet are sudras.

Varnas are a more general concept. There are only 4 of them, while there can be a great many castes. All Indian classes differed from each other in a number of features: they had their own duties, homes, individual color of clothing, the color of the dot on the forehead and special food. Marriages between members of different varnas and castes were strictly prohibited. Hindus believed that the human soul is reborn. If someone has followed all the rules and laws of his caste throughout his life, in his next life he will rise to a higher class. Otherwise he will lose everything he had.

A little history

It is believed that the first castes in India appeared at the very beginning of the formation of the state. This happened about one and a half thousand years BC, when the first settlers began to live on the territory of modern India. They were divided into 4 classes, later these groups were called varnas, which literally means “color”. The word “caste” itself contains a certain concept: origin or pure breed. Each caste over the centuries was determined mainly by profession or type of activity. The family craft passed from father to son and remained unchanged for dozens of generations. Any Indian castes lived under a certain set of regulations and religious traditions that regulated the norms of behavior of their members. The country developed, and along with it the number of different population groups increased. The multiple castes in India were amazing in their numbers: there were more than 2000 of them.

Caste divisions in India

Caste is a certain level in the social hierarchy that divides the entire population of India into separate groups of low and high origin. Belonging to one or another part determines the type of activity, profession, place of residence, as well as who a person can marry. The division into castes in India is gradually losing its significance. In modern large cities and the educated environment, division into castes is officially prohibited, but there are still classes that largely determine the life of entire groups of the Indian population:

Brahmins are the most educated group: priests, mentors, teachers and scholars.
Kshatriyas are warriors, nobles and rulers.
Vaishyas are artisans, cattle breeders and farmers.
Shudras are workers, servants.

There is also a fifth group representing the Indian castes - the untouchables, who have recently come to be called the oppressed. These people do the hardest and dirtiest work.

Characteristics of castes

All castes in Ancient India are characterized by certain criteria:

Endogamy, that is, marriages can only take place between members of the same caste.
By heredity and continuity: you cannot move from one caste to another.
You cannot eat with representatives of other castes. In addition, any physical contact with them is strictly prohibited.
A specific place in the structure of society.
Limited choice of professions.

Brahmins

Brahmins are the highest varna of Hindus. This is the highest Indian caste. The main goal of brahmins is to teach others and learn themselves, bring gifts to the gods and make sacrifices. Their main color is white. At the very beginning, only the priests were Brahmins, and only in their hands was the right to interpret the word of God. Thanks to this, these Indian castes began to occupy the highest position, since only God himself was higher, and only they could communicate with him. Later, scientists, teachers, preachers, and officials began to be classified as the highest caste.

Men of this caste were not allowed to work in the fields, and women could only do housework. A brahmana should not eat food prepared by a person from another class. In modern India, more than 75% of government officials are representatives of this caste. There are unequal relations among the various subclasses. But even the poorest of the Brahmin subcaste occupies a higher level than others. Killing a member of the highest caste in ancient India is the greatest crime. From time immemorial it was punishable by death in a cruel form.

Kshatriyas

Translated, “kshatriya” means “powerful, noble.” These include nobles, military personnel, managers, and kings. The main task of a kshatriya is to protect the weak, fight for justice, law and order. This is the second most important varna representing the Indian castes. This class maintained its existence by collecting minimal taxes, duties and fines from subordinates. Previously, warriors had special rights. They were the only ones allowed to carry out punishments against members of castes other than Brahmins, including execution and murder. Modern kshatriyas are military officers, representatives of law enforcement agencies, and heads of enterprises and firms.

Vaishyas and Shudras

The main task of a vaishya is work related to raising livestock, cultivating the land and harvesting crops. This is any socially respected occupation. For this work, the vaishya receives a profit or salary. Their color is yellow. This is the main population of the country. In modern India, these are clerks, simple hired workers who receive money for their work and are satisfied with it.

Representatives of the lowest caste in India are the Shudras. From time immemorial they have been engaged in the most difficult and dirty work. Their color is black. In Ancient India these were slaves and servants. The purpose of the Shudras is to serve the three highest castes. They did not have their own property and could not pray to the gods. Even in our time, this is the poorest segment of the population, which often lives below the poverty line.

The Untouchables

This category includes people whose souls sinned greatly in a past life, the lowest stratum of society. But even among them there are numerous groups. The highest classes, representing the untouchable Indian castes, photos of which can be seen in historical publications, are people who have at least some kind of craft, for example, garbage and toilet cleaners. At the very bottom of the hierarchical caste ladder are petty thieves who steal livestock. The most unusual layer of untouchable society is considered to be the hijru group, which includes representatives of all sexual minorities. Interestingly, these representatives are often invited to weddings or births of children, and they often participate in church ceremonies.

The worst person is the one who does not belong to any caste. The name of this category of the population is pariahs. These include people who were born from other pariahs or as a result of inter-caste marriages and who are not recognized by any class.

Modern India

Although there is a public perception that modern India is free from the prejudices of the past, today this is far from the case. The system of division into classes has not disappeared anywhere; castes in modern India are as strong as ever. When a child enters school, he is asked what religion he professes. If it is Hindu, the next question will be about his caste. Also, when entering a university or college, caste is of great importance. If a prospective student belongs to a higher caste, he needs to score fewer points, etc.

