What caste did the farmers belong to? Indian castes

India's caste system continues to attract interest. Castes in India are really a curious social phenomenon, however, a tourist who travels to India is unlikely to encounter it, there are many Indoman travelers who live there for months, but they are not interested in castes because they are not necessary for life.

The caste system is not exotic, it is part of the complex organization of Indian society, a multifaceted phenomenon that has been studied by Indologists and ethnographers for centuries, dozens of thick books have been written about it, so I will publish here only 10 interesting facts about Indian castes - about the most popular questions and misconceptions.

1. What is an Indian caste?
The Indian caste is such a complex phenomenon that it is simply not possible to give an exhaustively complete definition!
Castes can only be described through a series of features, but there will still be exceptions.

Caste in India is a system of social stratification, a separate social group, connected by the origin and legal status of its members. Castes in India are built on the principles of: 1) common religion (this rule is always respected); 2) one profession, usually hereditary; 3) members of castes marry only among themselves, as a rule; 4) caste members generally do not eat with strangers, except in other Hindu castes of a significantly higher social position than their own; 5) members of castes can be determined by who they can take water and food, processed and raw.

2. There are 4 castes in India
In India, there are not at all 4, but about 3 thousand castes, they can be called in different parts countries in different ways, and people with the same profession may have different castes in different states. For a complete list of castes by state, see http://socialjustice...

The fact that nameless people on tourist and other near-Indian sites call 4 castes is not a caste at all, these are 4 varnas - Chaturvarnya in Sanskrit - ancient social system.

4 varnas (वर्ना) is an ancient Indian system of estates. Varna of brahmins (more correctly, a brahmin) historically are clergymen, doctors, teachers. Varna kshatriyas (in ancient times it was called rajanya) are rulers and warriors. Varna vaishyas are farmers and merchants, and varna shudras are workers and landless peasants who work for others.
Varna is a color (in Sanskrit again), and each Indian varna has its own color: the Brahmins have white, the Kshatriyas have red, the Vaishyas have yellow, the Shudras have black, and earlier, when all representatives of the varnas wore a sacred thread - he was just the color of their varna.

Varnas correlate with castes, but in very different ways, sometimes there is no direct connection, and since we have already delved into science, it must be said that Indian castes, unlike varnas, are called jati - जाति.
More about Indian castes in modern India http://indonet.ru/St...

3. Caste of the Untouchables
The untouchables are not a caste. In the days of ancient India, everyone who was not part of the 4 varnas automatically found themselves "overboard" of Indian society, these strangers were avoided, they were not allowed to live in villages, which is why they were called untouchables. Subsequently, these untouchable outsiders began to be used in the most dirty, low-paid and shameful work, and formed their own social and professional groups, that is, there are several castes of untouchables, as a rule, this is associated either with dirty work, or with the killing of living beings or death, so that all hunters and fishermen, as well as gravediggers and tanners, are untouchable.

At the same time, it is not correct to assume that every untouchable is uneducated and poor, this is not true. In India, even before gaining independence and the adoption of a number of legislative measures to prevent discrimination against the lower castes and tribes, there were untouchables who were able to achieve outstanding success in society, an example of this is the most famous untouchable india- an outstanding Indian politician, public figure, human rights activist and author of the constitution of India - Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar, who received his law degree in England. And quite recently, not just a Dalit, but also a Hijra became the mayor of a city in India http://indonet.ru/fo. ..

4. When did the Indian castes appear?
Normatively, that is, legislatively, the cast-jati system in India was fixed in the Laws of Manu, which date back to the 2nd century BC.
The varna system is much older, there is no exact dating. I wrote more about the history of the issue in the article Castes of India, from varnas to the present http://indonet.ru/ar ...

5. Castes in India are abolished
Castes in India are not abolished or banned, as is often said.
On the contrary, all castes in India are recalculated and listed in the appendix to the Indian constitution, which is called the Table of Castes. In addition, after the census, changes are made to this table, as a rule, additions, the point is not that new castes appear, but that they are fixed in accordance with the data indicated about themselves by the census participants.
Only discrimination based on caste is prohibited, it is written in article 15 of the Indian Constitution, see the test at http://lawmin.nic.in ...

6. Every Indian has a caste
No, this is also not true.
Indian society is very heterogeneous in its structure, and apart from the division into castes, there are several others.
There are caste and non-caste Indians, for example, representatives of Indian tribes (Aborigines, Adivasis), with rare exceptions, do not have castes. And the proportion of non-caste Indians is quite large, see http://censusindia.g for census results. ..
In addition, for some misconduct (crimes), a person can be expelled from the caste and thus deprive him of his status and position in society.

7. Castes are only in India
No, this is a delusion. There are castes in other countries, for example, in Nepal and Sri Lanka, since these countries developed in the bosom of the same huge Indian civilization, as well as in Bali. But there are castes in other cultures, for example, in Tibet, and the Tibetan castes do not correlate with the Indian ones at all, since the class structure of Tibetan society was formed independently from India.
For the castes of Nepal, see Ethnic Mosaic of Nepal http://indonet.ru/St ...

8. Only Indians have castes.
No, now it is not so, you need to delve into history.
Historically, when the vast majority of the population of India professed Hinduism, all Hindus belonged to some kind of caste, the only exceptions were pariahs expelled from the caste and the indigenous, tribal peoples of India, who did not profess Hinduism and were not part of the Indian society. Then other religions began to spread in India - Buddhism, Jainism, India was invaded by other peoples, and representatives of other religions and peoples began to adopt from the Hindus their class system of varnas and the system of professional castes - jati. Now there are castes in Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Christianity, but they are different from the Hindu castes.
It is curious that in northern India, in the modern states of Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir, the Buddhist caste system is not of Indian, but of Tibetan origin.
It is even more curious that even Europeans - Christian missionaries-preachers - were drawn into the system of Indian castes: those who preached the teachings of Christ to noble Brahmins ended up in the Christian "Brahmin" caste, and those who communicated with untouchable fishermen became Christian untouchables.

9. You need to know the caste of the Indian with whom you communicate and behave accordingly.
This is a common misconception, replicated by tourist sites, it is not known for what, it is not based on anything.
It is impossible to determine which caste an Indian belongs to only by his appearance, by his occupation - often too. One acquaintance worked as a waiter, although he came from a noble Rajput family (that is, he is a kshatriya). I managed to identify a familiar Nepalese waiter by his behavior as an aristocrat, since we had known each other for a long time, I asked and he confirmed that this was true, and the guy did not work because of a lack of money at all.
My old friend started his labor activity at the age of 9 as a handyman, he cleaned up the rubbish in the shop... do you think he is a sudra? no, he is a brahmin (brahmin) from a poor family and 8 children in a row ... 1 more brahmin friend sells in a shop, he is the only son, you have to earn money ...

