The controversial "caste" system of India

Abstract

 

Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blogs.

Today I'm here with a topic which seems to be one of the most controversial and something which is criticized by the whole world, for making divisions among people, among society, which makes injustice among our own brothers. People see casteism as a major cause of India’s problems. The lower classes are abused and oppressed while the upper classes rule, all based on birth. People question why anyone would believe in a religion that supports such abuse.

But if it's just a misconception or something which is misunderstood and degraded with time?

The caste system is an "evolved" idea, something which is said to be or believed to be created by Lord Krishna and the one mentioned in the Vedas for the betterment of this society surprising was something opposite from today's scenario. The Caste System is one of the most misrepresented, misinformed, misunderstood and misused aspects of Hinduism. There wasn't any untouchability, intercaste marriage restrictions but was a scientific and smart way of making the whole society better and optimizing the whole population into its cent percent. The only cause I'm referring Varna system as the caste system is because in today's world the real Varna system doesn't exist indeed it has degraded to "caste" system

What caste system actually tells us

Caste is not heriditary it's interchangeable

In today , we can't change caste but it wasn't the idea before . In Bhagawata Gita Lord Krishna says,

"catur-varnyam maya srishtam
guna-karma-vibhagashah “According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me.” Because among human beings Lord Krishna created divisions, called varnas, they are natural in any society. Classes exist, whether based on birth, wealth, power, or occupation. A classless society is therefore impossible. Even communism, which was supposed to be classless, had enormous disparity between the ruling class and ordinary workers."

Here, Lord Krishna says that a person’s varna comes from his guna, “nature” or “quality,” and karma, the type of activity he does. Krishna does not use the word janma, or “birth.”

The varnashrama system is not rigid or oppressive. If a person born into a family of lower varna shows the qualities and inclinations of a brahmana, he can be educated accordingly and become a brahmana. On the other hand, being born in an upper- varna family does not automatically confer that status without the proper qualities and training. Srila Prabhupada gives an example: “A son cannot claim, ‘Because my father is a lawyer, then I am also a lawyer.’ The son also must become a qualified lawyer.”

The current Indian Caste system is something like accepting the sons of supreme court judges as supreme court judges… It’s nonsense. They have to be qualified, they have to attend the university and pass the course, then they have to work under a qualified judge and get the practical experience, then they may be able to become supreme court judges

Now, a child who grows up in a pure and austere family that studies the scriptures and worships the Lord will tend to be attracted to those qualities and activities when he grows up. Children of doctors often grow up to become doctors themselves. To that extent, birth can be one factor indicating a person’s work. But the decisive factors are one’s qualities and training where even the son of a sweeper or household worker can be a doctor or even rule a country

How caste was "to be" distinguished

Brahmanas, kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras are distinguished by the qualities born not hereditary signs or methods but of their own natures in accordance with the material modes.

Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness–these are the natural qualities by which the Brahmanas work.

Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity, and leadership are the natural qualities of work for the kshatriyas.

Farming, cow protection, and business are the natural work for the Vaisyas, and for the sudras, there is labor and service to others.

Untouchability

You'll feel strange when I'll tell you that there wasn't any untouchability mentioned in any of the Vedas or in Bhagavata Gita. Yes, there was not a single verse saying that the lower caste people can't be touched or they should be treated lower Here every caste is doing itsDharma for the society and no one is lower or higher.

Untouchability is believed to have been first mentioned in Dharmashastra. According to the text, untouchables were not considered a part of the varna system because of their grievous sins, barbaric or unethical acts such as murder, harassment, etc. Therefore, they were not treated like the savarnas  (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras)

Intercaste marriage

In this 21st-century caste system i.e., the advanced world's caste system it's a sin to marry someone out of the individual's own caste but nowhere in our Vedas, puranas, and Upanishads, we see that inter-caste marriage is a sin.  Even we can see many cases of intercaste marriage in those texts like

• In Mahabharata, King Yayati married a Brahmin woman Devayani

• In Mahabharata, Dushyant married Shakuntala, who was brought up by a Brahmin

• In Mahabharata, Kshatriya King Shantanu married a low born fisherwoman, Satyavati

• In Mahabharata, Bheema married Hidimba while Arjuna wedded Ulupi

• Sage Kardam was married to Kshatriya princess Devahooti who later gave birth to lord Kapil (considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu)

• Ravan was Brahmin and married to Kshatriya princess Mandodari who was the daughter of May Dana

• Sage Jamdagni was married to the daughter of Khstriya king Prasenjit whose name was Renuka (mother of great brahmin warrior Parshuram)

• Sage Saubhari married to all 50 daughters of Ikshvakuvanshi king Mandhata (ancestor of Lord Ram)

Now what is logical for anti- inter-caste marriage is that the couple will be leading a healthy relationship if they belong to the same caste but not the caste was given by their heredity their family or their ancestors but by their qualities which also ensures similarities between their mentality and personality

The science behind the Caste system

Yes, there is science behind the Caste system which we are far behind.  The caste system actually was based upon the fact that every individual has his or her unique abilities and talents. It gave a way of using that uniqueness in a better way to uplift the whole society. Suppose someone is better in management of the war and ruling ut poor in bookish knowledge then the one will be working in the army. By this, he will be working in something where he is interested and with that, the society will also get a great warrior.

In the same way, if someone is curious about any knowledge then he will be in the scholar group, where he will be taught and who knows, he can contribute very much for. This caste system actually makes three groups of people in the society on the basis of their personalities and gave ideas for the proper job they should do according to that but not on the basis of heredity or their ancestors.

Do you know: According to a survey, every hour, two Dalits are assaulted, two Dalits murdered, and two Dalit houses burned.

But what the modern world did was seriously a nuisance. It ended in the sense that the father's job will be given to his son/daughter irrespective of his ability to do this.

It's the same thing if you force Albert Einstein to be a great singer or Michael Jackson to be a great physicist. Both the cases are impossible, and if you would have done it, then this world haven't got any relativity theory nor any pop music. We can't even imagine how much Albert Einstein we have lost just because of this misconception and they ended up doing sweeping or any household works.

What led to the degradation of the caste system

The role of the British empire

When the British first gained a foothold on the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century their concern was profit. The men who administered the territory for the East India company were more inclined to profiteering than attempting to establish an effective government. By the beginning of the 19th century, this type of attitude had begun to change. A series of conquests expanded the territory held by the British and the idea of responsible trusteeship began to creep into the thinking of the individuals charged with governing British India. The freebooters of the 18th century were giving way to the bureaucrats of the 19th century. Ironically, it is highly debatable which of the two, freebooters or bureaucrats, were the most dangerous to the people of India. Treasure can be replaced. Cultures, once tampered with, are nearly impossible to reclaim.

During British rule (1857 to 1947) Although the varnas and jatis have pre-modern origins, the caste system as it exists today is the result of developments during the post-Mughal period and the British colonial regime, which made caste organization a central mechanism of administration.

The colonizers invented or constructed Indian social identities using categories of convenience during a period that covered roughly the 19th Century.

This was done to serve the British Indian government's own interests - primarily to create a single society with a common law that could be easily governed.

Conclusion

Well, from the above what we can only conclude is like all the beliefs of the Vedic era, the caste system was also something which was totally different from what it's today.
It was far better than today's educational system where even if someone is good in sports will have to learn Newtonian physics.
Things in the Vedic era was made for the betterment of the society and mankind but we are the one who destroyed and manipulated it in a wrong way for our selfishness and nothing else.
Let's bring out the true meaning of these systems without believing the false one

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Namaste !!