Theoretical overview
ORIGIN OF CASTE
The word “caste” owes its origin to the Spanish word “casta” which means “breed, race, strain or a complex of hereditary qualities.” The Portuguese applied this term to the classes of people in India known by the name of “jati”. The English word “caste” is an adjustment of the original term.
Various definitions have been given of the word “caste”.
- Risley has defined caste as “a collection of families or a group of families bearing a common name; claiming a common descent from a mythical ancestor, human or divine professing to follow the same hereditary calling, and regarded by those who are competent to give an opinion as forming a single homogeneous community”.
- According to Lundberg. “A caste is merely a rigid social class into which members are born and from which they can withdraw or escape only with extreme difficulty.” It is the type of stratification system which is most rigid in matters of mobility and distinctness of status.
The cast is divided into 4 :
Brahmins
Kshatriyas
Vaishyas
Shudras
Characteristics of caste
- Division of society: The society is divided into various castes with a well-developed life of their own, the membership of which is determined by the consideration of birth. The status of a person does not depend on his wealth but on the traditional importance of the caste in which he had the fortune of being born, caste is hereditary. Status is determined not by vocation but by birth.
- Caste Panchayat : There are regular caste councils to regulate and control the conduct of all caste members. This council rules over the whole caste and is the most powerful organisation which keeps the members in their proper places. The governing body of caste is called panchayat which literally means a body of five members, but in fact there are many more who meet whenever decisions are taken. It takes cognisance of the offences against the caste taboos which prevent members of the caste from eating and drinking or smoking with members of other castes, against sex regulations which prohibit marriage outside the caste. It decides civil and criminal matters.
- Restrictions on feeding and touching: Another element of caste is the complex of taboos by which the superior castes try to preserve their ceremonial purity. Each caste develops its own sub-culture. Thus there are restrictions on feeding and minute rules are laid down with regard to the kind of food that can be acceptable by a person and from what castes. For example, a Brahmin will accept “pakka” food, i.e., food prepared in ghee from any community, but he can accept “kachcha” food at the hands of no other caste.
- Endogamy: A person born in a caste remains in it for life and dies in it. Every caste is sub-divided into sub-castes, everyone of which forbids its members to marry persons outside it. Thus, each sub-caste is endogamous.
- Social and religious disabilities of certain caste : Some lower caste people (particularly the Harijans) suffered from certain social and religious disabilities. Socially, harijans (also called “untouchables”) were separate from other members. During the early days, public places like hotels, hostels, that assembly halls, temples did not open for harijans and other lower castes. In south India restrictions were imposed on the dresses and patterns of ornaments. For example, the toddy tappers of Malabar were forbidden to cover the upper part of their body.
- Restrictions on social relations : The traditional caste society puts restrictions on the degree of social relations too. The idea of pollution makes it more clear.
Points to remember
- The word “caste” owes its origin to the Spanish word “casta” which means “breed, race, strain or a complex of hereditary qualities
- A caste is merely a rigid social class into which members are born and from which they can withdraw or escape only with extreme difficulty.
- caste is hereditary.
- there are restrictions on feeding and minute rules are laid down with regard to the kind of food that can be acceptable by a person and from what castes
