Castes
The genesis of the Indian castes has not been definitively established to this day. Mysterious appearance, impact on society and fact, that they have survived until today, has long been the subject of disputes and discussions, at the same time, it is one of the country's main tourist attractions. Brahmins are considered to be the creators of a caste society, that is, priests, who wanted to secure the highest power in the state. The Aryans probably contributed to the expansion of the caste, who, after conquering India, wanted to emphasize their superiority over the local population. As a result, four castes developed, each of which has its own privileges and follows its own moral code.
The first and highest caste are the brahmanas, entitled to decide on the shape of religion and rules of conduct within each social group. The next caste is the kshatriyas, that is, soldiers and gentry. The Vaishyas, in turn, are engaged in crafts and trade, and the fourth, the last group consists of farmers and peasants, called sudras. According to the Hindu tradition, all four castes are derived from the mouth (brahmins), cancer (the ksatriyas), out (Vaishyas) and feet (śudro-like) Brahma.
Pariahs form the lowest category of society, considered "untouchable". They do not belong to any of the castes, they are doing physical work or professions despised in India. In the past, when a caste member accidentally touched a pariah, or even its shadow, he had to undergo an elaborate cleansing ceremony, to wash away your "shame".
Despite the fact that the country has officially introduced equality, the caste system persists in society to this day. The discrimination of pariahs was particularly strongly opposed by Mahatma Gandhi, calling them Harijans, or "children of God". This term has a negative meaning now, so that in Madhya Pradesh the use of this word was officially prohibited. Pariahs are most often referred to as Dalits, which in the local language means "oppressed" or "oppressed".
Please note, that belonging to a given caste does not automatically ensure a position in society or the necessity to pursue a predetermined profession. Many brahmanas are poor farmers today, and the great leader of the Maharas – Sivaji came merely from the sudra caste. None of the Marathas, who, after the fall of the Mughal dynasty, took control of most of India's territory, he was not a brahmana. However, it can be assumed, that the richer citizens come from the higher castes, and the Hindus todalites who do physical work. Belonging to a particular social group still plays a very important role in this country: when Indian Airlines hired its first Dalit flight attendant, the news of the event made the headlines of Indian newspapers.
How to distinguish, which caste the encountered Hindu belongs to? If he is doing hard physical work or professions despised here, e.g. deals with the dressing of animal skins, he is certainly a Dalit. However, in other cases it is very difficult to assess the social position of a given citizen. Unless he takes off his shirt and we see a sacred rope on his shoulder. It means belonging to a higher caste. However, it is sometimes confusing, for the Parsis also wear it. Sikhs, Muslims and Christians do not belong to any caste.
Within each caste, there is a hierarchy and certain rules, well known to all its members. Moreover, a great many different sub-castes have developed within the castes. Means, that, for example, a servant, who cleans bronze dishes, due to its low position, it cannot clean silver. Many of the former strict regulations now function in a relaxed form, however, some Hindus still avoid contact with the "untouchables". More liberal citizens are already agreeing to shake hands with those who do not belong to any caste… Westerners! Many even decide to go abroad, because the threat of exclusion from the caste, which it entails leaving the country, it doesn't matter much to them anymore. They are often more respected than they were before leaving, especially when they come back from abroad with a university degree.
The caste system, however, has deeply rooted in the tradition of this country. Conflicts and riots have broken out several times in recent years, against Dalits and other "inferior" citizens, what are considered, for example, members of tribes or other poor and uneducated Hindus. To improve the position of this category of population, the government granted its representatives admission to universities and allocated seats in parliament. Also almost reserved for them 60% jobs, as a result, many educated citizens lost the chance of getting a good job. In some states, e.g. in Karnataka, w 1994 r. governments have significantly increased the number of jobs reserved for Dalits, to ensure their support. This has led in 1991 and 1994 r. to riots, during which the protesters demanded a reduction in the number of reserved jobs. The most violent ones took place in 1991 r. in Gujarat, Uttar Pradeu, Delhi and Harjan. It was then killed or seriously injured over 100 people.
At this point, it is necessary to recall the serf, who had the prospect of a better existence in the afterlife, when he was promised, that only by hard work and ruthless obedience will he deserve eternal happiness in heaven. Members of the Indian castes followed the same philosophy, using the learmy theory: the situation of every human being in mortality depends on the sum of his good and bad deeds. If good outweighs, in the next incarnation he will be in a better position.