Caste

The best-known term to denote the traditional Hindu social structure in which
groups are arranged in a hierarchy of
status, usually based on the perceived
purity of each group’s traditional occupation. The word “caste” is actually
derived from the Portuguese word for
“chaste.” The Portuguese observed that
different groups in Indian society kept
themselves separate from each other, particularly when eating and in marriage.
They used the term “caste” to describe
this social phenomenon.
Among Hindus themselves the most
important concept for social ordering is
known as the jati (“birth”). One
becomes a member of a jati by being
born into it. The jatis were usually divided
according to traditional occupation,
which (in theory) would be performed
by that jati alone. A jati’s social status
generally stemmed from the status of its
occupation, and jatis such as latrine
cleaners and tanners were thought to be
defiled by their trade. Society as a whole
was conceived on the model of the body,
with the different jatis comparable to
different body parts. While each part
had a differing status and role, every one
was necessary for the whole to function
smoothly. These differences in status
were marked and reinforced by strict
rules to keep each group distinct from
the others. The strictest regulations were
in regard to marriage, and in earlier
times members of a jati would marry
only within that group. It was almost as
if the jatis were seen as separate
“species” of human beings that had to
be kept apart. Marrying within one’s jati
is still the ideal, although there is now
considerably more intermarriage than
in the past.
The best-known model for ordering
Indian society is that of the four major
social groups (varna) described in the
dharma literature: brahmin (priest),
kshatriya (warrior-king), vaishya (merchant), and shudra (servant). However,
the number of different jati groups
makes the social hierarchy far more
complex. A small village might have
dozens of jatis, all performing certain
tasks, whereas a city might have hundreds of jatis, some highly specialized.
Even within the brahmin varna, there
are different brahmin jatis (for example,
Saraswat, Chitpavan, Kanyakubja, and
Kanaujia). For other varnas the picture
is even more complex. For instance,
some jati groups fall between the
vaishya and shudra varnas, and jati
groups of humble status who have
achieved political success may claim
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Caste
kshatriya lineage. The same jati’s social
position can vary from region to region,
depending on if they comprise a majority or a minority of the population or
have status as a land-holding community.
As in most of Hindu life, a group’s status
is usually influenced by local factors; in
the past fifty years, such status determinations have also been affected by
changes in Indian society, which have
tended to relax social distinctions. For
further information see McKim Marriot,
“Hindu Transactions: Diversity Without
Dualism,” in Bruce Kapferer (ed.),
Transaction and Meaning, 1976.