[Assam] caste system

[Roy, Santanu]

Saurav, 

Thanks for your knowledgeable note. 

Two observations: 

1. There are probably quite a few historical instances where castes have been fostered within a non-Aryan jati or community that has come into contact with mainstream Hinduism at a late stage. Indeed, the process by which an outside jati enters into mainstream Hindu society must logically consist of at least two social processes. First, the way the existing mainstream society - the upper castes - in particular, view the community in question - an exogenous aspect. Second, the way the jati views itself and reshapes & redefines its own social stratification using the adopted language and mirrors of mainstream Hindu society -an endogenous aspect. Indeed, these two processes need not be congruent. The relics of these processes are found in several low caste untouchable communities that have their own "Brahmins". To the mainstream outsider, they are all untouchable, but to the insider there is a caste system within - a microcosm of the society that lies above them. A similar structure is also observed with respect to many tribes prior to the importing of Brahmins from mainstream society. 

2. The varna system, like many other aspects of Hindu society, is in fundamental contradiction with modern society. The question in my mind is not whether Hinduism can be reformed. The real question is how will Hindus resolve these contradictions between what they ought to hold sacred and the needs of actual material life in today's society. 

One option is to stand by the varna system and all other traditional mores, to oppose liberal western values and in effect, do a fundamentalist jig. 

The other option is to gloss over and plainly deny the existence of all these aspects (as many on this net do) and then to march forward with a very selective view of Hinduism that is in consonance with modern society and liberal values. The trouble with this approach is that in all honesty, you cannot be very sure of what it is you are clutching on to & therefore, in the long run, are bound to run into certain contradictions - perhaps as your children question you....  

A third option would be to abandon the grand tradition altogether and, in effect, convert to religious orders that have their own philosphical systems that, even though historically rooted in the grand narrative, actually offer a distinct axiomatic system (Buddhism and Jainism were among the many such early orders, as were some of the Vaishnava orders). The third option is essentially fractious and inimical to the cause of a grand Hindu identity. But it may well be the most honest and logical way out for those who seek a religion. 
  
Santanu-da. 

-----Original Message-----
From: assam-bounces at assamnet.org on behalf of xourov pathok
Sent: Mon 3/27/2006 4:37 AM
To: assam at assamnet.org
Subject: [Assam] caste system
 
a short note on the caste system:

the varna system, which found its first mention in the
rig veda itself, has been the only unbroken tradition
of hinduism.  gods have come and gone (from indra to
rudra to krishna), forms of worship has changed (from
yajnas to puja) but the varna system has persisted. 
there is an oft repeated dictum, that hinduism did not
have a name for itself earlier.  this is not true. 
the name of the religion was varnashram dharma.  the
varna system is the most defining aspect of hinduism.

another dictum is that it divides.  this also is
untrue.  in fact the varna system makes it possible
for a jati to place itself in a readymade order.  this
is important because there is no personal conversion
system in hinduism.  instead entire jatis are
converted (by placing them in the varna system), like
the scythians and the koches were made hindus by
placing them in the kshatriya varna.  this is
important.  because it lets, say, a sarma or a barua
from assam relate in a some meaningful way with a
aiyar or an iyengar from tamil nadu.

since the varna system is the most defining aspect of
hinduism, how can you remove or reform it out of the religion?

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