Another acquaintance of mine is so religious and bright that one would think that he is the real, ideal Brahmin. But no, he is just a shudra, and he was proud of this, and those who know what seva means will understand why.
And even if an Indian says what caste he is, although such a question is considered indecent, it will still not give anything to a tourist, a person who does not know India cannot understand what and why is arranged in this amazing country. So you should not be puzzled by the caste issue, because sometimes it is difficult for India to even determine the gender of the interlocutor, and this is probably more important :)

10. Caste discrimination
India is a democratic country and in addition to the ban caste discrimination introduced benefits for representatives of the lower castes and tribes, for example, there are quotas for admission to higher educational institutions, for positions in state and municipal bodies.
The problem of discrimination against people from the lower castes, Dalits and tribal people in India is quite serious, casteism is still the basis of life for hundreds of millions of Indians outside major cities, it is there that the caste structure and all the prohibitions arising from it are still preserved, for example, Shudra Indians are not allowed into some temples of India, it is there that almost all caste crimes occur, for example, quite a typical crime http://indonet.ru/bl. ..

If you are seriously interested in the caste system in India, I can recommend, in addition to the articles section http://indonet.ru/ca ... on this site and publications in the Hindunet, to read books by major European Indologists of the 20th century:
1. Academic 4-volume work by R.V. Russell "The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India"
2. Louis Dumont's monograph "Homo hierarchicus. Experience in describing the caste system"
Besides, in last years in India, a number of books on this topic have been published, unfortunately I did not hold them in my hands.
If you are not ready to read scientific literature- read the novel of the very popular modern Indian writer Arundhati Roy "The God of Small Things", it can be found in RuNet.

Caste is the original civilizational model,
built on its own conscious principles.
L. Dumont "Homo Hierarchicus"

The social structure of the modern Indian state is unique in many ways, primarily due to the fact that it is still, as it was several millennia ago, based on the existence of the caste system, which is one of its main components.

The word "caste" itself appeared later than the social stratification of ancient Indian society began. Initially, the term "varna" was used. The word "varna" is of Indian origin and means color, method, essence. In the later laws of Manu, instead of the word "varna", the word "jati" was sometimes used, meaning birth, clan, position. Subsequently, in the process of economic and social development, each varna was divided into a large number of castes, in modern India there are thousands of them. Contrary to popular belief, the caste system in India has not been abolished, but still exists; The law abolished only discrimination based on caste.

Varna

In ancient India, there were four main varnas (chaturvarnya), or estates. The highest varna - the brahmins - are priests, clerics; their duties included the study of sacred texts, the teaching of people and the performance of religious rites, since it was they who were considered to have the proper holiness and purity.

The next varna is the kshatriyas; these are warriors and rulers who had the necessary qualities (for example, courage and strength) to manage and protect the state.

They are followed by vaishyas (merchants and farmers) and sudras (servants and laborers). About the attitude to the last, fourth varna tells ancient legend about the creation of the world, which says that at first three varnas were created by God - the Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, and later the people (praja) and cattle were born.

The first three varnas were considered the highest, and their representatives were "twice born". The physical, “first” birth was only a door to this earthly world, however, for internal growth and spiritual development, a person had to be born a second time - again. This meant that representatives of privileged varnas underwent a special rite - initiation (upanayana), after which they became full members of society and could learn the profession that they inherited from representatives of their kind. During the ceremony, a lace of a certain color and material, prescribed in accordance with the tradition of this varna, was put on the neck of a representative of this varna.

It was believed that all varnas were created from the body of the first man - Purusha: brahmins - from his mouth (the color of this varna is white), kshatriyas - from his hands (the color is red), vaishyas - from the hips (the color of the varna is yellow), shudras - from his feet (black color).

The "pragmatism" of such a class division was that initially, as it is supposed, the assignment of a person to a certain varna was due to his natural inclinations and inclinations. For example, the one who could think with his head (therefore, the symbol is the mouth of Purusha) became a brahmin, he himself had the ability to learn and could teach others. A kshatriya is a person with a warlike nature, more inclined to work with his hands (that is, to fight, therefore the symbol is the hands of Purusha), etc.

The Shudras were the lowest varna, they could not participate in religious rituals and study the sacred texts of Hinduism (Vedas, Upanishads, Brahmins and Aranyakas), they often did not have their own household, and they were engaged in the most difficult types of labor. Their duty was unconditional obedience to the representatives of the higher varnas. The Shudras remained "once born", that is, they did not have the privilege of being reborn to a new, spiritual life (probably because their level of consciousness was not ready for this).

Varnas were absolutely autonomous, marriages could take place only within the varna, mixing of varnas, according to the ancient laws of Manu, was not allowed, as well as the transition from one varna to another, higher or lower. Such a rigid hierarchical structure was not only protected by laws and tradition, but was directly related to the key idea of ​​the Indian religion - the idea of ​​reincarnation: "As if childhood, youth and old age come to the incarnated here, so a new body comes: the sage cannot be puzzled by this" ( Bhagavad Gita).

It was believed that staying in a certain varna is a consequence of karma, that is, the cumulative result of his actions and deeds in past lives. The better a person behaved in past lives, the more chances he had in his next life to incarnate in a higher varna. After all, varna affiliation was given by birth and could not change throughout a person’s life. For a modern Westerner, this may seem strange, but such a concept, which has completely dominated India for several millennia up to the present day, created, on the one hand, the basis for the political stability of society, and on the other hand, it was a moral code for huge segments of the population.

Therefore, the fact that the varna structure is invisibly present in the life of modern India (the caste system is officially enshrined in the main law of the country) is most likely directly related to the strength of religious beliefs and beliefs that have passed the test of time and have remained almost unchanged to this day.

But is the secret of the "survivability" of the varna system only in the strength of religious ideas? Perhaps ancient India managed to anticipate the structure of modern societies in some way, and it is not by chance that L. Dumont calls castes a civilizational model?

A modern interpretation of the Varna division might look, for example, as follows.

Brahmins are people of knowledge, those who receive knowledge, teach it and develop new knowledge. Since in modern “knowledge” societies (a term officially adopted by UNESCO), which have already replaced information societies, not only information, but knowledge is gradually becoming the most valuable capital, surpassing all material analogues, it becomes clear that people of knowledge belong to the upper strata of society .

