Emergence of Caste System in Hinduism

      Gita's teachings of swadharma also became focal point for establishing the system of caste. Increase in the number of professions also increased the need of categorizing them under established class system of Brahmin or Kshatriya or Vaishya or Shudra. Main four-class segregation originally perceived and practised in the past was unable to bind people together without caste factor being brought in. To begin with the whole premise of class segregation was linked to professions pursued. But during interim period, the number of professions has multiplied many folds. Further, the geographical expansion of people has brought new factors linked with languages and regions into play. People pursuing similar professions and belonging to same region and speaking same language started feeling natural affinity. This genuine evolution resulted in emergence of castes under the main class segregation. People from same class but different castes found themselves clubbed together.

Indian Caste System

      Then there were new categories of people who were now getting integrated with the existing social structures. On one hand, this category included invaders like Shakas and Kushans and on the other hand there were people like Nishads as well as other tribals and people earlier sitting on the fringe of society but now knocking at the door seeking entry. Sub categorization under caste enabled such new groups entering in mainstream of society to get clubbed under already existing four-class super structure. Interesting point to note is that absorption of new people in new castes was in all classes including Kshatriyas with the sole exception of Brahmins. Since Brahmins have been in charge of approving social categorizations, they smartly ensured that there was no dilution to their own class. So, Brahmins excused themselves from any new addition to their class.

      Largest amount of additions happened under Shudras as the big chunk of people getting absorbed came from so called 'neech' and 'mleccha' castes (people from hills, tribals, forests and other unclean people from alien origins). Kshatriyas got only a handful of castes who were warriors from other regions or some small groups who already owned kingdoms of small states. Large addition to Shudras did not matter much as it was already a class excluded from Vedic rituals and they were surviving with their own Gods and rituals. It was as this time that the pyramid of classes got complete with large proportion of population placed at the bottom of the pyramid, Vaishyas sitting next with lower proportions. That was followed by Kshatriyas reducing the proportions even further. Brahmins were happily sitting at the top with least proportion of their own. But they were commanding the driver's seat for administering the entire social structure by framing the rules of the game and than by sitting as judges of the references brought forward by all others.

      Again King Ashoka disturbed the puzzle by promoting a new Dharma. His dharma was something different than the Buddhism but it was called so because Pali as language was common to both Ashoka and Gautama. Ashoka's dhamma was called 'sadharana' which means general in nature and applied to all right thinking people without making and distinction based on sects or castes.

      Mahabharata on its part promotes and suffocates the 'Verna Vyavastha' per se. There are references where sages are discussing class system and link class with colour saying that "Brahmins are fair, Kshatriyas are ruddy; Vaishyas are sallow and Shudras are dark complexion people". Probably this is first time that skin colour (read racism in today's context) got added into the already complex jigsaw puzzle of Hinduism. Some intelligent writers later justified this by linking this colourisation to the base shades of the famous Gunas of Vedic Hinduism. Just a quick catch up that Sattva is identified with white colour, rajas with red and tamas with black. The colour saffron is attached with the transcendent spirit and that is why all people engaged in pursuing salvation of spirit are found wearing clothes in this shade to this day.

      There is a very interesting story explained in Mahabharata is an interesting read. It goes as:

"If different colours distinguish classes among the four classes, how is it that there is a mix of colours among all classes? Desire, anger, fear, greed, sorrow, worry, hunger and exhaustion affect all of us. How then are the classes distinguished? Sweat, urine, faeces, phlegm, mucus, and blood flow out of all our bodies. How then are the classes distinguished? And how can you tell one class from another among all the species (jati) of the countless creatures, moving and still, that has such various colours? The sages replied: "Actually, there is no difference between the classes; this whole universe is made of Brahman. But when the creator emitted it long ago, actions (karmas) divided in into classes. Those Brahmins who were fond of enjoying pleasures, quick to anger and impetuous in their affections, abandoned their own dharma and became Kshatriyas, with red bodies. Those who took up herding cattle and engaged in plowing, and did not follow their own dharma, became yellow Vaishyas. And those were greedy and fond of violence and lies, living on all sort of activities, fallen from purity, became black. And that's how these actions/karmas split off the Brahmins into a different class, for there was never any interruption of their dharma and their sacrificial rituals." (12.181.5-14)

      At one place in Gita, Krishna also tells Arjuna "it is better to do your own duty poorly then another's duty well." This is the same language used by Manu also for erecting firm partitions for crossovers in each other's obligation of professions. In this way Arjuna was dissuaded not to think about giving up violence as he was a Kshatriya and violence was his usual swa-dharma. One tends to see through the safer situation of Brahmins whose duties consist of only perpetual moral duties where there is no confrontation between 'swa-dharma' and 'Sanatan Dharma' or 'sadharana dhamma'.

      The class system is exist in many other cultures and regions but in India it got further categorized into Jati (caste) and their sub categorizations. The term Jati appears in almost all Indian languages and is related to the idea of lineage or kinship group. There are perhaps more than 3000 jatis in India and there is no one all-Indian system of ranking them in order of status. Yet in each local area jati ranking exists and is very much related to purity and pollution. Each jati has some unique job, but not everyone in the jati necessarily performs it. Ajati is identified in a local setting by whom its members will accept food and water from and to which jati its members will give food and water. People will try to marry their sons and daughters to members of their own jati and will give their major loyalty to their own jati. Ajati will usually be organized into a biradari (a brotherhood), and this organization carries out the business and oversees the working of the jati and has the power to exclude an offender from the jati.

      Ajati can improve its position in the class system by advancing economically and emulating social groups with money and power. At the same time, a jati can also move up in the caste hierarchy. Mobility in the caste system has been termed "Sanskritization" by the scholar M.N. Srinivas. To gain position in this process, a lower jati copies the habits and behaviour patterns of the dominant jati in the area. This may mean a lower jati will change its name to one of a higher jati, adopt vegetarianism, observe more orthodox religious practices, build a temple, and treat its women in a more conservative way. The type of emulation will depend on the habits of the dominant jati being copied. If the jati can gain acceptance for its new name, new history; and new status, it will then marry its daughters to members of the jati in which it is seeking to gain membership. In due course of time the new position on the social scale will be solidified and accepted by other jatis.

      All said and done, Caste system continues to have a powerful presence in every Hindu’s life. The mobility across caste continues to be extremely low and is to be taken more as an exception. We can call it undesirable or with what ever name but designations of castes overshadows each and every other distinctions namely, religious, sectarian, regional, linguistic.