Caste System:
Every society is stratified. It has rightly been said that an “unstratified society, with real equality of its members, is a myth, which has never been realised in the history of mankind. The form and proportions may vary but its essence is permanent.” The Indian social system rests on three pillars: the caste system, the joint family system, and the village community. Among these, the caste system appears to be the most significant feature of the Hindu Society due to its interdependence upon the social, economic and political systems. In fact, the Hindu Society has been described as the caste society par excellence. In India, we find a unique system of social stratification based on birth, which is not found elsewhere in the world.
Meaning and Definition:
The term ‘Caste’ is derived from the Portuguese word ‘Casta’ meaning breed, race or group. As already mentioned, castes are ascriptive groups. Thus basically caste refers to people belonging to the same breed. An individual is born into a caste, and this status is usually permanent. Though the elements of castes are found outside India, it is only in India that numerous castes are found. The term ‘caste’ has been defined differently by different people.
Definition of Caste:
According to G.S. Ghurye, “Castes are small and complete social worlds in themselves marked off definitely from one another though subsisting within the larger society.”
According to Nesfield defines a caste is “a class of the community which disowns any connection with any other class and can neither intermarry nor eat nor drink with any but persons of their own community.”
According to Maclver, “When status is wholly predetermined so that men are born to their lot without any hope of change in it, then the class takes the extreme form of caste.”
According to A. W. Green, “Caste is a system of stratification in which mobility, movement up and down in the status ladder, at least ideally, may not occur.”
The main features of caste system in India
Caste can be defined as a hereditary endogamous group, having a common name, common traditional occupation, common culture, relatively rigid in matters of mobility, the distinctiveness of status and forming a single homogeneous community. However, in the changing situation caste has adapted too many new features like having formal organizations, becoming less rigid and having a link with politics. The caste system has certain fundamental features and some common features which are most relevant for the caste system prevailing in India are –
Segmental division of society:
According to Ghurye, divides whole society into separate groups in which status, social duties and rights are different. In such a society caste feeling amongst the individual is more dominant than social feeling. Each caste has its own rules and regulations and if a member breaks these, he is expelled from the caste.
Hierarchy:
There is a well-defined stratification in the arrangement of various castes, with Brahmin at the top. Next to Brahmins come to Kshatriya then Vaishya and then Shudra. As this system is based upon the birth of an individual, changing from one caste to another is very difficult. But there are exceptions.
Restrictions on feeding, drinking and other social interactions:
There are sets of rules by which a person belonging to a caste is forbidden to take food with the members of another caste. There are other sub-rules in which it has been defined which kind of food can be taken with the other caste. Thus a Brahmin cannot take food cooked with water (Kaccha) in a Kshatriyas’ house but he can take food prepared and cooked in full ghee (Pakka).
Restrictions on marriages:
According to Westermarck restriction on inter-caste marriages is the main characteristic of any caste system. Inter-caste marriage is strictly prohibited in Hindu society and marriage outside one’s own sub-castes is not favoured.
Disabilities and privileges of different castes:
In the Hindu caste system, Brahmins are the most privileged castes and Shudra are the worst privileged castes. Thus a Shudra could not take the profession of the priest nor could Brahmin mend shoes. In the traditional Hindu caste system, there was a clear-cut division of occupations amongst the four castes.
With the introduction and extension of the control of law in recent times and the gradual substitution of village panchayats or boards for the traditional caste authority, the scenario has changed. No more the caste authority is as strong as before, but upper caste people still enjoy a privileged position and often exercise authority over the others in certain social manners.
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