Kshatriyas are people of duty, senior managers, state-level administrators, the military and representatives of the "power structures" - those who guarantee law and order and serve their people and their country.

Vaishyas are business people, businessmen, creators and organizers of their business, whose main goal is to make a profit, they create a product that is in demand on the market. Vaishyas now, just like in ancient times, "feed" other varnas, creating a material base for the economic growth of the state.

Shudras are people for hire, hired workers, for whom it is easier not to take responsibility, but to carry out the work entrusted to them under the control of management.

To live "in one's own varna", from this point of view, means to live in accordance with one's natural abilities, innate predisposition to a certain type of activity and according to one's vocation in this life. This can give a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction that a person lives his own, and not someone else's life and destiny (dharma). It is not for nothing that the importance of following one’s own dharma, or duty, is mentioned in one of the sacred texts included in the Hindu canon, the Bhagavad Gita: “It is better to fulfill one’s duties even imperfectly than other people’s duties perfectly. It is better to die doing your duty, someone else's path is dangerous.

In this "cosmic" aspect, the varna division looks like a completely pragmatic system for realizing a kind of "call of the soul", or, in a higher language, fulfilling one's destiny (duty, mission, task, vocation, dharma).

Untouchables

In ancient India, there was a group of people who did not belong to any of the varnas - the so-called untouchables, who de facto exist in India to this day. The emphasis on the actual state of affairs is made because the situation with the untouchables in real life somewhat different from the legal design of the caste system in modern India.

The untouchables in ancient India were a special group that performed work related to the then ideas of ritual impurity - for example, dressing animal skins, cleaning up garbage, corpses.

In modern India, the term untouchables is not officially used, as well as its analogues: harijans - “children of God” (a concept introduced by Mahatma Gandhi) or a pariah (“outcast”) and others. Instead, there is the concept of Dalit, which is not considered to carry the connotation of caste discrimination, which is prohibited in the Indian constitution. According to the 2001 census, Dalits make up 16.2% of the total population of India and 79.8% of the total rural population.

Although the Indian constitution has abolished the concept of untouchables, ancient traditions continue to dominate the mass consciousness, which even leads to the killing of untouchables under a variety of pretexts. At the same time, there are cases when a person belonging to the “clean” caste is ostracized for daring to do a “dirty” job. So, Pinky Rajak, a 22-year-old woman from the caste of Indian laundresses who traditionally wash and iron clothes, caused outrage among the elders of her caste, because she took up cleaning at a local school, that is, she violated a strict caste ban on dirty work, thereby insulting her own. community.

castes today

To protect certain castes from discrimination, there are various privileges granted to citizens of lower castes, such as reserved seats in legislatures and public service, partial or full tuition fees in schools and colleges, quotas in higher educational institutions. In order to exercise the right to such a benefit, a citizen belonging to a state-protected caste must obtain and present a special caste certificate - proof of his belonging to a particular caste listed in the table of castes, which is part of the Constitution of India.

In India today, belonging to a higher caste by birth does not automatically mean high level material security. Often, children from poor upper caste families who enter a college or university on a regular basis with great competition are much less likely to receive an education than children from lower castes.

The discussion about the actual discrimination of the upper castes has been going on for many years. There are opinions that in modern India there is a gradual blurring of caste boundaries. Indeed, it is now almost impossible to determine which caste an Indian belongs to (especially in major cities), and not only in appearance, but often in the nature of his professional activity.

Creation of national elites

The formation of the structure of the Indian state in the form in which it is presented now (developed democracy, parliamentary republic) began in the 20th century.

In 1919, the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms were carried out, the main goal of which was the formation and development of the local government system. Under the English governor-general, who until then had virtually single-handedly ruled the Indian colony, a bicameral legislature was created. In all Indian provinces, a system of dual power (diarchy) was created, when both representatives of the British administration and representatives of the local Indian population were in charge. Thus, at the very beginning of the 20th century, democratic procedures were introduced for the first time on the Asian continent. The British, unwittingly, contributed to the formation of the future independence of India.

After India gained independence, it became necessary to attract national personnel to the leadership of the country. Since only the educated sections of Indian society had real opportunity"restart" of public institutions in the conditions of independence, it is clear that the leading role in the government of the country mainly belonged to the brahmins and kshatriyas. That is why the unification of the new elites was practically conflict-free, since the Brahmins and Kshatriyas historically belonged to the highest castes.

Since 1920, the popularity of Mahatma Gandhi, who advocated a united India without the British, began to grow. The Indian National Congress headed by him was not so much a party as a national social movement. Gandhi managed to accomplish what no one before him had been able to do - albeit temporarily, but he practically eliminated the conflict of interests between the higher and lower castes.

What tomorrow?

In India in the Middle Ages there were no cities similar to European ones. These cities could rather be called big villages where time seems to have stopped. Until recently (particularly intense changes began to occur in the last 15–20 years), tourists who came from the West could feel themselves in a medieval atmosphere. Real change began after independence. The industrialization course taken in the second half of the 20th century caused an increase in the rate of economic growth, which, in turn, led to an increase in the proportion of the urban population and the emergence of new social groups.

Over the past 15-20 years, many cities in India have changed beyond recognition. Most of the almost "home" quarters in the center turned into a concrete jungle, and the impoverished quarters on the outskirts were transformed into sleeping areas for the middle class.

By 2028, India's population is projected to exceed 1.5 billion people, the largest percentage of them will be young people and, compared to Western countries, the country will have the largest labor force.

Today, in many countries there is a shortage of qualified personnel in the field of medicine, education and IT services. This situation has contributed to the development in India of such a rapidly developing sector of the economy as the provision of remote services, for example, the United States and countries Western Europe. The Indian government is now investing heavily in education, especially in schools. One can see with one's own eyes how in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas, where there were only remote villages 15-20 years ago, state technological colleges have grown on large territories, with excellent buildings and infrastructure, designed for local children from the same villages. The bet on education in the age of "knowledge" societies, especially on school and university education, is a win-win, and it is no coincidence that India occupies one of the leading places in the field of computer technology.

Such a forecast of Indian population growth could be optimistic for India and lead to serious economic growth. But growth does not happen by itself. It is necessary to create conditions: new jobs, the provision of industrial employment and, no less important, the provision of qualified training for all this huge mass of human resources. All this is not an easy task and more of a challenge for the state than a bonus. In case of failure necessary conditions there will be mass unemployment, a sharp decline in the living standards of the population and, as a result, negative changes in the social structure.