Belonging to a particular class affects employment, as well as how a person wants to arrange his future. A girl from a Brahmin family is unlikely to marry a man from the Vaishya caste. Unfortunately it is so. But if the groom is higher in social status than the bride, an exception is sometimes made. In such marriages, the child's caste will be determined by the paternal line. Such caste rules regarding marriage have been completely unchanged since ancient times and cannot be relaxed in any way.

The desire to officially downplay the importance of caste in modern India has led to the absence of a line on membership in a particular group in the latest census forms. The last data on castes in censuses was published in 1931. Despite this, the cumbersome mechanism of dividing the population into classes still works. This is especially noticeable in the remote provinces of India. Although the caste system appeared thousands of years ago, today it is alive, working and developing. It allows people to be around others like themselves, provides support from fellow humans, and defines rules and behavior in society.

After leaving the Indus Valley, the Indian Aryans conquered the country along the Ganges and founded many states here, whose population consisted of two classes that differed in legal and financial status.

The new Aryan settlers, the victors, seized land, honor, and power in India, and the defeated non-Indo-European natives were plunged into contempt and humiliation, forced into slavery or into a dependent state, or, driven into the forests and mountains, they lived there in inaction thoughts of a meager life without any culture. This result of the Aryan conquest gave rise to the origin of the four main Indian castes (varnas).

Those original inhabitants of India who were conquered by the power of the sword suffered the fate of captives and became mere slaves. The Indians, who submitted voluntarily, renounced their father's gods, adopted the language, laws and customs of the victors, retained personal freedom, but lost all land property and had to live as workers on the estates of the Aryans, servants and porters, in the houses of rich people. From them came a caste sudra. "Sudra" is not a Sanskrit word. Before becoming the name of one of the Indian castes, it was probably the name of some people. The Aryans considered it beneath their dignity to enter into marriage unions with representatives of the Shudra caste. Shudra women were only concubines among the Aryans.

Ancient India. Map

Over time, sharp differences in status and professions emerged between the Aryan conquerors of India themselves. But in relation to the lower caste - the dark-skinned, conquered native population - they all remained a privileged class. Only the Aryans had the right to read the sacred books; only they were consecrated by a solemn ceremony: a sacred cord was placed on the Aryan, making him “reborn” (or “twice born”, dvija). This ritual served as a symbolic distinction between all Aryans and the Shudra caste and the despised native tribes driven into the forests. Consecration was performed by placing a cord, which was worn placed on the right shoulder and descending diagonally across the chest. Among the Brahmin caste, the cord could be placed on a boy from 8 to 15 years old, and it is made of cotton yarn; among the Kshatriya caste, who received it no earlier than the 11th year, it was made from kusha (Indian spinning plant), and among the Vaishya caste, who received it no earlier than the 12th year, it was made of wool.

The "twice-born" Aryans over time were divided according to differences in occupation and origin into three estates or castes, which have some similarities with the three estates of medieval Europe: the clergy, the nobility and the middle, urban class. The beginnings of the caste system among the Aryans existed back in the days when they lived only in the Indus basin: there, from the mass of the agricultural and pastoral population, warlike princes of the tribes, surrounded by people skilled in military affairs, as well as priests who performed sacrificial rites, already stood out.

At the resettlement of Aryan tribes further into India, into the country of the Ganges, militant energy increased in bloody wars with exterminated natives, and then in a fierce struggle between Aryan tribes. Until the conquests were completed, the entire people were busy with military affairs. Only when the peaceful possession of the conquered country began did it become possible for a variety of occupations to develop, the possibility of choosing between different professions arose, and a new stage in the origin of castes began. The fertility of the Indian soil aroused the desire for peaceful means of subsistence. From this, the innate tendency of the Aryans quickly developed, according to which it was more pleasant for them to work quietly and enjoy the fruits of their labor than to make difficult military efforts. Therefore, a significant part of the settlers (“ Vishey") turned to agriculture, which produced abundant harvests, leaving the fight against enemies and the protection of the country to the princes of the tribes and the military nobility formed during the period of conquest. This class, engaged in arable farming and partly shepherding, soon grew so that among the Aryans, as in Western Europe, it formed the vast majority of the population. Because the name vaishya"settler", which originally meant all Aryan inhabitants in new areas, came to mean only people of the third, working Indian caste, and warriors, kshatriyas, and priests, brahmins(“prayers”), who over time became the privileged classes, made the names of their professions the names of the two highest castes.

The four Indian classes listed above became completely closed castes (varnas) only when Brahmanism rose above the ancient service to Indra and other gods of nature - a new religious doctrine about Brahma, the soul of the universe, the source of life from which all beings originated and to which they will return. This reformed creed gave religious sanctity to the division of the Indian nation into castes, and especially the priestly caste. It said that in the cycle of life forms passed through by everything existing on earth, brahman is the highest form of existence. According to the dogma of rebirth and transmigration of souls, a creature born in human form must go through all four castes in turn: to be a Shudra, a Vaishya, a Kshatriya and, finally, a Brahman; having passed through these forms of existence, it is reunited with Brahma. The only way to achieve this goal is for a person, constantly striving for deity, to exactly fulfill everything commanded by the brahmanas, to honor them, to please them with gifts and signs of respect. Offenses against Brahmanas, severely punished on earth, subject the wicked to the most terrible torments of hell and rebirth in the forms of despised animals.

