What is the definition of untouchables in ancient India. All about Indian castes

In India and Nepal, they are called pariahs or Dalits. They are an untouchable caste. From time immemorial, they were assigned the lowest place on the steps of the social hierarchy. Even now, when the state no longer supports caste prejudices, they now and then have to face humiliation and cruelty. The photo exhibition, which has opened in the city of Patan, Nepal, features works by photographers that tell about the lives of the outcast in the past and present.

Untouchables have no right to share water and food with representatives of other castes. During breakfast at Parping Boarding School, all workers were served tea in ceramic cups, with the exception of this janitor, who, as a Dalit, received only a tin of canned food.

The municipality of Tikapur agreed with the demand of the representatives of the higher castes to share water sources - separate for them, separate for Dalits. This is the source of the Dalits: with his appearance, they were relieved of the daily humiliating need to beg for water, which the most kind-hearted disdainfully poured them without touching them and their dishes.

The Dalits' lot was supposed to be poverty for life. The picture shows a poor Dalit family at their home.

Kalasia Devi Hatvi Mandal in despair. Her husband took out a loan to go abroad to work. Now the lenders want to take the house away from her.

In many places, Dalits are prohibited from owning land. The only source of income for them is unskilled labor. Often times, they are mired in debt with no hope of repaying them. Gor Sunal has three debts to the owners of the land on which he lives. He does any work that is required of him, in fear, they will demand to pay, and does not get tired of reminding his nephew to behave the same way when he dies.

Dalit blacksmiths work metal. The untouchables could earn a living on unskilled agricultural work, but the higher castes discriminate against them here, not allowing them to do this work.

Dalits have always been skilled: they were skilled in various crafts, wielded a variety of tools and could do any job. In the photo - a blacksmith performs the work of a dentist, removing a tooth from a Dalit porter.

Knowledge was passed down from generation to generation among Dalits. They often wandered, moving from village to village and earning money as itinerant artisans. The picture shows the Dalit shoemaker's artel.

Skinning cows has always been considered a shameful job, so it was handed over to the Dalits. After that, as Biruva Guthis skinned this cow, her remains will be eaten by village dogs and birds of prey.

The Dalits have always been the bearers of musical traditions in Nepal. The Dalits have traditionally served as musicians for members of other castes. This became a reason to once again remind untouchables about their place. But later for the Dalits, this became an occasion to declare their cultural traditions and achievements. The picture shows Dalit musicians accompanying the wedding procession through a small village bazaar.

The Dalits filled the space with music, playing on their wooden stringed instruments - sarangi. They traveled from village to village performing music and songs for the audience.

Hire Parks is 74 years old. Since he turned 10, he has been playing his drum at the entrance to the Shaileshwari Temple. In the temple itself, he has never been: the Dalits were forbidden to enter there. Even when the fighters for the rights of the untouchables won the right to enter there, he did not do it: he was scared. When local activists tried to drag him into the temple by force, he ran away in horror.

In the early 1950s, the lives of the untouchables began to change: with the new political order, they were able to fight for their rights. But the picture shows a speech by one of the Dalit leaders in the struggle for their rights, T.V. Bishwakarma, who hailed the anti-discrimination measures taken by the government.

T.V. Bishwakarma and his wife, Mithai Devi Bishwakarma, pay tribute to B.R. Ambedkar, a fighter for the rights of the untouchables in India. The Indian Dalit movement against discrimination has always been a model for their Nepalese comrades.

Since 1990, the leaders of the Nepalese untouchables have fought for political rights and constitutional protection for Dalits. In the photo, Dalit leaders, accompanied by a traditional Nepalese ensemble of untouchables, hold a demonstration, expressing their disagreement with the current constitution of Nepal.

Integration into society is still difficult for Dalits. Many schoolchildren from the untouchable caste report being prejudiced at school. It is not uncommon for Dalit children to be kicked out of school and returned to traditional family activities.

Inter-caste conflicts often lead to violent violence. These are the latest selfies from Ajit Mijar's phone, who was found murdered after he and a friend from the Brahmin caste secretly escaped from home. The death of Ajit Mijar was framed as a suicide, and the police, abandoning the proceedings, immediately buried the body. His girlfriend was brought home by force.

In late July, in a hospital ward in New Delhi, a 14-year-old untouchable, who was held in sexual slavery by a neighbor for a month, died. The dying woman told the police that the kidnapper threatened her with a knife, forced her to drink juice mixed with acid, did not feed her and, together with her friends, raped her several times a day.

