Caste Discrimination: Rationalization of the Caste System | Philosophy Optional Notes for UPSC PDF Download

Justifications in the Vedas

• Vedic Tradition and Vedas: The caste system sought legitimacy by being rooted in Vedic traditions, as it would not be accepted without Vedic references. The Purusha Sukta, found in the 10th Mandate of the Rig-Veda, explains the origin of castes during a grand sacrifice performed by the gods. Brahmins were said to come from the mouth of Purusha, Kshatriyas from his arms, Vaishyas from his thighs, and Shudras from his feet. However, many scholars believe that this hymn originated in the later Vedic period rather than in the Rigvedic period.

• Critiques of the Purusha Sukta: The Purusha Sukta is often quoted by orthodox Brahmins to justify the caste system. However, there are inconsistencies in the logic, such as the concept of God having unclean feet compared to the mouth and the practice of worshipping God's feet in temples.

Justification in the Theory of Karma

• Karma and the Caste System: The concept of karma provided a rationale for the caste system based on birth. It argued that lower-caste individuals were responsible for their situation due to their past-life karma. Their suffering serves as a warning that the wheel of dharma operates impartially.

• Bhagavad-Gita and Karma: The Bhagavad-Gita states that those born in pious families with good merit and detachment have developed these qualities due to karma. The fourfold varna system is believed to be created by Lord Krishna, based on the gunas and the mechanism of karma.

• Vocational Duties and Merit: By combining karma and the caste system, ancient lawmakers prescribed specific vocational and occupational duties for each caste. Following these duties, without questioning them, was considered an act of merit, leading individuals to progress on the path of dharma and attain a better life in the next birth.

Justification by the Theory of Gunas

• The Three Gunas: According to various schools of Hindu philosophy, everything in the world contains the three gunas: sattva, rajas, and tamas. These qualities influence human behavior and make individuals suitable for certain occupations.

• Sattva: Sattva is associated with purity and spirituality, leading to qualities like knowledge, intelligence, faith, and piousness. Brahmins, known for their knowledge, are believed to be predominantly influenced by sattva.

• Rajas: Rajas represents egoism and materialism, resulting in ambition, pride, and the desire for wealth and power. Individuals dominated by rajas are often found in the Kshatriya and Vaishya castes.

• Tamas: Tamas is characterized by lethargy and manifests as ignorance, lack of ambition, and undesirable behavior. This quality is believed to be predominant in those considered Sudras.

Justification by Religious Laws

• Smriti Literature and Manusmriti: Most smriti literature, including the Manusmriti, justified and perpetuated the caste system. It provided guidelines to maintain and enforce the caste system, prescribing severe punishments for violations.

• Puranas, Sutra Literature, and Scriptures: Other religious scriptures such as the Puranas, Sutra literature, the Bhagavad Gita, and certain later Upanishads also supported and legitimized the caste system. These texts aimed to ensure that the caste hierarchy was maintained and clearly outlined the roles and responsibilities of each caste.

• Role of Law Books: The purpose of law books was to perpetuate the caste system, providing a clear framework for enforcement. These books ensured that administrative machinery could maintain the caste system with minimal confusion.

These justifications were used to lend religious and philosophical legitimacy to the caste system in ancient India, even though they faced criticisms and inconsistencies.

Critical Analysis of the Caste System in India

Advantages of the Caste System:

1. Continuity of Traditions:
   • The caste system played a role in preserving the longevity of Hinduism. It acted as a cohesive force, discouraging individuals from straying from their faith and traditions.
2. Division of Labor:
   • The caste system promoted specialization and division of labor. Each caste focused on perfecting its vocational skills, passing them down through generations.
3. Bonds of Brotherhood:
   • In urban areas, caste-based guilds acted as social and labor unions, providing social insurance against exploitation. They ensured fair wages, offered financial assistance, and promoted work ethics.
   • In rural areas, the caste system fostered unity and fraternity among members of the same caste, strengthening interpersonal relationships through marriages, friendships, and professional interactions.
4. Purity of Lineages:
   • Rigorous rules around marriage and lineage helped maintain the purity of family lineages.
5. Unity in Diversity:
   • While emphasizing birth-related inequalities and karma-based challenges, the caste system also underlined the unity of all castes, portraying them as products of a cosmic sacrifice.
   • In theory, the system aimed to establish social order, regulate societal affairs, and preserve dharma (sacred law).