The belief in the dependence of the future life on the present was the main support of the Indian caste division and the rule of the priests. The more decisively the Brahman clergy placed the dogma of transmigration of souls at the center of all moral teaching, the more successfully it filled the imagination of the people with terrible pictures of hellish torment, the more honor and influence it acquired. Representatives of the highest caste of Brahmins are close to the gods; they know the path leading to Brahma; their prayers, sacrifices, holy feats of their asceticism have magical power over the gods, the gods have to fulfill their will; bliss and suffering in the future life depend on them. It is not surprising that with the development of religiosity among the Indians, the power of the Brahmin caste increased, tirelessly praising in its holy teachings respect and generosity towards the Brahmins as the surest ways to obtain bliss, instilling in the kings that the ruler is obliged to have Brahmins as his advisers and make judges, is obliged to reward their service to the rich contents and pious gifts.

So that the lower Indian castes did not envy the privileged position of the Brahmans and did not encroach on it, the doctrine was developed and strenuously preached that the forms of life for all beings are predetermined by Brahma, and that the progression through the degrees of human rebirth is accomplished only by a calm, peaceful life in the given position of man, the right one. performance of duties. So, in one of the oldest parts Mahabharata It is said: “When Brahma created beings, he gave them their occupations, each caste a special activity: for the brahmanas - the study of the high Vedas, for the warriors - heroism, for the vaishyas - the art of work, for the sudras - humility before other flowers: therefore ignorant brahmanas, ignorant warriors, unskillful vaishyas and disobedient sudras.”

Brahma, the main deity of Brahmanism - the religion that underlies the Indian caste system

This dogma, which attributed divine origin to every caste, every profession, consoled the humiliated and despised in the insults and deprivations of their present life with the hope of an improvement in their lot in a future existence. He gave religious sanctification to the Indian caste hierarchy. The division of people into four classes, unequal in their rights, was from this point of view an eternal, unchangeable law, the violation of which is the most criminal sin. People do not have the right to overthrow the caste barriers established between them by God himself; They can achieve improvement in their fate only through patient submission. The mutual relations between the Indian castes were clearly characterized by the teaching; that Brahma produced the Brahmanas from his mouth (or the first man Purusha), the Kshatriyas from his hands, the Vaishyas from his thighs, the Shudras from his feet dirty in mud, therefore the essence of nature for the Brahmanas is “holiness and wisdom”, for the Kshatriyas it is “power and strength”, among the Vaishyas - “wealth and profit”, among the Shudras - “service and obedience”. The doctrine of the origin of castes from different parts of the highest being is set forth in one of the hymns of the last, most recent book Rigveda. There are no concepts of caste in the older songs of the Rig Veda. Brahmins attach extreme importance to this hymn, and every true believer Brahmin recites it every morning after bathing. This hymn is the diploma with which the Brahmins legitimized their privileges, their dominion.

Thus, the Indian people were led by their history, their inclinations and customs to fall under the yoke of a hierarchy of castes, which turned classes and professions into tribes alien to each other,

Shudras

After the conquest of the Ganges valley by the Aryan tribes who came from the Indus, part of its original (non-Indo-European) population was enslaved, and the rest were deprived of their lands, turning into servants and farm laborers. From these natives, alien to the Aryan invaders, the “Sudra” caste little by little formed. The word "sudra" does not come from a Sanskrit root. It may have been some kind of local Indian tribal designation.

The Aryans assumed the role of a higher class in relation to the Shudras. Only over the Aryans was the religious rite of laying the sacred thread performed, which, according to the teachings of Brahmanism, made a person “twice-born.” But even among the Aryans themselves, social division soon appeared. By type of life and occupation, they fell into three castes - Brahmans, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, reminiscent of the three main classes of the medieval West: the clergy, the military aristocracy and the class of small property owners. This social stratification began to appear among the Aryans even during their life on the Indus.

After the conquest of the Ganges Valley, most of the Aryan population took up farming and cattle breeding in the new fertile country. These people formed a caste Vaishyas(“villagers”), who earned their means of living by labor, but, unlike the Shudras, consisted of legally entitled owners of land, livestock or industrial and commercial capital. Warriors stood above the Vaishyas ( kshatriyas), and priests ( brahmins,"prayers") Kshatriyas and especially Brahmins were considered the highest castes.

Vaishya

Vaishyas, farmers and shepherds of Ancient India, by the very nature of their occupations, could not equal the neatness of the upper classes and were not so well dressed. Spending the day in labor, they had no leisure either for acquiring Brahmin education or for the idle pursuits of the Kshatriya military nobility. Therefore, Vaishyas soon began to be considered people unequal to priests and warriors, people of a different caste. Vaishya commoners did not have warlike neighbors who would threaten their property. The Vaishyas did not need sword and arrows; they lived quietly with their wives and children on their piece of land, leaving the military class to protect the country from external enemies and from internal unrest. In the affairs of the world, most of the recent Aryan conquerors of India soon became unaccustomed to weapons and the art of war.

