Hindu Castes and Sects an Exposition of the Origin of the Hindu Caste
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HINDU CASTES AND SECTS. PREF A.CE. IN the last edition of my" Commentaries on Hindu Law" I devoted a chapter to the Hindn Caste System which attracted the attention of the Publishers, and they suggested that the subject might well be expanded so as to be brought out as a separate volume. They suggested also that, in order to make the book complete, I should give an account not only of the Castes, but also of the important Hindu Sects, some of which are practically so many ""new Castes. As I had heen already engaged in writing a book about the hisfury and philosophy of religions, the prp posal, so far as the sects were concerned, was welcome indeed. About the Castes I felt very considerable diffidence; but it seemed to me that, in a town like Calcutta, where there are men from every part of India, it might not be quite impossible to collect the necessary information. When, however, I actually commenced my enquiries, then I fully realised the difficulty of my task. The original information contained in this work has been derived from a very large number of Hindn gentlemen hailing from different parts of India. I here iv PRBFACK. gratefully acknowledge the kindness that they have shown in according to me their assistance. I feel very ;trongly inclined to insert in this book a list of their names. But the publication of snch a list is not de sirable for more reasons than one. To begin with, such a list would be necessarily too long to be conveniently included. Then, again, the subject of castes and sects is, in some of its aspects, a very irritating one, and if I were to give publicity to the names of the persons who have assisted me, it might place them in a very false position. So I thank them generally withont mentioning any names. In connection also with this part of the work, I mnst acknowledge my obligations to the works of Risley, Wilson and Sherring, and to Mr. Narsima yangar's Report of the last Censns of Mysore. As to the last of these, which is compiled by an edncated native of the conntry, it is hardly necessary to observe that it is very reliable, though not very complete. Mr. Risley's "Tribes and Castes of Bengal" is an exhaustive treatise, and is, generally speaking, reliable also. If there had been similar works for the other provinces, then the task of taking a bird's-eye view of the whole would not have heen quite so arduous to m.. as it has actually been. With regard to the part of the book devoted to the Hindu Sects, I may mention that the greater portion of it had been written originally for my promised work on the philosophy of religion which I hope to bring out before tong. For tbe sake of many of my friends and retations near and dear to me I besitated to give publi city to my yjews before; but it seems to me higb time now tbat I should speak out and do what lies in me to set fortb tbe true cbaracter of the cutts that tbe majority of those wbo profess to be Hindns believe and practise. The religions of tbose who are not regarded "s Hindus do not come witbin tbe scope of tbis work. But the positiou wbicb I BSsign to Cbristianity, Mabo medanism, Zoroastrianism, &c., must appear clear enough from what I bave said in tbe Introduction to my aC count of tbe Hindu Sects, about tbe evolution of human faiths, and about tbe different principles on whicb.tbey may be classified. I have tried my best tbrougbout to avoid i~reverence and offensive expressions, and the reader, who is not altogetber blinded by orthodoxy, will, I bope, admit tbat, even with regard to tbe worst of the abomination-worshipping sects, I bave nowhere been barsber tban tbe nature of tbe case absolutely required. Reverence ougbt to be by all means sbowu to persons and institutions tbat bave a just claim to it. But nothing enn, in my opinion, b. more sinful than to speak respectfully of persons wbo are enemies of man kind, and to wbitewash rotteu institutions by esoterio explanations and fine pbrases. It is no doubt extremely difficult to get rid of the effect of early training and a",ociations. But tbose wbo claim to be educated and enlightened will, I trust, give vi PRBFACL me an impartial and patient hearing. However strong their faith in Saivism, Saktaism and Radha worship may be, they cannot be altogether blind to the real character of tbese creeds. One of the greatest thinker. 