Disadvantages of the Caste System:

1. Exploitation of the Weak:
   • The caste system led to social injustices and inequalities. Over time, it became an unjust and exploitative system, subjecting weaker sections to exploitation in the name of tradition and religion.
2. Disunity and Division of Loyalties:
   • The caste system fostered division, distrust, and resentment, creating disunity and prejudice within society.
3. Foreign Domination:
   • The system weakened the resolve to stand united against foreign invasions. Strong individuals were relegated to menial jobs instead of contributing as soldiers, affecting the defense against foreign aggressors.
4. Preferential Treatment:
   • The system focused on birth rather than individual talent, leading to discrimination against gifted individuals from lower castes.
   • Talent often took a back seat to protect the less competent individuals among higher castes in the name of dharma.
5. Political and Military Implications:
   • The caste system isolated India from the rest of the world, hindering knowledge exchange and military strategies.
   • It also divided Indian soldiers along caste lines, making coordination challenging for army generals.
6. Conversion to Other Religions:
   • The caste system indirectly contributed to the decline of Hinduism as lower-caste individuals converted to escape social injustices.
   • Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam gained followers not due to their own merits but because of the perceived weaknesses of Hinduism.
7. Instrument of Oppression:
   • The caste system was exploited by socially privileged castes. Landlords and merchants subjected lower castes to inhuman treatment and economic exploitation.
8. Untouchability:
   • Untouchables, a class of individuals, were treated as subhuman. They were not allowed to enter cities or villages freely, draw water from wells used by higher castes, or even be touched.
   • The practice of untouchability led to discrimination and social exclusion, causing many to convert to other religions.

The caste system, while having some historical merits, was marked by severe disadvantages, including discrimination, exploitation, and social divisions. It is essential to critically examine the system in its historical context, considering both its strengths and weaknesses.

Gandhiji's and Ambedkar's Views on Caste Discrimination and the Caste System

Gandhiji's Views:

1. Gandhiji, like Ambedkar, opposed caste discrimination but did not advocate for the complete abolition of the caste system.
2. In his vision of an ideal society, Ramrajya, Gandhiji supported the varna system, which divided society into four varnas: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras.

• Gandhiji strongly opposed untouchability and considered it a curse for humanity.
• He gave untouchables the respectful name "Harijans," which means "people of God."

• Economic Division: Gandhiji saw the varna system as a division of labor that preserved hereditary skills and knowledge, leading to economic benefits for society.
• Regulation of Competition: He believed that the varna system reduced cut-throat competition, which, in his view, bred conflict, greed, selfishness, and aggression. Assigned roles within varnas eliminated this competition, promoting social harmony and order.
• Swadharma: Gandhiji emphasized that one's objective should be the performance of their own duty (swadharma) rather than the pursuit of wealth or power.

• Gandhiji believed in metaphysical monism, viewing all creatures as part of one supreme reality. He saw all beings as equally holy and condemned discrimination, describing it as a sin.
• He related caste discrimination to economic disparities and advocated for economic equality to eliminate caste discrimination.

• Gandhiji advocated a change of heart through satyagraha (nonviolent resistance) instead of coercive laws to eradicate caste discrimination.
• He believed that service should be the goal of life, emphasizing the importance of converting individuals to the level of ati-shudras (a higher understanding of one's duty).
• Gandhiji supported the doctrine of trusteeship, which called for business owners to act as trustees of their wealth and use it for the betterment of society.

Ambedkar's Views:

• Ambedkar refuted the popular belief that untouchables were non-Aryans. He argued that untouchables were also Aryans and belonged to the powerful Shudra tribe, originally part of the Kshatriya varna.
• According to him, untouchability was a result of conflict between Brahminism and Buddhism, with Brahminism adopting practices to counter the influence of Buddhism.

• Ambedkar believed that the caste system led to the degeneration of Hindu society and hindered its dynamism and inclusiveness.
• Caste was seen as an obstacle to the development of a national spirit, as people identified more with their castes than with the nation.
• He considered untouchability as an inherent byproduct of the caste system.
• Ambedkar argued that caste was responsible for the exploitation of lower castes, restricting freedom of profession and hindering entrepreneurship.
• He saw casteism as contrary to ideals of liberty, equality, justice, and fraternity.

• Ambedkar rejected the notion that caste protected the purity of the race, asserting that all castes in India were mixed.
• He called for inter-caste marriages and dining.
• Ambedkar encouraged self-respect among the oppressed classes through proper education and the acquisition of new skills and professions.
• He believed that social reforms should take precedence over political reforms during the Indian national movement, emphasizing the importance of social justice.

Both Gandhiji and Ambedkar recognized the need to address caste discrimination, but they had different approaches to the caste system, with Gandhiji supporting a modified varna system and Ambedkar advocating for its complete elimination. Their views and efforts played significant roles in the social reform movements in India.