When, with the development of culture, the forms and needs of life became more diverse, when the rustic simplicity of clothing and food, housing and household utensils began to not satisfy many, when trade with foreigners began to bring wealth and luxury, many Vaishyas turned to crafts, industry, trade, giving money back as interest. But this did not increase their social prestige. Just as in feudal Europe the townspeople did not belong to the upper classes by origin, but to the common people, so in the populous cities that arose in India near the royal and princely palaces, the majority of the population were Vaishyas. But they did not have room for independent development: artisans and traders in India were subject to the contempt of the upper classes. No matter how much wealth the Vaishyas acquired in large, magnificent, luxurious capitals or in commercial seaside cities, they did not receive any participation either in the honors and glory of the Kshatriyas, or in the education and authority of the Brahman priests and scholars. The highest moral benefits of life were inaccessible to vaishyas. They were given only the circle of physical and mechanical activity, the circle of material and routine; and although they were allowed, even obliged to read Veda and legal books, they remained outside the highest mental life of the nation. The hereditary chain chained the Vaishya to his father's plot of land or business; access to the military class or to the Brahman caste was forever blocked.

Kshatriyas

The position of the warrior caste (kshatriyas) was more honorable, especially in iron times Aryan conquest of India and the first generations after this conquest, when everything was decided by the sword and warlike energy, when the king was only a commander, when law and custom were maintained only by the protection of weapons. There was a time when the Kshatriyas aspired to become the foremost class, and in dark legends there were still traces of memories of the great war between warriors and Brahmins, when “unholy hands” dared to touch the sacred, divinely established greatness of the clergy. Traditions say that the Brahmins emerged victorious from this struggle with the Kshatriyas with the help of the gods and the Brahmin hero, Frames, and that the wicked were subjected to the most terrible punishments.

Education of a Kshatriya

Times of conquest were to be followed by times of peace; then the services of the kshatriyas became unnecessary, and the importance of the military class decreased. These times were favorable to the desire of the Brahmans to become the first class. But the more firmly and resolutely the warriors held on to the rank of the second most honorable class. Proud of the glory of their ancestors, whose exploits were praised in heroic songs inherited from antiquity, imbued with the sense of self-esteem and consciousness of their strength that the military profession gives people, the kshatriyas kept themselves in strict isolation from the vaishyas, who had no noble ancestors, and looked with contempt on their working, monotonous life.

The Brahmans, having strengthened their primacy over the Kshatriyas, favored their class isolation, finding it beneficial for themselves; and the kshatriyas, along with lands and privileges, family pride and military glory, inherited respect for the clergy to their sons. Separated by their upbringing, military exercises and way of life from both the Brahmans and the Vaishyas, the Kshatriyas were a knightly aristocracy, preserving, under the new conditions of social life, the warlike customs of antiquity, instilling in their children a proud belief in the purity of blood and in tribal superiority. Protected by hereditary rights and class isolation from the invasion of alien elements, the kshatriyas formed a phalanx that did not allow commoners into their ranks.

Receiving a generous salary from the king, supplied from him with weapons and everything necessary for military affairs, the kshatriyas led a carefree life. Apart from military exercises, they had no business; therefore, in times of peace - and in the calm valley of the Ganges time passed mostly peacefully - they had a lot of leisure to have fun and feast. In the circle of these families, the memory of the glorious deeds of their ancestors, of the hot battles of antiquity was preserved; singers of kings and noble families sang old songs to the kshatriyas at sacrificial festivals and funeral dinners, or composed new ones to glorify their patrons. From these songs gradually grew Indian epic poems - Mahabharata And Ramayana.

The highest and most influential caste were the priests, whose original name “purohita”, “household priests” of the king, was replaced in the country of the Ganges by a new one - brahmins. Even on the Indus there were such priests, for example, Vasishtha, Vishwamitra- about whom the people believed that their prayers and the sacrifices they performed had power, and who therefore enjoyed special respect. The benefit of the entire tribe demanded that their sacred songs, their ways of performing rituals, their teachings be preserved. The surest way to achieve this was for the most respected priests of the tribe to pass on their knowledge to their sons or students. This is how the Brahman clans arose. Forming schools or corporations, they preserved prayers, hymns, and sacred knowledge through oral tradition.

At first each Aryan tribe had its own Brahman clan; for example, the Koshalas have the family of Vasishtha, and the Angs have the family of Gautama. But when the tribes, accustomed to living in peace with each other, united into one state, their priestly families entered into partnership with each other, borrowing prayers and hymns from each other. The creeds and sacred songs of various Brahmin schools became the common property of the entire community. These songs and teachings, which at first existed only in oral tradition, were, after the introduction of written signs, written down and collected by the Brahmins. This is how they arose Veda, that is, “knowledge”, a collection of sacred songs and invocations of the gods, called Rigveda and the following two collections of sacrificial formulas, prayers and liturgical regulations, Samaveda And Yajurveda.