Until now, the existing caste system has been a kind of "fuse" against all sorts of social upheavals throughout the country. However, times are changing, Western technologies are intensively penetrating not only into the Indian economy, but into the consciousness and subconsciousness of the masses, especially in cities, forming a new, non-traditional for many Indians model of desires on the principle of “I want more now.” This model is intended primarily for the so-called middle class (“so-called”, because for India its boundaries are blurred, and the criteria for membership are not entirely clear). The question of whether the caste system can continue to serve as a safeguard against social cataclysms in the new conditions remains open for the time being.

Hello, dear readers seekers of knowledge and truth!

Many of us have heard about castes in India. This is not an exotic social order that is a relic of the past. This is the reality in which the inhabitants of India live even in our time. If you want to learn as much as possible about Indian castes, today's article is especially for you.

She will tell you how the concepts of “caste”, “varna” and “jati” correlate, why the caste division of society arose, how castes appeared, what they were in ancient times, and what they are now. You will also learn how many castes and varnas there are today, and also how to determine the Indian's belonging to a caste.

Caste and Varna

In world history, the concept of "caste" originally referred to Latin American colonies, which were divided into groups. But now, in the minds of people, castes are strongly associated with Indian society.

Scientists - Indologists, Orientalists - have been studying this for many years. unique phenomenon, which does not lose strength after more than one thousand years, scientific papers write about it. The first thing they talk about is that there is a caste and there is a varna, and these are not synonymous concepts.

There are only four Varnas, and thousands of castes. Each varna is divided into many castes, or, in other words, "jati".

The last census, which took place in the first half of the last century, in 1931, counted more than three thousand castes throughout India. Experts say that every year their number is growing, but they cannot give an exact figure.

The concept of "varna" is rooted in Sanskrit and is translated as "quality" or "color" - according to a certain color of clothing worn by representatives of each varna. Varna is a broader term that defines a position in society, and caste or “jati” is a subgroup of varna, which indicates belonging to a religious community, occupation by inheritance.

You can draw a simple and understandable analogy. For example, take a fairly wealthy segment of the population. People, growing up in such families, do not become the same in terms of occupation and interests, but occupy approximately the same status in material terms.

They can become successful businessmen, representatives of the cultural elite, philanthropists, travelers or artists - these are the so-called castes, passed through the prism of Western sociology.

From the very beginning to the present day, the Indians were divided into only four varnas:

• brahmins - priests, priests; top layer;
• kshatriyas - warriors who guarded the state, participated in battles, battles;
• vaishya - farmers, cattle breeders and merchants;
• sudras - workers, servants; the bottom layer.

Each varna, in turn, was divided into countless castes. For example, among the kshatriyas there could be rulers, rajas, generals, vigilantes, policemen, and the list goes on.

There are members of society who cannot be included in any of the varnas - this is the so-called untouchable caste. However, they can also be divided into subgroups. This means that a resident of India may not belong to any varna, but to a caste - it is necessary.

Varnas and castes unite people according to their religion, occupation, profession, which are inherited - a kind of strictly regulated division of labor. These groups are closed to members of the lower castes. Unequal marriage in Indian it is a marriage between representatives of different castes.

One of the reasons why castesystemso strong is the belief of the Indians in rebirth. They are convinced that by strictly observing all the prescriptions within their caste, in the next birth they can incarnate in a representative of a higher caste. The Brahmins, on the other hand, have already gone through the entire life cycle and will certainly incarnate on one of the divine planets.

Cast characteristics

All castes follow certain rules:

• one religious affiliation;
• one profession;
• certain property they may possess;
• regulated list of rights;
• endogamy - marriages can only take place within a caste;
• heredity - belonging to a caste is determined from birth and is inherited from parents, it is impossible to move to a higher caste;
• the impossibility of physical contact, joint eating with representatives of lower castes;
• allowed food: meat or vegetarian, raw or cooked;
• clothing color;
• the color of bindi and tilak are dots on the forehead.

Historical digression

The Varna system was fixed in the Laws of Manu. Hindus believe that we all descended from Manu, because it was he who was saved from flooding thanks to the god Vishnu, while the rest of the people died. Believers claim that this happened about thirty thousand years ago, but skeptical scientists give a different date - the 2nd century BC.

In the laws of Manu, with amazing accuracy and prudence, all the rules of life are painted to the smallest detail: from how to swaddle newborns, ending with how to properly cultivate rice fields. It also speaks of the division of people into 4 classes, already known to us.

Vedic literature, including the Rigveda, also tells that all the inhabitants of ancient India were divided back in the 15th-12th centuries BC into 4 groups that emerged from the body of the god Brahma:

• brahmanas - from the lips;
• kṣatriya—from the palms;
• vaishya - from the thighs;
• sudras - from the legs.

Clothing of the ancient Indians

There were several reasons for this division. One of them is the fact that the Aryans who came to Indian soil considered themselves to be of the highest race and wanted to be among people like themselves, abstracting from the ignorant poor who did the “dirty” work, in their opinion.

Even the Aryans married exclusively to women of the Brahmin family. They divided the rest hierarchically according to skin color, profession, class - this is how the name "Varna" appeared.

In the Middle Ages, when Buddhism weakened in the Indian expanses and Hinduism spread everywhere, even greater fragmentation took place within each varna, and castes, they are also jati, were born from here.

So the rigid social structure was entrenched in India even more. No historical vicissitudes, no Muslim raids and the resulting Mughal Empire, no English expansion could prevent it.

How to distinguish people of different varnas

Brahmins

This is the highest varna, the class of priests, clergymen. With the development of spirituality, the spread of religion, their role only increased.

The rules in society prescribed to honor the Brahmins, to give them generous gifts. The rulers chose them as their closest advisers and judges, appointing high ranks. At the present time, brahmins are ministers in temples, teachers, spiritual mentors.

TodayBrahmins occupy about three-quarters of all government posts. For the murder of a representative of Brahmanism, both then and now, a terrible death penalty invariably followed.

Brahmins are forbidden:

• engage in agriculture and housework (but Brahmin women can do housework);
• to marry representatives of other classes;
• eat what a person from another group has prepared;
• eat animal products.

Kshatriyas

In translation, this varna means "people of power, nobility." They are engaged in military affairs, govern the state, protect the Brahmins, who are higher in the hierarchy, and subjects: children, women, old people, cows - the country as a whole.