'of modern times bas, in connection with certain ques tions of political economy, said :- It often happens that the univenal belief of one age of mankind-a belief from which no one '!Cal, nor, without any extraordinary effort of genius and courage, could, at that time be free-becomes to a subsequent age so palpable an absurdity, that the only difficulty tllen is to imagine how such & thing can ever have appeared credible. This, I am sure, will before long be the feeling of every honest Hindu witb regard to some of the most important features of his so-called religions, and I shall feel I 'have performed an almost sacred duty if this work promotes in some degree that end. JOGENDRA NATH BHATTACHARYA. CALCUTTA, May 1896. CON'l'ENTS . • HINDU CASTES. PART I. I. Th. Origin and Nature of the Hindu Cute Syotem 1-8 It.. Whether Cut. io a Religious or a Social Distinction 9 III. Tho Regulations by which the Caat.. have been made Exclusive 10-12 IV. The Origin of th. Additional east•• and tho Sulrcast.o 13·15 V. The Authoriti.s by ..hom tho Caate Rat.. are Enforced 16, 17 VI. Nature of the Penalty of Exclusion froIl! Caat. 18 PART II. TlD BUBlU.B8 O&lf&ULLY. I. The Position of tho Brahm_·.fit~ndu Society ... ...'. ' ,~ ... 19·23 . II. The Brahman's Proper Profesaianl 24·26 m The Modern Hindu Guru8 ... ... 17·29 IV. Enquiriea by which the Caate Status of • Buhman mr.y be A.lcertained ... 30-3J V. The Sub-dhi.iona among ibe Brahmana ... 33,34 viii coNTICN'rs. PART TIl. TIm BB. ... mLUfS 07 NORTB&lllJ IWDIA.. CBAFnB l'AGa I. The Brahmans of Bengal 311-411 1. The Paschatya Vaidik.1 36,37 S. The Rarhiya BrahmaoB 37-42 3. The BireudraR 4ll-44 4. The Dakshinatya Vaidik&l 44 5. The Ma.dby& Sreni Brahmans 411 II. The Brahmans of Mithila and Bebar '" 46·46 1. The Maithilas 46·48 2. Th. Sakaldipi. 48 III. The Brahmans of the North~We8tern ProTineE'A and Oudh 49-61 1. The KBnojias 49,50 2. The Sarujupariu 61 3. The SanadhY3s . • .. 61 IV. The Gaur Brahwans of the Karukabetra Country 61,53 V. The Brahmans of Kashmir. P&oja.b andSindh 64·67 1. The Brahmans of Kashmir 54,55 2. The Brahmans of the Pall jab 66-67 3. The Brahmans of Sindh 67 VI. The Brahmans of Ausm 58, 59 VII. The Brahmans of Orissa ••• 60·64 J. The Brahmans of Southern Oriaaa •.. 60·62 The Vajdikaa 60,61- The Adhikari, Pujari or Vaiahnava Bra.hman. 61 Th. Mahaja. Panthi. 61 The Pandas •.• 61 . 2. The J ajpuria Brahmans •.• 63,64 VIII. The Bra.hmans of Rajpotana 66-69 1. The SrimsH. 66,67 2. The Pallival. 68,69 3. The Pokarana. ~ .. 69 IX. 'l,he Brahmana of Central India 70 PART IV. TID ~BJI.AJ8 011' SOU'l'B&U !JIDI~ I. Preliminary Remarka 71,71 n; -The Bnhma.a of Qui"" ·73-81 CONTKNUI •. ix OBAP'lD III. rho Brahmana of Maharaehtra ond Kan· kan .•• 82·89 1. Tho D ....th. Brahman. 82,83 2. The KSllkanaBthae 83-85 3. The Yajurverlia 85,86 4. The Karh.d.. ••• ~. 86·89 5. The Shenavia of Kankan 89 IV. The Middle Class and inferior Brahmana of M:lharashtra 90,91 V. The Brahmans of the Karnatic 92,93 VI. The Br:dlmaDB of Dravira 94-97 1. The Smam.. Brahmans ... 94,96 2. The VishnuviteBr&hmansof Southem India • ..• 97 VII. The Brahmans of Telingana 98-101 {III. The Brahmans of the Central Provinces ...102,103 IX. The Brahma.n,., of South Kanan ...104, 105 :x. The BrahmalJlJ of Keraia, Cochin, Malabar and Travaneore .n ..• 106·}08 PART V. THE SEIII-BllABlfANIO.u. CA8TB8. I. The Bhuinh&r Brahmana ••. 109·13 II. The Bhats and the Chanmal •.. 114· 7 PART VI. TaB DKGUDED BaJ..BII.AlfB. t. The Hossainis and Kovachandaa US II. The Pirali T.goro. of Calcutta ... 119·124 nl. The Barna Brahmans •.. 1251 126 IV. rhe Brahmans oonuected with the public Sbrinee •.. ••. Ii7,IiII V. The Brahman. degraded bY ....pting forbid· den Gifta and officiating as paid Pri.ta at Cremations .•. lt9,130 The M.bii.·Brabmana 129 Tho Agradanis 129 The Agra Bhikshu 129 The Bawalakhi. 130 x OONTKIlTB. PAGS The Bh"taa ... 130 The Maruiporu 130 The Acharyaa of Western IndiA. 130 The Sanichar ali€U Dakot of RajputaJJ& 130 VI. The BrahmanB degraded by Menial SerTice 131 PART VII. Tas MILITARY CAST •• I: The Rajput. ••. 131l-137 II. The Kshettris ... 138·144 1. The Seraen Kshettris .. _ •.. 140-142 2. KukkurB 142 3. The Borh.. ..• 142 4. The Banjai K.he,tri. • •• 142·144 III. The Jats ... 146, l4i; IV. The Khandait8 of Oris.a ... 147,148 V. The Ma.rattas. .. 149,160 VI. The Nairs of Mala.bar ..