The Indians placed great importance on ensuring that sacrificial offerings were performed correctly and that no mistakes were made in invoking the gods. This greatly favored the emergence of a special Brahmana corporation. When liturgical rites and prayers were written down, the condition for the sacrifices and rituals to be pleasing to the gods was the exact knowledge and observance of the prescribed rules and laws, which could only be studied under the guidance of the old priestly families. This necessarily placed the performance of sacrifices and worship under the exclusive control of the brahmans, completely ending the direct relationship of the laity to the gods: only those who were taught by the priest-mentor - the son or pupil of a brahman - could now perform the sacrifice in the proper way, making it “pleasing to the gods.” ; only he could deliver God's help.

Brahman in modern India

The knowledge of the old songs with which the ancestors in their former homeland honored the gods of nature, the knowledge of the rituals that accompanied these songs, increasingly became the exclusive property of the Brahmans, whose forefathers composed these songs and in whose clan they were passed down by inheritance. The property of the priests also remained the legends connected with the divine service, necessary for understanding it. What was brought from their homeland was clothed in the minds of the Aryan settlers in India with a mysterious sacred meaning. Thus, the hereditary singers became hereditary priests, whose importance increased as the Aryan people moved away from their old homeland (the Indus Valley) and, occupied with military affairs, forgot their old institutions.

The people began to consider the Brahmins as intermediaries between people and gods. When peaceful times began in the new country of the Ganges, and concern for the fulfillment of religious duties became the most important matter of life, the concept established among the people about the importance of the priests should have aroused in them the proud thought that the class that performs the most sacred duties, spending its life in the service of the gods, has the right to occupy first place in society and the state. The Brahman clergy became a closed corporation, access to it was closed to people of other classes. Brahmins were supposed to take wives only from their own class. They taught the whole people to recognize that the sons of a priest, born in a legal marriage, have by their very origin the right to be priests and the ability to make sacrifices and prayers pleasing to the gods.

This is how the priestly, Brahman caste arose, strictly separated from the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, placed by the strength of its class pride and the religiosity of the people at the highest level of honor, seizing science, religion, and all education into a monopoly for itself. Over time, the Brahmans became accustomed to thinking that they were as superior to the rest of the Aryans as they considered themselves to be superior to the Shudras and the remnants of the wild native Indian tribes. On the street, in the market, the difference in castes was already visible in the material and shape of clothing, in the size and shape of the cane. A brahmana, unlike a kshatriya and a vaishya, left the house with nothing less than a bamboo cane, a vessel of water for purification, and a sacred cord over his shoulder.

The Brahmins tried their best to put into practice the theory of castes. But the conditions of reality confronted their aspirations with such obstacles that they could not strictly implement the principle of division of occupations between castes. It was especially difficult for the Brahmins to find a means of living for themselves and their families, limiting themselves only to those occupations that specifically belonged to their caste. Brahmans were not monks who took into their class only as many people as needed. They led a family life and multiplied; therefore it was inevitable that many Brahman families became poor; and the Brahman caste did not receive support from the state. Therefore, the impoverished Brahman families fell into poverty. The Mahabharata states that two prominent heroes of this poem, Drona and his son Ashwatthaman, there were brahmins, but due to poverty they had to take up the military craft of the kshatriyas. In later inserts they are strongly condemned for this.

True, some Brahmins led an ascetic and hermit life in the forest, in the mountains, and near sacred lakes. Others were astronomers, lawyers, administrators, judges, and received a good living from these honorable occupations. Many Brahmins were religious teachers, interpreters of sacred books, and received support from their many disciples, were priests, servants at temples, lived on gifts from those who made sacrifices and in general from pious people. But whatever the number of Brahmanas who found their means of living in these pursuits, we see from laws of Manu and from other ancient Indian sources that there were many priests who lived only on alms or supported themselves and their families with activities inappropriate for their caste. Therefore, the laws of Manu take great care to instill in kings and rich people that they have a sacred duty to be generous to the Brahmanas. The laws of Manu allow brahmanas to beg for alms and allow them to earn their living by the activities of kshatriyas and vaishyas. A Brahman can support himself by farming and shepherding; can live "by the truth and lies of trade." But in no case should he live by lending money on interest or by seductive arts, such as music and singing; should not be hired as workers, should not trade in intoxicating drinks, cow butter, milk, sesame seeds, linen or woolen fabrics. Those kshatriyas who cannot support themselves by military craft, the law of Manu also allows them to engage in the affairs of the vaishyas, and it allows the vaishyas to feed themselves by the activities of the sudras. But all these were only concessions forced by necessity.

The discrepancy between the occupations of people and their castes led over time to the disintegration of castes into smaller divisions. Actually, it is these small social groups that are castes in the proper sense of the word, and the four main classes we have listed - brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and sudras - in India itself are more often called varnas. While leniently allowing the higher castes to feed on the professions of the lower ones, the laws of Manu strictly forbid the lower castes from taking up the professions of the higher ones: this insolence was supposed to be punished by confiscation of property and expulsion. Only a Shudra who does not find hired work can engage in a craft. But he should not acquire wealth, so as not to become arrogant against people of other castes, before whom he is obliged to humble himself.