Today, the kshatriya class consists of warriors, soldiers, guards, police, as well as leadership positions. Modern Kshatriyas can also include the Jat caste, which includes the famous ones - these long-bearded men with a turban on their heads are found not only in their native state of Punjab, but throughout India.

A kshatriya can marry a woman from a lower varna, but girls cannot choose a husband of lower rank.

Vaishya

Vaishyas - a group of landowners, cattle breeders, merchants. They also traded in crafts and everything connected with profit - for this, the Vaishyas earned the respect of the whole society.

Now they are also engaged in analytics, business, banking and financial side of life, trade. This is also the main layer of the population that works in offices.

Vaishyas never liked hard physical labor and dirty work - for this they have sudras. In addition, they are very picky about cooking and cooking.

Shudra

In other words, these are people who did the most low-class jobs and were often below the poverty line. They serve other classes, work in the land, sometimes performing the function of almost slaves.

Shudras did not have the right to accumulate property, so they did not have their own housing and allotments. They could not pray, much less become "twice-born", that is, "dvija", like brahmins, kshatriyas and vaishyas. But the Shudras can marry even a divorced girl.

Dvija - men who went through the upanyan initiation rite in childhood. After him, a person can perform religious rituals, so upanyan is considered a second birth. Women and sudras are not allowed to it.

Untouchables

A separate caste, which cannot be attributed to any of the four varnas, is the untouchables. They are long time experienced all kinds of persecution and even hatred from other Indians. And all because, in the view of Hinduism, the untouchables in a past life led an unrighteous, sinful lifestyle, for which they were punished.

They are somewhere beyond this world and are not even considered people in the full sense of the word. Basically, these are beggars who live on the streets, in slums and isolated ghettos, rummaging through garbage dumps. At best, they are engaged in the dirtiest work: they clean toilets, sewage, animal corpses, work as gravediggers, tanners, and burn dead animals.

At the same time, the number of untouchables reaches 15-17 percent of the entire population of the country, that is, approximately one in six Indians is untouchable.

Caste "outside society" was forbidden to appear in in public places: in schools, hospitals, transport, temples, shops. They were not allowed not only to approach others, but also to step on their shadows. And the Brahmins were offended by the mere presence of the untouchable in their field of vision.

The term "dalit" is applied to the untouchables, which means "oppression".

Fortunately, in modern India, everything is changing - discrimination against the untouchables is prohibited at the legislative level, now they can appear everywhere, receive education and medical care.

Worse than being born untouchable, it can only be born a pariah - another subgroup of people who are completely excluded from public life. They are the children of pariahs and intercaste spouses, but there were times when just touching a pariah made a person the same.

Modernity

Some representatives Western world it may seem that the caste system in India is a thing of the past, but this is far from the truth. The number of castes is increasing, and this is cornerstone among government officials and the common people.

The variety of castes can sometimes surprise, for example:

• jinvar - carry water;
• bhatra - brahmins who earn by alms;
• bhangi - clean up the garbage in the streets;
• darzi - sew clothes.

Many are inclined to believe that castes are evil, because they discriminate against entire groups of people, infringe on their rights. In the election campaign, many politicians use this trick - they declare the fight against caste inequality as the main direction of their activity.

Of course, the division into castes is gradually losing its significance for people as citizens of the state, but it still plays significant role in interpersonal and religious relationships, for example, in matters of marriage or cooperation in business.

The government of India does a lot for the equality of all castes: they are legally equal, and absolutely all citizens are endowed with the right to vote. Now the career of an Indian, especially in large cities, may depend not only on his origin, but also on personal merits, knowledge, and experience.

Even Dalits have the opportunity to build a brilliant career, including in the state apparatus. An excellent example of this is President Kocheril Raman Narayanan, an untouchable who was elected in 1997. Another confirmation of this is the untouchable Bhim Rao Ambedkar, who received a law degree in England and subsequently created the 1950 Constitution.

It contains a special Table of Castes, and every citizen, if desired, can receive a certificate indicating his caste in accordance with this table. The constitution states that government agencies they have no right to ask what caste a person belongs to if he himself does not want to talk about it.

Conclusion

Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! I would like to believe that the answers to your questions about the Indian castes turned out to be exhaustive, and the article told you a lot of new things.

See you soon!

According to the constitution of 1950, every citizen of the Indian Republic has equal rights, regardless of caste origin, race or religion. It is a crime to inquire about the caste of a person entering an institute or public service, putting forward his candidacy in elections. There is no column on caste in the population censuses. The abolition of discrimination based on caste is one of the major social gains of independent India.

At the same time, the existence of some lower, formerly oppressed castes is recognized, because the law indicates that they need special protection. Favorable conditions for education and career advancement have been introduced for them. And to ensure these conditions, it was necessary to impose restrictions on members of other castes.

Caste still has a huge impact on the life of every Hindu, determining the place of his residence not only in the village, but also in the city (special streets or quarters), influencing the composition of employees in an enterprise or institution, on the nomination of candidates for elections, etc. P.

External manifestations of caste are now almost absent, especially in cities where caste badges on the forehead have gone out of fashion and European costume has become widespread. But as soon as people get to know each other better - they give their last name, determine the circle of acquaintances - they immediately learn about each other's caste. The fact is that the vast majority of surnames in India are former caste designations. Bhattacharya, Dixit, Gupta are necessarily members of the highest brahmin castes. A Singh is either a member of the Rajput military caste or a Sikh. Gandhi is a member of the trading caste from Gujarat. Reddy is a member of the agricultural caste from Andhra.

The main sign that any Indian unmistakably notes is the behavior of the interlocutor. If he is higher in caste, he will behave with emphasized dignity, if lower - with emphasized courtesy.

Between two scientists - a woman from Moscow and a young teacher at an Indian university - the following conversation took place:

“After all, it’s very difficult to fall in love with a girl of your own caste,” she said.

“What are you, madam,” answered the Indian. "It's much harder to love a girl of another caste!"

At the hearth, in the family, in relations between families, the caste still dominates almost undividedly. There is a system of punishments for violation of caste ethics. But the strength of the caste is not in these punishments. Caste, even in early youth, forms the sympathies and antipathies of a person; such a person can no longer help supporting “his own” against “them”, cannot fall in love with the “wrong” girl.

