DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31218#0022
THE CASTE SYSTEM OF NORTHERN INDIA
born’; the latter corresponds to the Sudra of the old dis-
pensation, the former to the other three varnas. At other
times it will be into the very vague ‘touchable’ and
‘untouchable’. But most frequently, perhaps, the social
class of any particular caste will be decided on the basis
of the social intercourse which can legitimately be held
with that caste in the matter of food and drink. From
this point of view, there is nothing which can be called a
classification at all : every man decides each case for him-
self on its merits as it arises and acts accordingly; there
are as many classifications as there are men, or, at all
events, as there are castes.1 Yet, vague as it is, the
social class is a most important matter to any Hindu.
It represents, to use Sir Edward Gait’s phrase, the ‘ex-
ternal view’ of the social organization.2 To the indi-
vidual his caste may be of supreme importance : but to
anybody else it is a matter of comparative indifference.
The Brahman who is brought into contact with a man
of lower caste will not care whether he is a Nai or a Teli.
The important question for him is the extent to which
he can associate with him, whether he can take water
from his hands or not; and that question is decided by
his class.
Here we may notice how complicated is the segmenta-
tion of Hindu societ}r. It is largely this fact which is
responsible for the ignorance of the average Hindu about
his caste system, and the difficulty, experienced at suc-
cessive census enumerations, of obtaining a correct answer
to the simple question ‘What is your caste?’. One man
will state his social class, naming one of the ancient
varnas—especially if the claim of his caste to belong to
that varna is disputable, and he thinks it desirable to
assert it. Another will give his endogamous subcaste—
especially if it sounds better than his caste. A third will
give his exogamous section ; a fourth will mention some
easte-title. The Hindu, generally speaking, is ignorant
1 Sir R. Burn (Census Report, U.P., 1901) drew up a classification
of this kind.
2 Census Report, India, 1911, p. 366.
8
born’; the latter corresponds to the Sudra of the old dis-
pensation, the former to the other three varnas. At other
times it will be into the very vague ‘touchable’ and
‘untouchable’. But most frequently, perhaps, the social
class of any particular caste will be decided on the basis
of the social intercourse which can legitimately be held
with that caste in the matter of food and drink. From
this point of view, there is nothing which can be called a
classification at all : every man decides each case for him-
self on its merits as it arises and acts accordingly; there
are as many classifications as there are men, or, at all
events, as there are castes.1 Yet, vague as it is, the
social class is a most important matter to any Hindu.
It represents, to use Sir Edward Gait’s phrase, the ‘ex-
ternal view’ of the social organization.2 To the indi-
vidual his caste may be of supreme importance : but to
anybody else it is a matter of comparative indifference.
The Brahman who is brought into contact with a man
of lower caste will not care whether he is a Nai or a Teli.
The important question for him is the extent to which
he can associate with him, whether he can take water
from his hands or not; and that question is decided by
his class.
Here we may notice how complicated is the segmenta-
tion of Hindu societ}r. It is largely this fact which is
responsible for the ignorance of the average Hindu about
his caste system, and the difficulty, experienced at suc-
cessive census enumerations, of obtaining a correct answer
to the simple question ‘What is your caste?’. One man
will state his social class, naming one of the ancient
varnas—especially if the claim of his caste to belong to
that varna is disputable, and he thinks it desirable to
assert it. Another will give his endogamous subcaste—
especially if it sounds better than his caste. A third will
give his exogamous section ; a fourth will mention some
easte-title. The Hindu, generally speaking, is ignorant
1 Sir R. Burn (Census Report, U.P., 1901) drew up a classification
of this kind.
2 Census Report, India, 1911, p. 366.
8