Untouchable caste - Chandals

From the Ganges basin, this contempt for the surviving tribes of the non-Aryan population was transferred to the Deccan, where the Chandals on the Ganges were placed in the same position pariahs, whose name is not found in laws of Manu, became among Europeans the name of all classes of people despised by the Aryans, “unclean” people. The word pariah is not Sanskrit but Tamil. Tamils call pariahs both the descendants of the ancient, pre-Dravidian population, and Indians excluded from castes.

Even the situation of slaves in Ancient India was less difficult than the life of the untouchable caste. Epic and dramatic works of Indian poetry show that the Aryans treated slaves meekly, that many slaves enjoyed great confidence from their masters and occupied influential positions. The slaves were: those members of the Shudra caste whose ancestors were enslaved during the conquest of the country; Indian prisoners of war from enemy states; people bought from traders; faulty debtors handed over by judges as slaves to creditors. Males and female slaves were sold on the market as goods. But no one could have as a slave a person from a caste higher than his own.

Having emerged in ancient times, the untouchable caste exists in India to this day.

For many hundreds of years, the people of India have remained faithful to their main religion - Hinduism. It regulates all aspects of life, prescribing what to do in a given situation. And among other things, it divides society into unique classes that practically do not mix for more than a thousand years. In our series of articles about India, we could not miss this strange thing for the modern world. Let us tell you in more detail the history of this phenomenon.

Traditions

According to the Vedas, a collection of ancient sacred texts of Hinduism, the god Brahma created people and immediately divided them into castes, or more precisely, varnas. Varna means "color" in Sanskrit. There were four such colors in total:

Hindus believe that behavior in one's present life influences what caste a person will end up in after rebirth. He can end up as a brahmana or be born a sudra.

Classes are forbidden to mix. Having been born, for example, a Vaishya, a person can marry and communicate only within his community. Untouchables are forbidden to defile the higher castes with their touch.

According to scientific research, this state of affairs has persisted for at least one and a half thousand years. Geneticists at the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics in West Bengal, who examined the DNA of Indians, found that most of the members of the Varnas have been marrying only within their “colors” for 70 generations.

How did such a system come about?

Story

Historians claim that the emergence of such a division appeared at the moment when the Aryans, a group of peoples of the Indo-European family, left the Indus Valley and settled near another river - the Ganges. The local, non-Aryan population living in those places was enslaved and deprived of all rights. Some of them, who submitted voluntarily, became sudras. And the rest are untouchable.

Jati are a kind of subgroups. They are associated with hereditary professional activities. Each varna consists of many jatis. In modern India (according to the last census, which also asked about castes), there are about 3 thousand of them.

Modernity

In the 50s of the 20th century, a movement for equal rights for castes and untouchables began in India. The Constitution considers discrimination on the basis of caste a criminal offense and prohibits inquiring about a person's affiliation with a particular varna when hiring a person. Outcasts were allowed access to temples. An educated population supports this trend.

In 1997, an important event occurred in India: the first president who belonged to the untouchable caste, Kocheril Raman Narayanan, was elected.

But the traditions are still strong. For example, untouchables make up about 20% of society. And Mahatma Gandhi, who was one of the first to fight for the rights of these outcasts, was against the fact that his son would marry a girl from a different caste - this contradicted his religious views.

The hierarchy of varnas continues to persist in the religious sphere and private life. Especially in rural areas.

And yet, Indian castes are gradually losing influence on society. In large cities they begin to lose importance. Perhaps everything is not happening very quickly - a thousand-year-old tradition is unlikely to disappear in one day. But I would like to think that one day this will happen.

Hello dear readers of my blog! In this article, I decided to talk about who the Brahmins are, the characteristics of their life and responsibilities, as well as the castes and varnas of India. Hope this will give you a chance to plunge into a rich past and a wonderful future this country where I often visit and sometimes write my travel notes or reports. One of the latest - if you are interested in seeing India through my eyes, then watch the video in the specified publication.

are they brahmins?

Some words from stories

In ancient India there was a division into classes of society . I previously wrote about this in an article -. Brahman served the temple, kshatriya dedicated all the life of the army and military business and most often these were the rulers of the country, and the Vaishya traded and was engaged in various crafts. On the last step of this ladder was a sudra - a servant or hired worker, who served the upper classes of society, and they in turn took care of him.

Varna Brahmins

Varna - social position, was determined by the qualities of a person, but most often it was also determined by birth. The varna system has existed since the beginning of creation and this can be read in the Bhagavad Gita as it is:

Bg 4.13

catur-varnyam maya srstam

guna-karma-vibhagasah

tasya kartaram api mam

viddhy akartaram avyayam

According to the three modes of material nature and their associated activities, I have divided human society into four classes. But know that although I am the creator of this system, I Myself, being unchangeable, am not involved in any activity.

Brahmin caste

At a later time, a specific system of dividing society into castes arose. Caste it is a degenerated varna system. And she determined the person’s occupation, explained who each member was only based on birth and did not take into account the qualities of a person. Having been born into a certain caste, a person was forced to be in this social environment all his life.