As the guards found out, this was the second kidnapping - the previous one was committed by the same person in December last year, but he was released on bail.

According to local media, such condescension the court showed in relation to the offender, since his victim was from dalits (untouchable), which means her life and freedom were worthless.

Although caste discrimination is prohibited in India, Dalits are still the poorest, most disadvantaged and most uneducated part of society.
,
How did the untouchables come about?

According to the most common version, these are the descendants of representatives of tribes who lived in India before the Aryan invasion. In the traditional Aryan system of society, consisting of four varnas - brahmanas (priests), kshatriyas (warriors), vaisyas (traders and artisans) and sudras (hired workers) - the Dalits were at the very bottom, below the sudras, who were also descendants of the pre-Aryan inhabitants of India ... At the same time, in India itself, a version that arose back in the 19th century is widespread, according to which the untouchables are the descendants of children expelled into the forests, born from the connection of a sudra man and a brahmana woman.

The oldest Indian literary monument "Rigveda" (compiled in 1700-1100 BC) says that the brahmanas originated from the mouth of the pre-human Purusha, the kshatriya from the hands, the vaisya from the thighs, and the sudra from the feet. There is no place for untouchables in this picture of the world. The varna system finally took shape in the interval between the 7th century BC. and the 2nd century AD

It is believed that the untouchable can desecrate people from the higher varnas, so their houses and villages were built on the outskirts. The system of ritual restrictions for the untouchables is no less strict than that of the brahmanas, although the restrictions themselves are completely different. Untouchables were forbidden to enter restaurants and churches, wear umbrellas and shoes, wear shirts and sunglassesbut at the same time it was allowed to eat meat - which the strict vegetarian brahmanas could not afford.

Is that what they call in India - "untouchables"?

Now this word is almost out of use, it is considered offensive. The most common name for the untouchable is Dalits, "oppressed" or "oppressed". Earlier there was also the word "Harijans" - "children of God", which Mahatma Gandhi tried to introduce into everyday life. But it didn't catch on: the Dalits found it just as offensive as the "untouchables."

How many Dalits are there in India and how many castes do they have?

Approximately 170 million people - 16.6 percent of the total population. The question of the number of castes is very difficult, since the Indians themselves hardly use the word "castes", preferring the more vague concept of "jati", which includes not only castes in the usual sense, but also clans and communities, which are often difficult to classify as one or another varna. Plus, the line between caste and podcast is often very vague. We can only say with certainty that we are talking about hundreds of jati.

Do the Dalits still live in poverty? How is the social situation related to the economic one?

In general, the lower castes are indeed much poorer. The bulk of the Indian poor are Dalits. The average literacy rate in the country is 75 percent, among Dalits - just over 30. Almost half of Dalit children, according to statistics, drop out of school because of the humiliation they endure there. It is the Dalits who make up the bulk of the unemployed; and those who are employed tend to be paid less than the higher castes.

Dhavari - a slum in Mumbai where Dalits have lived since the late 19th century

There are exceptions though: there are about 30 millionaire Dalits in India. Of course, against the background of 170 million poor people and beggars, this is a drop in the ocean, but they prove with their lives that you can succeed even as a Dalit. As a rule, these are really outstanding people: Ashok Khade from the caste of Chamars (tanners), the son of an illiterate poor shoemaker, worked as a docker during the day, and at night he read textbooks to get an engineering degree, and at the same time slept under the stairs on the street, since he did not enough money to rent a room. Now his company is running deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This is a typical Dalit success story, a kind of blue dream for millions of disadvantaged people.

Have the untouchables ever tried to revolt?

As far as we know, no. Before the colonization of India, this thought could hardly have arisen in the minds at all: at that time, expulsion from the caste was equated with physical death. After colonization, social boundaries began to gradually erode, and after India gained independence, the rebellion for the Dalits lost its meaning - they were provided with all the conditions in order to achieve their goals politically.

How much obedience has become ingrained in the Dalits' minds can be illustrated by an example given by Russian researchers Felix and Evgenia Yurlov. The Bakhujan Samaj Party, representing the interests of the lower castes, organized special training camps for the Dalits, in which they learned to “overcome the age-old fear and fear in the face of high-caste Hindus”. Among the exercises was, for example, the following: a stuffed high-caste Indian with a mustache and a tilak (dot) on his forehead was installed. Dalit had to overcome his shyness, go to the scarecrow, cut off his mustache with scissors and erase the tilak.