The bus to Ankleshwar is shamelessly late. I've been waiting for him for an hour, nestled in the shade of a bush. Terribly tickle in the throat; from time to time I unscrew the lid of the thermos and take a sip of boiled water. Traveling in India taught me to always carry a thermos with me. The Indians who are waiting for the same bus do not have thermoses, and every now and then someone rises from the ground and goes to a short man sitting on the side of the road under a tree. This is a water merchant. Clay pots lined up in a neat row in front of him. The man casts a quick appraising glance at the customer, picks up one of the pots, and scoops up water from the pitcher. Sometimes he gives each customer a separate pot, sometimes someone has to wait until the vessel is empty, although there are empty pots nearby. There is nothing surprising in this: even to my inexperienced eye, people from different castes are coming up. When I think of the Indian castes, I always think of this water merchant. It's not so much that each caste has its own vessel. The point is different. There is something here that I just can’t understand, and therefore I decide to ask directly at the water drawer:

What caste people can take water from you?

Anyone, sir.

“And brahmins can?”

“Of course, sir. After all, they do not take from me, but from the nearest very clean well. I just brought water.

But many people drink from one pot. Do they defile each other?

“Each caste has its own pot.

This area, I know well, is inhabited by people of at least a good hundred castes, and there are only a dozen pots in front of the merchant.

But to all further questions, the seller repeats:

- Each caste has its own pot.

It would seem that it is not difficult for Indian buyers to expose the seller of water. But no one does this: otherwise how to get drunk? And everyone, without saying a word, pretends that everything is in order, everyone silently supports the fiction.

I cite this case because it reflected all the illogicality and inconsistency of the caste system, a system built on fictions that have real significance, and on real life, whimsically turned into fiction.

It is possible to compile a multi-volume library of books about Indian castes, but it cannot be said that all of them are known to researchers. It is clear that all the diversity of castes constitutes a single system of human groups and their relationships. These relationships are governed by traditional rules. But what are these rules? And what is a caste anyway?

This name itself is not Indian, it comes from the Latin word for the purity of the breed. Indians use two words for caste: varna, which means color, and jati, which means origin.

Varnas - there are only four of them - were established at the very beginning of our era by the legislator Manu: Brahmins - priests ed.), kshatriyas - warriors, vaishyas - merchants, farmers, artisans, and shudras - servants. But the tradition did not limit the number of jati. Jatis may differ in profession, in the shade of religion, in household rules. But theoretically, all jati should fit into the system of four varis.

In order to understand the myths and fictions of the caste system, we need to recall - in the most cursory way - the laws of Manu: all people are divided into four varnas, you cannot enter a caste, you can only be born in it, the caste system always remains unchanged.

So, all people are divided into four varnas, and the system itself is like a chest of drawers, in which four large boxes are stacked all the jati. The vast majority of Hindu believers are convinced of this. At first glance, everything seems to be so. The brahmins remained brahmins, although they were divided into several dozen jati. The current Rajputs and Thakurs correspond to the Kshatriya varna. Now, however, only the castes of merchants and usurers are considered Vaishyas, while farmers and artisans are considered Shudras. But "pure shudras." Even the most orthodox Brahmins can communicate with them without harm. Below them are “impure shudras”, and at the very bottom are the untouchables, who do not belong to any of the varnas at all.

But detailed studies have shown that there are a lot of castes that do not fit into any box.

In the northwest of India there is a caste of Jats - an agricultural caste. Everyone knows that they are not brahmins, not ksatriyas and not vaisyas. Who are they then - Shudras? (Sociologists who have worked among the Jats advise no one to make such an assumption in the presence of the Jats. There is reason to believe that sociologists have learned from their own bitter experience.) No, the Jats are not Shudras, for they are higher than the Vaishyas and only slightly inferior to the Kshatriyas. Everyone knows about this, but the question "why?" answer that it has always been like this.

Here is another example: the farmers - Bhuinhars - are "almost" Brahmins. They seem to be brahmins, but not really, because they are engaged in agriculture. This is how the bhuinhars themselves and any of the brahmins will explain to you. True, there are brahmins who are engaged in agriculture, but they remain real brahmins. One has only to dig into history to understand what is the matter here. Even before the 18th century, the Bhuinhars were Shudras. But then a member of this caste became the prince of the city of Varanasi, the most sacred city of the Hindus. Is the ruler of Varanasi a sudra?! It can't be! And the Varanasi brahmins - the most respected and authoritative in India - took up "research" and soon proved that the prince, and consequently his entire caste, are, in essence, brahmins. Well, maybe a little bit brahmins...

Around the same time, in the territory of the present state of Maharashtra, several principalities were formed, headed by rajas who came from a not very high Kunbi caste. The poets appointed by the state to the courts of the eastern lords immediately began to compose odes in which they compared the exploits of the rajas with the deeds of the ancient kshatriyas. The most experienced of them alluded to the fact that the family of Rajas originated from the Kshatriyas. Of course, such hints met with the warmest attitude from the rajas, and the following poets sang about this as an indisputable fact. Naturally, within the principalities, no one allowed himself to express the slightest doubt about the high origin of the Maratha rulers. In the 19th century, no one really doubted that the princes and their entire caste were the real kshatriyas. Moreover, the Kurmi agricultural caste living in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh began to claim Kshatriya dignity on the only - very, by the way, shaky - basis that it is related to the Kunbi caste from Maharashtra ...

Examples could be given innumerable, and they all would say one thing: the idea of ​​the eternity of the caste is nothing more than a myth. Caste memory is very short, most likely intentionally short. Everything that moves away at a distance of two or three generations, as it were, falls into "immemorial times." This feature gave the caste system the ability to adapt to new conditions and at the same time always remain "ancient" and "unchanging".

Even the rule that one cannot join a caste is not absolute. For example, some - the lowest - castes of Mysore: laundresses, barbers, itinerant merchants and untouchables - can accept people expelled from other, higher castes. This procedure is complex and takes a long time. Washerwomen, for example, furnish a reception in their caste like this.

Members of the caste gather from all over the area. The laundress applicant's head is shaved. He is bathed in the river, and then rinsed with water in which the statue of the goddess Ganga has just been washed. In the meantime, seven huts are being built on the shore, the enterer is led through them, and as soon as he leaves the hut, it is immediately burned. This symbolizes the seven births through which the soul of a person passes, after which he is completely reborn. External cleaning completed.

It's time to cleanse the inside. A person is given to eat turmeric - a citvar root - and a nut, which washerwomen use instead of soap. Turmeric - caustic, burning, bitter - should color the insides of the test subject in a pleasant yellow; as for the nut, its taste is also hardly pleasant. Both should be eaten without grimacing or grimacing.

It remains to make sacrifices to the gods and arrange a treat for all members of the caste. Now a person is considered accepted into the caste, but after that both he and his son will be the lowest of the laundresses, and only the grandson - perhaps! - will become a full member of the caste.

