H STUDY OF CASTE BY P. LAKSHMI NARASU Author of "The Essence of Buddhism' MADRAS K. V. RAGHAVULU, PUBLISHER, 367, Mint Street. Printed by V. RAMASWAMY SASTRULU & SONS at the " VAVILLA " PRESS, MADRAS—1932. f All Rights Reservtd by th* Author. To SIR PITTI THY AG A ROY A as an expression of friendship and gratitude. FOREWORD. This book is based on arfcioles origiDally contributed to a weekly of Madras devoted to social reform. At the time of their appearance a wish was expressed that they might be given a more permanent form by elaboration into a book. In fulfilment of this wish I have revised those articles and enlarged them with much additional matter. The book makes no pretentions either to erudition or to originality. Though I have not given references, I have laid under contribution much of the literature bearing on the subject of caste. The book is addressed not to savants, but solely to such mea of common sense as have been drawn to consider the ques­ tion of caste. He who fights social intolerance, slavery and injustice need offer neither substitute nor constructive theory. Caste is a crippli^jg disease. The physicians duty is to guard against diseasb or destroy it. Yet no one considers the work of the physician as negative. The attainment of liberty and justice has always been a negative process. With­ out rebelling against social institutions and destroying custom there can never be the tree exercise of liberty and justice. A physician can, however, be of no use where there is no vita­ lity. Similarly argument, philosophy, ethics, religion, legis­ lation will not avail to transform a people who have not deve­ loped the will to live. Truth and freedom are the motive forces for the highest development of moral health, and ou truth, virtue and knowledge depend all progress. Politicians, swayed by exaggerated creature comforts, fight for wealth, power and success, but give no thought to the psychological revolution so necessary for the progress of India. I have taken my stand on truth, unbound by convention an3 untrammelled by anxiety. I have nowhere attempted to tickle vanity or excite sentiment, nor have I resorted to com­ promise and equivocation. I have everywhere stated plain facts in a plain manner, but I mean no affront to any body. It is not my desire to force progress on those who are unwill­ ing to bear it, but I hope to render aid to those whom expert- li enoe ha3 taught the necessity of forging a new life. The desire ia abroad that India should become self-gov­ erning and a real political name instead of being a mere-geo­ graphical expression. If India is to evolve out of itself a democratic form of government, a governmeat of the people by the people for the people, a political consciousness must be roused by a struggle to raise all towards the highest degree of possible culture. In all should spriog up a sense of shame for every form of slavery, whether political or spiritual. Caste Organization crushes the individual under-its dead weight and hinders nrogress by killing all consciousness of liberty. Should my book serve to convince a few of its readers of the impossi­ bility of creating a new people, united and cultured, without the abolition of caste and the uprootal of all religion whose life-blood is caste, it will have attained its end. 1 shall close with expressing my thanks to all who have rendered help in the preparation and publication of this book. 367, Mint Street, Madras. P. L. NARASU. 2nd January, 1922. CONTENTS. ~ PAGE SOBJECT 1. Is caste universal ? Main features of caste. Hereditai7 specialization. 2. Hierarchical organization. Mutual repulsion. 3. Parallels of caste in history. Social organization in the Middle Ages. 4. Social organization in classical antiquity. Social organiza­ tion in Egyptian civilization. 4-5. Social evolution in China. 6-7 Caste in India •8. Manu's four castes. 9. Origin of the caste system in India. »io. Caste and the trade guilds. '11. Origin of caste distinctions in the ancient Aryan family. '12. Exclusiveness of primitive peoples a possible cause of caste. -13. Brahminical sway began with the advent of Soma-Haoma priests. •» • 14, J5rahmin superiority an essential principle in Hindu organization. .15-16. How did the Brahmin attain his position ? 17. The Rigveda, the poetry of a caste destined for an aristocratic cult. • 18. The purpose of sacrifice. 19. Their priestly ofSce made the Brahmins divine. 20. Sacrifice turned into a magic cult. 21. From the Vedic period religion in India moves in an atmosphere of magic. 22. The Brahmins and the nobility. 23. Belief in the efficacy of magic ia the source of asceti­ cism. PAGE ScBJEq; 24. The Upanishads, the source of orthodox religious move­ ments in India. 25. TheKshatriya caste is responsible for the theory of Karma. 