Separately from everyone else, there were untouchables; these included tanners and dog eaters (chandals), who even with their presence could defile others.

Women were exclusively involved in housework and children. It is worth noting that the cow also occupied a special place in society, because she was the breadwinner of the family.

Gradual revolution of the concept

In the modern world, brahmanas are members of the highest varna of the Indian system of social segregation, something like our clergy operating in churches and monasteries.

But initially, brahmins were religious priests responsible for conducting rituals in temples. They spoke Sanskrit, studied the Vedas by heart and passed on this invaluable knowledge from generation to generation completely unchanged. In ancient India, they were considered the personification of the highest spiritual power in human form.

What are the main duties of a brahmana

A high position in society required appropriate behavior and following many rules. Brahmins or Brahmins, as they are sometimes called, it was necessary to strictly adhere to one’s destiny and perform 6 duties, which we can determine from the sacred scriptures, where it is precisely stated what these sages did.

6 duties of brahmins

Sanskrit:

Pathana-pathana, yajana-yajna dana-pratigrah

The study of the Vedas is the basis of a brahmana's employment and the first rule.
The next type of activity is the transfer of acquired and mastered knowledge to followers and everyone who needed it.
Also a brahmana is obliged worship and perform yajnas (rituals) from myself personally to God.
Teach worship and conduct yajnas (sacrifice) God from others, since only he is trained in all the sacraments and subtleties of this ritual.
Moreover, another main activity was that he needed to accept gifts from others.
And finally, distribute donations to everyone in need along with your blessings.

From a very early age, boys from brahmana families were sent to the school of the spiritual master, gurukula. There, under the guidance of a guru, they studied all the intricacies of Vedic philosophy and comprehended the spiritual science of serving God, Bhagavata Dharma.

The unique term that best defines the meaning of the service of a brahmana is dharma. It implies the totality of all the rules that ensure a life in the service of God.

Indian philosophy explains it as the only way to achieve highest perfection. They strictly and strictly fulfilled their religious duty, supporting moral and spiritual foundations at a high level.

Enviable rights and brahmin privileges

The authority of the Brahmins was limitless and unquestioning. For example, in In Vedic society, the death penalty could be imposed for some types of serious crimes. But the death penalty was never imposed on Brahmins, even if they committed such acts.

They were expelled from society and the country and for them this was the most severe punishment. Laws acted on them in a completely different way, in contrast to severe punishments, intended for other varnas. Members of this varna had many privileges specified in legislative acts

The Brahmins had a direct influence on the ruler, as they possessed deep wisdom and impartiality.A separate Brahmin court was convened under the king,who gave advice to the king, and the king followed them unquestioningly.

One of the striking examples is the brahmana Chanakya Pandit. He was an adviser to the king and did not receive any salary. Arguing this by saying that if he receives money from the king, he will become dependent on him and will not be able to give fair advice.

Invaluable knowledge proven over thousands of years

Indians treat the Vedic scriptures with special reverence, trying to follow them to the letter. Of course, nowadays all this is gradually being lost and forgotten.

The Vedas, in particular the Upanishads, are the source from which the teachings of the Brahmins originate. It is from the Vedas that they draw knowledge about the spiritual essence of man, which is called jiva or atman.

Also called BrahmanThe impersonal aspect of the Lord, the Absolute. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is the source of this impersonal brahmana, The original beginning of all things, eternal and unchangeable, what was in the beginning and will remain forever. This is also the impersonal aspect of the absolute called nirguna, that is, without any qualities . It should be understood that nirguna brahmana does not have material qualities, not at all. Because the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Brahman, God, Krishna, and he is the source of all the qualities that are found in him.

The only onethe way to comprehend the Absolute Truth is shabda - the process of cognition, hearingfrom a reputable source.

By studying the Vedas throughout their lives and fulfilling all the injunctions of these sacred books, brahmins wish to achieve God, realize him and serve him. Impersonalists want impersonal liberation, moksha or nirvana.

Why is the highest varna so revered?

Adherents of the lower castes especially revered the priests for the wisdom they spread throughout the world. Since brahmanas, according to the texts of the shastras, were forbidden to earn a living by hired labor, people brought them everything they needed, fully providing them with both food and clothing.

By definition, Brahmins led a fairly simple and ascetic lifestyle. Their main food is vegetarian food, grains, beans, fruits, vegetables and dairy products. The color of a brahman's clothing depended on what spiritual structure they belonged to. Sanyasi, monks, renunciants of the world wore orange clothes (saffron), family ones wore white.

All the people visited temple to receive darshan - an opportunity to turn to the deity, to reverently contemplate him. But only brahmins could perform rituals in temples; this was their exclusive right.

Also, ordinary people could learn about the texts of the Vedas and all the knowledge accumulated in them only from brahmanas. They talked about the spiritual and material world, knew how to interpret the process of evolution, and showed man the path that would lead him to perfection.

Is it possible to become a brahmin Nowadays ?

In our period in India, division into castes is prohibited by the constitution, but the system itself is so firmly established in the minds of the population that it cannot be eradicated. Now the meaning of the varn distribution has changed a little, strict rules have disappeared, only traditions remain.

