DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31218#0071
CASTE, SUBCASTE, AND MARRIAGE
and Kadheras. But the most important kind of subcaste,
the formation of which is due to a change of religion,
is the Muhammadan subcaste in castes which are common
to both religions: there are often Hindu and Muham-
madan subcastes with the same name, and all these are
probabty the result of fission consequent on the adoption
of Islam. It is worth noting too that the Christian
members of castes are now apparently forming, or at all
events are regarded by Hindus as forming, subcastes.
Christian converts from the Bhangi caste, for instance,
described themselves at the census of 1911, and were
spoken of, as Bhangi Isai. From the Hindu’s point of
view, of course, the development would be quite normal;
for if he is to allow such a body any social status at all,
it will be that of a caste in the Hindu social organism,
the only sort of status that he knows in the only social
polity that he knows. And the only question is whether
we shall ultimately find the Christian community as a
whole regarded as a caste, with subcastes corresponding
to, and called by the names of, the castes to which its
members belonged before conversion : or whether to each
caste which possesses Christian converts, a subcaste will
be added called Isai. At present all that can be said is
that, judging from the case of Islam, the latter alternative
is the more probable. One authority held that the Arya
movement was likely to produce a similar result, and it
is quite possible that some day there will be ‘Arya’ sub-
castes added to various castes. At present, however, the
great majority of Aryas give their caste name as if they
were Hindus. Jain Baniyas, of course, often describe
their subcaste (or to be more accurate, in this case their
caste) as Jaini or Saraogi.
Principal authorities.—Census Reports, U. P., 1901 and 19x1, Chap-
ters on ‘Marriage’ and ‘Caste’.
Crooke, Tribes and Castes of the N.-W. P. and
Oudh (1896).
57
and Kadheras. But the most important kind of subcaste,
the formation of which is due to a change of religion,
is the Muhammadan subcaste in castes which are common
to both religions: there are often Hindu and Muham-
madan subcastes with the same name, and all these are
probabty the result of fission consequent on the adoption
of Islam. It is worth noting too that the Christian
members of castes are now apparently forming, or at all
events are regarded by Hindus as forming, subcastes.
Christian converts from the Bhangi caste, for instance,
described themselves at the census of 1911, and were
spoken of, as Bhangi Isai. From the Hindu’s point of
view, of course, the development would be quite normal;
for if he is to allow such a body any social status at all,
it will be that of a caste in the Hindu social organism,
the only sort of status that he knows in the only social
polity that he knows. And the only question is whether
we shall ultimately find the Christian community as a
whole regarded as a caste, with subcastes corresponding
to, and called by the names of, the castes to which its
members belonged before conversion : or whether to each
caste which possesses Christian converts, a subcaste will
be added called Isai. At present all that can be said is
that, judging from the case of Islam, the latter alternative
is the more probable. One authority held that the Arya
movement was likely to produce a similar result, and it
is quite possible that some day there will be ‘Arya’ sub-
castes added to various castes. At present, however, the
great majority of Aryas give their caste name as if they
were Hindus. Jain Baniyas, of course, often describe
their subcaste (or to be more accurate, in this case their
caste) as Jaini or Saraogi.
Principal authorities.—Census Reports, U. P., 1901 and 19x1, Chap-
ters on ‘Marriage’ and ‘Caste’.
Crooke, Tribes and Castes of the N.-W. P. and
Oudh (1896).
57