One can, knowing the position of the lower castes, ask the question: why even join such a low society as laundresses or untouchables? Why not stay out of the caste at all?

The fact is that any caste, even the untouchable, is the property of a person, it is his community, his club, his insurance company, so to speak. A person who does not have support in a group, does not enjoy the material and moral support of his close and distant caste comrades, will leave and be alone in society. Therefore, it is better to be a member of even the lowest caste than to remain outside of it.

And how, by the way, is it determined which caste is lower and which is higher? There are many ways of classification, they are often built on the basis of the relationship of a particular caste with the Brahmins.

Below all are those from whom the Brahmin cannot accept anything. Above are those who can offer food cooked in water to the Brahmin. Then come the "clean" - those who can offer the Brahmin water in a metal vessel, and, finally, the "cleanest", who can give the Brahmin water to drink from earthenware.

So the highest are brahmins? It would seem, yes, because their varna, according to the laws of Manu, is the highest. But...

The Indian sociologist De-Souza asked the inhabitants of two villages in Punjab which caste is the highest, which is next, and so on. In the first village, the brahmins were put in first place only by the brahmins themselves. All other residents, from the Jats to the untouchables, the filth cleaners, placed the Brahmins in second place. The landowners, the Jats, came first. And merchants - banyas, supported by oilers - tels, generally pushed the brahmins to third place. Second, they put themselves.

In another village (here the brahmins are very poor, and one of them is generally a landless laborer) even the brahmins themselves did not dare to award themselves the championship.

Jats came first. But if the whole village placed merchants in second place, and brahmins in third, then the opinion of the brahmins themselves was divided. Many of them claimed second place, while others recognized the merchants as superior to themselves.

So, even the supremacy of the Brahmins turns out to be a fiction. (At the same time, it should be recognized that no one dared to lower the Brahmins lower than the second or third place: there are still sacred books where the Brahmins are declared the incarnation of God on earth.)

You can look at the caste system from the other side. All craft castes are considered below the agricultural castes. Why? Because, the tradition answers, that the cultivation of the earth is more honorable than the work on wood, metal, and leather. But there are many castes whose members work precisely on the land, but which are much lower than artisans. The thing is that the members of these castes do not have their own land. This means that honor is given to those who own the land - it does not matter whether he cultivates it with his own or someone else's hands. Brahmins before the latest agrarian reforms were mostly landowners. Members of low castes worked on their land. Artisans, on the other hand, have no land, and they work not for themselves, but for others.

Members of the low castes who work as farm laborers are not called cultivators. Their castes have completely different names: Chamars - tanners, Pasi - watchmen, Parains - drummers (from this word comes the pariah that has entered all European languages). Their "low" occupations are prescribed to them by tradition, but they can work the land without prejudice to their prestige, because this occupation is "high". After all, low castes have their own hierarchy, and, say, a blacksmith to take up the processing of leather means to fall low. But no matter how low-caste people work in the field, this will not elevate them, for the field itself does not belong to them.

Another of the caste myths is the complex and petty ritual prescriptions that literally entangle every member of a high caste. The higher the caste, the more restrictions. I once had a conversation with a woman. Her mother, a very orthodox Brahmin, was caught in a flood, and her daughter was very worried about her. But the daughter was horrified not by the fact that her mother might die, but by the fact that, starving, she would be forced to eat "with anyone," perhaps with the untouchables. (The respectful daughter did not even dare to utter the word "untouchable," but, no doubt, she meant it.) Indeed, when you get acquainted with the rules that a "twice-born" Brahmin must observe, you begin to feel pity for him: the poor fellow cannot drink water in the street, must always take care of the purity of (naturally, ritual) food, cannot engage in most professions. Even on a bus, he couldn't ride without touching anyone he shouldn't... The more restrictions a caste imposes on its member, the higher it is. But it turns out that most of the prohibitions can be easily circumvented. The woman who was so worried about her mother was obviously more Hindu than Manu himself. For it is said in his "Laws":

“Who, being in danger of life, takes food from just anyone, is not stained with sin, like the sky with dirt ...” And Manu illustrates this thesis with examples from the life of rishis - ancient sages: rishis Bharadvaja and his son, tormented by hunger, ate the sacred meat cows, and Rishi Vishwamitra accepted from the hands of the "lowest of people" Chandala - the outcast - the thigh of a dog.

The same applies to professions. A Brahman is not allowed to engage in "low" work, but if he has no other choice, then he can. In general, most restrictions do not apply to behavior, but to intentions. It's not that a high-caste person shouldn't associate with a low-caste person, he shouldn't want to associate.

Several decades ago, when light hand In the early 1800s, the British in India spread soda water with ice, a serious problem arose. Who exactly prepared the water and ice at the factory or at the handicraft enterprise is unknown. How to be? Learned pandits explained that soda water, and even more so ice, is not ordinary water, and pollution is not transmitted through them.

IN big cities European costume came into fashion, caste signs are less commonly worn. But in the provinces, an experienced person will immediately determine with whom he is dealing: he recognizes a sadhu saint by the sign of the highest caste on his forehead, a woman of the us caste of weavers by a sari, and a brahmin by a “twice-born” cord over his shoulder. Each caste has its own costume, its own signs, its own demeanor.

Another thing is people of low castes. If the untouchable cannot enter the “clean” quarters, then it is better for him not to do this, because the consequences can be the most sad.

The ruling castes have never felt much desire to change anything in the traditional structure. But new ones have grown social groups: bourgeois intelligentsia, proletariat. For them, most of the foundations of the caste system are burdensome and unnecessary. The movement to overcome caste psychology - supported by the government - is growing in India and is now making great strides.

But the caste system, so immobile at first glance and so flexible in reality, has perfectly adapted to new conditions: for example, capitalist associations are often built according to the caste principle. For example, the Tata concerns are the monopoly of the Parsis, all the companies of the Birla concern are headed by members of the Marwari caste.

The caste system also survives because—and this is its last paradox—that it is not only a form of social oppression of the lower, but also a way of their own self-affirmation. Shudras and untouchables are not allowed to read the holy books of the Brahmins? But even the lower castes have traditions into which they do not initiate Brahmins. Untouchables are forbidden to appear in neighborhoods inhabited by high-caste Hindus? But even a brahmin cannot come to the settlement of the untouchables. In some places, they can even beat him for it.

Abandon caste? For what? To become an equal member of society? But can equal rights—under the conditions so far existing—can give something more or better than what the caste already offers—the firm and unconditional support of the brethren?