Is it possible to escape from the untouchables?

It is possible, although not easy. The easiest way is to change religion. A person who converts to Buddhism, Islam or Christianity technically falls out of the caste system. Dalits first began converting to Buddhism in significant numbers in the late 19th century. The mass conversions are associated with the name of the famous fighter for the rights of Dalits, Dr. Ambedkar, who converted to Buddhism along with half a million untouchables. The last such mass ceremony was held in Mumbai in 2007 - then 50 thousand people became Buddhists at once.

Many Dalits live in slums on the outskirts of metropolitan areas

Dalits prefer to convert to Buddhism. First, Indian nationalists treat this religion better than Islam and Christianity, since it is one of the traditional Indian religions. Secondly, among Muslims and Christians, over time, their own caste division was formed, albeit not as clearly expressed as among the Hindus.

Is it possible to change caste while remaining a Hindu?

There are two options here: the first is all kinds of semi-legal or illegal methods. For example, many surnames indicating belonging to a particular caste differ by one or two letters. It is enough to slightly corrupt or charm a clerk in a government office - and, voila, you are already a member of another caste, and sometimes Varna. It is better, of course, to do such tricks either in the city, or in combination with moving to another area, where there are no thousands of fellow villagers around who still knew your grandfather.

The second option is the "ghar vapasi" procedure, literally "welcome home." This program is being implemented by radical Hindu organizations and aims to convert Indians of other religions to Hinduism. In this case, a person becomes, for example, a Christian, then sprinkles ashes on his head, announcing his desire to perform "ghar vapasi" - and that's it, he is again a Hindu. If this trick is done outside the home village, then you can always declare that you belong to a different caste.

Another question is why do all this. The caste certificate will not be asked when applying for a job or when entering a restaurant. In India, over the past century, the caste system has been scrapped under the influence of modernization and globalization processes. Attitude to to a stranger is built on the basis of his behavior. The only thing that can fail is the surname, which is most often associated with the caste (Gandhi - merchants, Deshpande - brahmanas, Achari - carpenters, Guptas - vaisyas, Singhi - kshatriyas). But now, when anyone can change their surname, everything has become much easier.

And to change varna without changing caste?

There is a chance that your caste will undergo the Sanskritization process. In Russian, this is called "vertical mobility of castes": if one or another caste adopts the traditions and customs of another caste of higher status, there is a chance that sooner or later it will be recognized as a member of a higher varna. For example, the lower caste begins to practice the vegetarianism characteristic of brahmanas, dress like brahmanas, wear a sacred thread on the wrist and generally position themselves as brahmanas, it is possible that sooner or later they will begin to treat it as brahmanas.

Untouchable Woman, 1968

However, vertical mobility is characteristic mainly of the castes of the higher varnas. None of the Dalit castes has yet managed to cross the invisible line separating them from the four varnas and become at least sudras. But times are changing.

In general, as a Hindu, you are not obliged to declare belonging to any caste. You can be a casteless Hindu - your right.

Why change the caste in principle?

It all depends on which direction to change - up or down. Raising your caste status means that other people for whom the caste is significant will treat you with great respect. Downgrading your status, especially to the level of the Dalit caste, will give you a number of real benefits, so many representatives of the higher castes are trying to enroll in the Dalits.

The fact is that in modern India the authorities are waging a merciless struggle against caste discrimination. According to the constitution, all caste-based discrimination is prohibited, and for the question of caste when hiring, you will even have to pay a fine.

But the country has a positive discrimination mechanism. A number of castes and tribes are included in the list of “Registered Tribes and Castes” (SC / ST). Representatives of these castes have certain privileges, which are confirmed by caste certificates. Places in the civil service and in parliament are reserved for Dalits, their children are admitted free of charge (or for half the fee) to schools, and places in institutions are allocated for them. In short, there is a quota system for Dalits.

It's hard to tell if this is good or bad. The author of these lines met Dalits who were able to give odds to any brahmana in terms of intelligence and general development - quotas helped them rise from the bottom and get an education. On the other hand, I had to see Dalits floating with the flow (first according to the quotas for the institute, then according to the same quotas for the civil service), not interested in anything and not willing to work. They cannot be fired, so that their future is guaranteed until old age and a good pension. Many in India criticize the quota system, many advocate.

So Dalits can be politicians?

As much as they can. For example, Kocheril Raman Narayanan, who was President of India from 1997 to 2002, was a Dalit. Another example is Mayavati Prabhu Das, also known as the Iron Lady Mayavati, who served as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for a total of eight years.

