DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31218#0114
THE CASTE SYSTEM OF NORTHERN INDIA
sixty-four; but it is of sufficient importance to require
detailed description.
In igoi, Sir Richard Burn, after local enquiries in all
districts, drew up a scheme of social precedence, which
included a list of untouchable castes.1 At first sigbt, the
list is incomprehensible : it is impossible to guess why
some castes should be included, it is also impossible to
understand, on the assumption that the inclusion of some
castes is correct, why others of similar occupations,
habits, and status, should be omitted. But as the result
of enquiries that I have recently made,2 it has become
possible to reduce apparent chaos to something like order.
The information thus collected may be summarized thus.
(a) It is a mistake to suppose that all Hindus of res-
pectable social position, or even all twice born Hindus,
have the same standard of touchability. The Brahman’s
standard has always been higher than that of others, and
castes may be touchable to a Rajput or Vaisya, that are
untouchable to a Brahman.
(b) The superstition is far less strong than it was when
Sir Richard Burn wrote. Fifteen years ago, any Hindu
of good caste, that came in contact with an untouchable,
would have taken steps to remove the pollution at the
earliest possible moment. Today few trouble about the
matter at all, except Brahmans; and even they are rela-
tively lax. A Brahman working in the field with some
untouchable labourer, will be quite indifferent whether he
touches him or not; for the bath that he will take in any
case on his return home, will remove any impurity that
may have been caused by chance contact.
(c) The castes whom the Brahman would regard as
untouchable may be classified in groups as follows :
(i) Those that have an unclean occupation : or are
offshoots of sucli castes, whether their own occupation
is unclean or not.
1 Groups XI and XII of his scheme : see Census Reftort, U.P>, 1901,
P’ 2S2'
2 For this information, I am indebted to a Brahman friend, a Govern-
ment ofhcer and landlord.
IOO
sixty-four; but it is of sufficient importance to require
detailed description.
In igoi, Sir Richard Burn, after local enquiries in all
districts, drew up a scheme of social precedence, which
included a list of untouchable castes.1 At first sigbt, the
list is incomprehensible : it is impossible to guess why
some castes should be included, it is also impossible to
understand, on the assumption that the inclusion of some
castes is correct, why others of similar occupations,
habits, and status, should be omitted. But as the result
of enquiries that I have recently made,2 it has become
possible to reduce apparent chaos to something like order.
The information thus collected may be summarized thus.
(a) It is a mistake to suppose that all Hindus of res-
pectable social position, or even all twice born Hindus,
have the same standard of touchability. The Brahman’s
standard has always been higher than that of others, and
castes may be touchable to a Rajput or Vaisya, that are
untouchable to a Brahman.
(b) The superstition is far less strong than it was when
Sir Richard Burn wrote. Fifteen years ago, any Hindu
of good caste, that came in contact with an untouchable,
would have taken steps to remove the pollution at the
earliest possible moment. Today few trouble about the
matter at all, except Brahmans; and even they are rela-
tively lax. A Brahman working in the field with some
untouchable labourer, will be quite indifferent whether he
touches him or not; for the bath that he will take in any
case on his return home, will remove any impurity that
may have been caused by chance contact.
(c) The castes whom the Brahman would regard as
untouchable may be classified in groups as follows :
(i) Those that have an unclean occupation : or are
offshoots of sucli castes, whether their own occupation
is unclean or not.
1 Groups XI and XII of his scheme : see Census Reftort, U.P>, 1901,
P’ 2S2'
2 For this information, I am indebted to a Brahman friend, a Govern-
ment ofhcer and landlord.
IOO