26. The Brahmins were not eager to accept the progressive ideas of the Kshatriyas. 27. Buddhism and its founder, Gautama Sakyamuni, a Kshatriya 28-30. B,uddha declares caste distinctions futile. 31. Buddhaa's intellectual and ethical light shines on all-Caste distinctions observed by the Buddhist laity have no religious significance. 32. Brahmins and the teachings of Buddha. 33. The great Buddhist emperor Asoka. 34-35. The moral teaohing.s of Asoka. 36. Asoka dispenses with Brahminio aid. 37. After Asoka's death Brahminism rises again. 38. The code of Manu declares the Brahmin to be divine. 39. Buddhism during the Pushyamitra dynasty. 39-40. The second stage of the development of the Maha- bharata falls into this period. 41. The end of the Pushyamitra dynasty. 42. Buddhism assumes a new form after the Yue-chi con­ quest of India. 43. Asvagosha, its first expounder. 44-45. His attack on caste in the Vajrasuchi, 46. The end of the reign of Kanishka. 47. Buddhism during the time of his suoce-sors. Gupta emperors tolerant towards Buddhism. 48. The Mahabhirata in its present form the result of a revision by Brahmins at the Gupta court. 49-50. Iniiueuce of Buddha's teachings on the popilar mind. The Brahmins put forward a new Kshatriya teacher. 51. Krishna, an incarnation of God, serves to take the place of the Buddha• 52. The Bhagavadgita receives the status of an Upanishad. 53. Caste in the Bhagavadgita. 54. Defence of killing in the Bhagavadgita calls to mind Yuan Chuang's account of Kurukshetra in the Styuki. PAGE SOBJECT • 55. Philosophical Absolutism and caste. 56-57. Philosophical Absolutism criticised. 58. The theory of three gunas in the Gita. 59. Kumarila s attack on Buddha, 60. The Sankaravijaya on Buddhismi 61. The Brahmin's effort to maintain his supremacy. 62. Brahminism and the partiality for vegetarian diet. Buddhism during, the time of King Harsha. 63. Buddhism under the Sena kings. 64. Buddhism under Brahminic sway. 65. Hinduism a proselytin^ religion. '66. Child marriage a result of the caste system. 67. ©usion of Buddhism and Brahminism. 68-70. Methods employed to maintain the caste system. 70. Samkara. 71. Buddhism in South India. • 72. Division of Hindu Society into Brahmin and non-Brah­ min classes. 74. The nature and development of religion. •75. Caste the common feature of Hindu religions. 76. Buddhist influence on other religious teachers. 77. The Lingayat sect and reform. Saivism and Buddhism. 78. Bhaktimarga in Vaishnavite cults. 79. The earliest Vaishnavite sect. 80. Jainism and Buddhism. 81. Art a tangible way in which religion shows its influ­ ence on civilization. 82. Caste in Vaishnavism. Ramanuja and caste. •83. Caste in the teaching and life of Ramananda. •85. Hinduism during the Mohamedan conquest- 86 The earliest Moslem invaders waged war against 'Bud­ dhism and 1 brahminism. 87. The contact of the monotheism of Islam with Vaishna­ vism. 88. Husain Shah's attempt to reconcile the religious differ­ ences of the Hindu and Mussulman communities. 89. Akbar's attitude towards Hinduism. 90-91. Chaitanya and caste. 92-93- Buddhism and the Vaishnavite movement in Bengal. 94. The Mohamedan conquest of Bengal. vi PAGE SCBJECT .95. Aurangazib threatens Hinduism. 96. Sivajee the patron of Hinduism. .97. Caste among the Mohamedans of Upper India. .98-99. Christianity and caste distinctions. 100. Earn Mohan Roy and the Brahma Samaj. 101. The development of the Brahma Samaj under various leaders. 102. The Arya Samaj. 104. TheVedantaof Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Viveka- nanda. 106. Theosophie Hinduism. • 106. The British administration and caste. 108. Education under the British administration. IDS. National education. '111. NationaHsts and the caste system. •112. The influence of the caste system on the country's political life. •113. The influence of the caste system on the country's in­ tellectual life. •114. Attempted defence of caste on scientific grounds. •115. The classification of mankind into races. '117. Purity of blood a myth. "118. Caste and eugenics. •120. Men are fundamentally alike and therefore equal. •121. This equality implies equality of opportunity. •122. Self-development must be open to all. •123. The fallacy of the theory of the four Varnas demon­ strated on physiological and sociological grounds. '124. Brahminic philosophy is based on the belief in soul and Karma. •126. The caste system has not solved the problem between capital and labour. '127. The system of castes and Plato's Republic. • 128. The origin of caste is not economic but mystic and OCQUlt. '130. Mami on the supremacy of Brahmins. r •131. Caste the mainstay of the Hindu religion. -132. The system of castes a part of the Hindu conception of the Universe. 133. The Hindu doctrine of Karma. PAGE SUBJECT 13i, The doctrine of Karma fails to separate the human from the animal kingdom.