Abstract
The genesis of the Indian caste system can be traced back to 1500 BC and the ancient Hindu Vedic scriptures, wherein the sixth and tenth Mandatas of the Purushasukta hymn in the Rig Veda defines the four varnas as Brahmanas who came from his mouth (keepers of sacred knowledge and rituals), Kshatriyas from his arms (warriors and protectors), Vaishyas from his thighs (traders and farmers), and Shudras who came from his feet (menial labor). Dalits had no place in this religio-social scheme and are referred to as Avarna (outside/outcaste), Dasa, and Dasyus (servants), relegated to performing polluted and polluting tasks such as sewage disposal, tanning of hides, and the removal of carrion and refuse. The Chandogya Upanishads (800–600 BC) clarifies this scheme further and refers to the said castes, and also compares Chandalas (outcastes) with dogs and swine in Khanda 10, verse 7. The Ramayana, a significant holy book for Hindus, speaks of Lord Rama’s rule (Ram rajya), during which only the three upper castes are allowed to do tapasya (penance and meditation) to attain divinity and dignity. Lord Rama, on learning that a Shudra had undertaken tapasya, killed him for being so presumptuous—one could only infer what might have happened had it been a Dalit/outcaste. Hindu scriptures such as the Mahabharat and the Puranas make reference to Dalits as monkeys (banaras), bears (bhalukas), and demons (asuras).
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© 2010 Aziz Choudry and Dip Kapoor
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Prasant, K., Kapoor, D. (2010). Learning and Knowledge Production in Dalit Social Movements in Rural India. In: Choudry, A., Kapoor, D. (eds) Learning from the Ground Up. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230112650_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230112650_12
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