Caste is an ancient and archaic institution, but alive and tenacious. It is very easy to "bury" it, revealing its many contradictions and illogicalities. But the caste is tenacious precisely because of its illogicality. If it were based on firm and immutable principles that do not allow deviations, it would have outlived its usefulness long ago. But the fact of the matter is that it is traditional and changeable, mythological and realistic at the same time. The waves of reality cannot break this strong and at the same time intangible myth. Until they can...

L. Alaev, candidate of historical sciences

In none of the countries of the Ancient East was there such a clearly defined social division as in ancient India. social background determined not only the range of rights and duties of a person, but also his character. According to the Laws of Manu, the population of India was divided into castes, or varnas (that is, destinies predetermined by the gods). Castes - large groups people with certain rights and obligations, inherited. In today's lesson, we will consider the rights and obligations of representatives of various castes, get acquainted with the most ancient Indian religions.

background

The Indians believed in the transmigration of souls (see lesson) and the practice of karmic retribution for deeds (that the nature of the new birth and the characteristics of existence depend on deeds). According to the beliefs of the ancient Indians, the principle of karmic retribution (karma) determines not only who you will be born in future life(by a person or some animal), but also a place in the social hierarchy.

Events / Participants

There were four varnas (estates) in India:

• Brahmins (priests)
• kshatriyas (warriors and kings),
• Vaishyas (farmers)
• sudras (servants).

The Brahmins, according to the Indians, appeared from the mouth of Brahma, the Kshatriyas - from the hands of Brahma, the Vaishyas - from the thighs, and the Shudras - from the feet. Kshatriyas considered ancient kings and heroes to be their ancestors, for example, Rama, the hero of the Indian epic Ramayana.

Three periods of the life of a Brahmin:

• discipleship,
• family creation,
• hermitage.

Conclusion

In India, there was a rigid hierarchical system, communication between representatives of different castes was limited strict rules. New ideas appeared within the framework of a new religion - Buddhism. Despite the rootless caste system in India, the Buddha taught that a person's personal merit is more important than origin.

The position of a person in Indian society had a religious explanation. in holy books ancient times(ve-dah) the division of people into castes was considered original and established from above. It was argued that the first Brahmins (Fig. 1) came out of the mouth of the supreme god Brahma, and only they can know his will and influence him in the direction necessary for people. Killing a brahmin was considered a greater crime than killing any other person.

Rice. 1. Brahmins ()

Kshatriyas (warriors and kings), in turn, arose from the hands of the god Brahma, so they are characterized by strength and strength. The kings of the Indian states belonged to this caste, while the kshatriyas were at the head of the state administration, they controlled the army, they owned most of the military booty. People from the warrior caste believed that their ancestors were ancient kings and heroes such as Rama.

Vaishyas (Fig. 2) were formed from the thighs of Brahma, therefore, they got benefits and wealth. It was the most numerous caste. The position of the Vaishya Indians was very different: the wealthy merchants and artisans, the entire urban elite, no doubt, belonged to the ruling strata of society. Some Vaishyas even took a place in the civil service. But the bulk of the vai-shiys were pushed aside from state affairs and were engaged in agriculture and handicrafts, turning into the main tax payers. In fact, the spiritual and secular nobility looked down on the people of this caste.

The Shudra caste was replenished from among the conquered foreigners, as well as from immigrants who had broken away from their own clan and tribe. They were considered people of a lower order, who emerged from the soles of Brahma's feet and were therefore doomed to grovel in the dust. Therefore, they are destined for service and obedience. They were not allowed into the communities, they were removed from holding any positions. Even some religious rites did not suit them. They were also forbidden to study the Vedas. The penalties for crimes against Shudras were generally lower than for the same acts committed against Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. However, the Shudras still retained their position free people and were not slaves.

At the lowest rung of ancient Indian society were the untouchables (pariahs) and slaves. The pariahs were assigned to fishing, hunting, trading in meat and killing animals, processing leather, etc. The untouchables were not even allowed to go to the wells, because they could supposedly desecrate clean water. They say that when two noble women went out into the street and accidentally saw the untouchables, they immediately returned back in order to cleanse their eyes of filth. However, the untouchables still formally remained free, while the slaves did not even have the right to their own identity.

The creators of these legal norms were Brahmins - priests. They were in a special position. In no country of the Ancient East did the priesthood achieve such a privileged position as in India. They were servants of the cult of the gods, headed by the supreme deity Brahma, and the state religion was called Brahmanism . The life of the Brahmins was divided into three periods: teaching, raising a family, hermitage. The priests needed to know with what words to address the gods, how to feed them and how to glorify them. Brahmins studied this diligently and for a long time. From the age of seven, the period of study began. When the boy was sixteen years old, the parents presented a cow as a gift to the teacher, and the son was looking for a bride. After the Brahmin had learned and started a family, he himself could take disciples into the house, make sacrifices to the gods for himself and for others. In old age, a Brahmin could become a hermit. He refused the blessings of life and communication with people in order to achieve peace of mind. They believed that torment and deprivation would help them gain liberation from the endless chain of rebirths.

Around 500 BC e. in the north-east of India in the valley of the Ganges, the kingdom of Shagadha arose. There lived the sage Siddhartha Gautama, nicknamed Buddha (the Awakened One) (Fig. 3). He taught that a person is related to all living beings, so you can’t harm any of them: “If you don’t kill even flies, then after death you will become a more perfect person, and whoever does otherwise becomes an animal after death.” A person's actions affect the circumstances under which he will be reborn in his next life. A worthy person, passing through a series of reincarnations, reaches perfection.

Rice. 3. Siddhartha Gautama ()

Many Indians believe that, having died, the Buddha became the main of the gods. His teaching (Buddhism) spread widely in India. This religion does not recognize inviolable boundaries between castes and believes that all people are brothers, even if they believe in different gods.

Bibliography

1. A.A. Vigasin, G.I. Goder, I.S. Sventsitskaya. Ancient world history. Grade 5 - M .: Education, 2006.
2. Nemirovsky A.I. A book to read on the history of the ancient world. - M.: Enlightenment, 1991.

1. Religmir.narod.ru ()
2. Bharatiya.ru ()

Homework

1. What duties and rights did the Brahmins have in ancient Indian society?
2. What fate awaited a boy born in a Brahmin family?
3. Who are the pariahs, what caste did they belong to?
4. Representatives of what castes could achieve liberation from the endless chain of rebirths?
5. How did the origin of a person influence his destiny according to the teachings of the Buddha?