Raman Narayanan and his wife used to live

Is the number of Dalits the same in all Indian states?

No, it varies, and quite significantly. Most Dalits live in Uttar Pradesh (20.5 percent of all Dalits in India), followed by West Bengal (10.7 percent). At the same time, as a percentage of the total population, Punjab holds the lead with 31.9 percent, followed by Himachal Pradesh with 25.2 percent.

Where can Dalits work?

In theory, anyone - from the president to the sorting cleaner. Many Dalits act in films and work as photo models. In cities where caste boundaries are blurred, there are no restrictions at all; in villages where ancient traditions are strong, Dalits are still engaged in "unclean" work: skinning up dead animals, digging graves, prostitution, and so on.

How will the social status of a person who marries / marries an untouchable change?

If this person himself is one of the untouchables, then nothing. If he belongs to a higher caste, then this means a violation of custom. Further, it all depends on how much his family adheres to unwritten traditions. The case can come to expulsion from home, a break with family and even "honor killings." If family and friends look at things more progressively, then social status will remain the same.

Suva Lal, Dalit shoemaker in New Delhi

If a child is born as a result of an inter-caste marriage, to which caste will he be assigned?

Traditionally in India the child was recorded according to the lowest caste. The child is now considered to inherit the father's caste, with the exception of Kerala, where the mother's caste is inherited by local law. This is theoretically possible in other states, but in each case it is decided through the courts.

The story that happened in 2012 is characteristic: then a kshatriya man married a woman from the Nayak tribe. The boy was registered as a kshatriya, but then his mother, through the court, made sure that the child was rewritten as nayaki so that he could take advantage of the bonuses provided to the oppressed tribes.

If I, being a tourist in India, touch a Dalit, will I be able to shake hands with a brahmana later?

Foreigners in Hinduism are already considered unclean, because they are outside the caste system, so they can touch anyone and whatever they want, without contaminating themselves in any way. If a practicing brahmana decides to communicate with you, then he will still have to perform purification rituals, so whether you shake the hand of the Dalit before or not is essentially indifferent.

Four Indian varnas

Varna and castes in our time

One and a half thousand years BC, Indian society was divided into 4 estates. They were called varnas. From Sanskrit it translates as “color”, “quality” or “category”. According to the Rig Veda, varnas or castes emerged from the body of God Brahma.

In ancient India, there were originally such castes (varnas):

• Brahmanas;
• Kshatriyas;
• Vaishya;
• Shudras.

According to legend, Brahma created 4 castes from parts of his body

The emergence of castes in ancient India

There are many reasons for the emergence of varnas or the so-called Indian castes. For example, the Aryans (not to be confused with the pseudo-scientific “Aryans”), having conquered the Indian land, decided to divide the local people by skin color, origin and material status. This simplified social relationships and created a winning environment for government. The Aryans raised themselves, obviously, to the caste of the highest, and took only brahmana girls as wives.

A more detailed table of Indian castes with rights and responsibilities

Kasta, varna and jati - what's the difference?

Most people confuse the concept of "caste" and "varna", many consider them synonymous. But this is not so, and this should be dealt with.

Every Indian, without the right to choose, was born in a closed group - in varna. They are sometimes called the Indian caste. However, caste in India is a subgroup, a stratification in each varna, therefore there are countless castes today. In 1931 alone, according to the census, data on 3000 Indian castes were published. And varnas are always 4.

In fact, there are more than 3000 castes in India, and there are always four varnas.

Jati is the second name for castes and podcasts, and every person in India has jati. Jati - belonging to a particular profession, to a religious community, it is also closed and endogamous. Each varna has its own jati.

You can draw a primitive analogue with our society. For example, there are children of wealthy parents. This is varna. They study in separate kindergartens, schools and universities, communicate mainly with each other. These children, growing into adolescents, are divided into subcultures. Someone becomes a hipster, someone becomes an “elite” entrepreneur, others become a creative intelligentsia, and someone becomes a free traveler. This is jati or caste.

Castes in India can be divided according to religion, profession, and even interests

They can be divided according to their interests, according to their chosen professions. However, oddly enough, the people of this varna rarely “mix” with others, lower varnas and even castes, and always strive to communicate with those who are higher than them.

Four Indian varnas

Brahmanas - the highest varna or caste in India. It included priests, priests, sages, teachers, spiritual guides and those people who connected other people with God. The brahmanas were vegetarians and could only eat food prepared by the people of their castes.