If initially a brahmana was determined by qualities, and anyone who corresponded to them could become one, for example which for many years he diligently adhered to the sacred precepts, meditated and studied spiritual development, then now these rules have changed somewhat.

The varna system degenerated into a caste system, and Brahmins were determined only by birth, as I wrote about above.

But in our time, it is also possible to obtain a Brahmanical title if you comply with all the canons of the scriptures, which prescribe a set of rules for a Brahman. Of course, in India these prejudices about caste and birthright still reign in full force. Such caste Brahmins claim their exclusive superiority and they never recognize people from other classes as their equals. But these are just prejudices that do not find echo in the scriptures.

Nothingdoes not mean birth, appearance, or wealth. The main thing is the spiritual dignity of a personand its qualities.

One of the great saints and reformers of Indian spirituality, Bhaktisidhanta Saraswati Thakura, very zealously fought and won disputes with the so-called caste brahmins, smashing to smithereens their arguments that they had the right to claim their position only by birth.

Dear readers! I hope this article slightly lifted the veil of the amazing and beloved culture of Vedic India and you can extract something valuable and interesting for yourself. Subscribe and don't forget

The caste system in India is a social hierarchy that divides the entire population of the country into distinct groups of both low and high origin. Such a system presents various rules and prohibitions.

Main types of castes

Types of castes come from 4 varnas (which means genus, species), according to which the entire population was divided. The division of society into varnas was based on the fact that people cannot be the same; there is a certain hierarchy, since each person has his own path in life.

The highest varna was varna brahmins, that is, priests, teachers, scientists, mentors. The second in rank is the varna of kshatriyas, which means rulers, nobility, and warriors. Next varna Vaishyas These included cattle breeders, farmers, and traders. The last varna sudra consisted of servants and dependent people.

The first three varnas and sudras had a clear, even sharp boundary between themselves. The highest varna is also called “dvija”, which means twice-born. Ancient Indians believed that when people were born a second time, an initiation ceremony took place and a sacred thread was tied onto them.

The main goal of the brahmans was that they had to teach others and learn themselves, bring gifts to the gods, and perform sacrifices. The main color is white.

Kshatriyas

The task of the kshatriyas is to protect the people and also to study. Their color is red.

Vaishya

The main responsibility of Vaishyas is cultivating land, raising livestock and other socially respected work. Yellow color.

Shudras

The purpose of the sudras is to serve the three highest varnas and engage in hard physical work. They did not have their own quest and could not pray to the gods. Their color is black.

These people were outside the castes. Most often they lived in villages and could only do the hardest work.

Over the centuries, the social structure and India itself have changed significantly. As a result, the number of public groups increased from four to several thousand. The lowest caste was the most numerous. Of the total population, it included approximately 40 percent of the residents. The upper caste was small, comprising about 8 percent of the population. The middle caste was approximately 22 percent and the untouchables were 17 percent.

Members of some castes may be scattered throughout the country, while others, for example, live in one area. But in any case, representatives of each caste live separately and isolated from each other.

Castes in India can be easily identified based on numerous characteristics. People have different types, the manner of wearing them, the presence or absence of certain relationships, marks on the forehead, hairstyle, type of housing, food consumed, dishes and their names. It is almost impossible to pose as a member of another caste.

What helps keep the principles of caste hierarchy and isolation unchanged for so many centuries? Of course, it has its own system of prohibitions and rules. This system controls social, everyday and religious relations. Some rules are unchangeable and eternal, while others are changeable and secondary. For example, every Hindu from birth to death will belong to his caste. The only exception can be his expulsion from the caste due to violation of laws. No one has the right to choose a caste of his own free will or to move to another caste. It is forbidden to marry a person from outside your caste only if the husband belongs to a higher varna than his wife. The opposite is categorically unacceptable.

In addition to the untouchables, there are also Indian hermits, who are called sannyasins. Caste rules do not affect them in any way. Each caste has its own type of occupation, that is, some are engaged only in agriculture, others in trade, others in weaving, etc. The customs of the caste must be strictly observed and executed. For example, a higher caste cannot accept food or drink from a lower caste, otherwise it will be considered ritual pollution.

This entire system of hierarchy of social strata of the population is based on a powerful foundation of ancient institutions. According to them, a person is considered to belong to a particular caste because he performed all caste duties poorly or well in his past life. As a result of this, a Hindu must undergo births and deaths, which are influenced by previously received karma. Previously, movements had been created that rejected these divisions.

Caste system of modern India

Every year in modern India, caste restrictions and the strictness of their observance are gradually weakening. Not all prohibitions and rules require strict and zealous observance. It is already difficult to determine by appearance what caste a person belongs to, with the exception, perhaps, of the Brahmins, whom you can see in temples or, if you go to. Only the caste rules regarding marriage are completely unchanged and will not be relaxed. Also today in India there is a struggle against the caste system. To achieve this, special benefits are established for those who are officially registered as representatives of a lower caste. Discrimination based on caste is prohibited by Indian law and can be punishable as a criminal offence. But still, the old system is firmly rooted in the country, and the fight against it is not as successful as many would like.