Brahmanas are the highest and most respected caste in India

Kshatriyas - this indian caste or varna of warriors, defenders of their country, vigilantes, soldiers and, surprisingly, kings and rulers. The Kshatriyas were the protectors of the brahmanas, women, old people, children and cows. They were allowed to kill those who did not observe the dharma.

The most prominent representatives of the Kshatriya warrior caste are the Sikhs

Vaisyas - these are free community members, merchants, artisans, farmers, the working class. They did not like to engage in heavy physical labor and were extremely scrupulous about food. Among them could be very prosperous and wealthy people - owners of businesses and lands.

Vaisya castes are often rich merchants and landowners who do not like hard rough work.

Shudras - the lowest varna or caste of India. It included servants, laborers and laborers. All those who did not have a home or land, and did the most difficult physical work. The Shudras had no right to pray to the gods and become “twice-born”.

The Shudras are the lowest caste in India. They live poorly and work very hard.

The religious ceremony that took place in the three upper varnas or castes of India was called "Upanayana". During the initiation process, a consecrated cord was put on the boy's neck, corresponding to his varna, and from then on he became “dvija” or “twice-born”. He received a new name and was considered a brahmacari - a disciple.

Each caste has its own rituals and initiations

Hindus believe that a righteous life allows one to be born into a higher caste in the next life. And vice versa. And the brahmanas, who have already gone through a long cycle of rebirth on Earth, are waiting for incarnation on other, divine planets.

Untouchable caste - myth and reality

Special attention should be paid to the untouchables. The existence of 5 Indian castes is a myth. In fact, the untouchables are those people who did not get into the 4 varnas for some reason. According to Hinduism, they led an impious life in their past rebirth. The "caste" of the untouchables in India are mostly homeless, poor people who carry out the most humiliating and dirty work. They beg and steal,. The Indian brahmana caste is defiled by their presence.

This is how the untouchable caste lives in India today

The Indian government protects the untouchables to some extent. It is criminally punishable to call such people untouchable or even out of caste. Discrimination on social grounds is prohibited.

Varna and castes in India today

What castes are there in India today? - you ask. And there are thousands of castes in India. Some of them are few in number, but there are castes known throughout the country. For example, hijras. This is the Indian caste of untouchables, in India it includes transgender people, transsexual people, bisexual people, hermaphrodites, intersex people and homosexuals. Their processions can be found on the streets of cities and towns, where they make offerings to the Mother Goddess. Thanks to multiple protests, the Indian Hijr caste has achieved official recognition of itself as a “third sex”.

Hijri people in India also belong to the untouchable caste

Varnas and castes in India in our time are considered some relic of the past, but in vain - the system remains. In large cities, the borders are somewhat blurred, but in the villages the old way of life is still preserved. According to the Constitution of India, discrimination against people by varna or caste is prohibited. There is even a Constitutional Table of Castes, which, by the way, uses the term “community” instead of “Indian caste”. It states that every citizen of India has the right to receive an appropriate document, which attests to belonging to a caste.

In India anyone can get a caste document

So, the caste system in India has not only survived and has survived to this day, it works to this day. Moreover, other peoples are also divided into varnas and castes, they simply do not give this social division a name.

Another accepted name for the untouchables is Dalits. Translated from Hindi, it means "oppressed".

History and facts

It is not known for certain who was singled out as untouchables, but there is an opinion that they came from local people who did not fall into the society of the conquerors of India. Historically, the untouchables were engaged in "dirty" (according to the Hindus) work - leatherwork, work with clay, sewage. Members of these oppressed castes lived as far as possible from "pure" people, for example, near the city limits. Today the untouchables in India make up about 20-25% of the population.

Untouchables were credited with the ability to "pollute" "clean" people. The members of these castes, as the name implies, could not be touched, even the presence of Dalits was believed to bring dirt into the room. The civilized world is especially fond of spreading such an interesting moment about the untouchable caste:

it is believed that even the shadow of a Dalit should not fall on a "clean" person, otherwise the latter will be "polluted".

The Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Fa Xian, who visited India in the early 5th century, wrote that members of Chandala, one of the untouchable castes, entered the city and knocked on a piece of wood to indicate their presence. So "pure" people heard and avoided these untouchables.

Prohibitions

The list of prohibitions can go on and on, so we will designate only the main ones:

it is forbidden to enter the temples;

you can not participate in religious rituals;

dalits can only drink from their specially created cups; there is no question of sharing food with them from the same dish;

the groom cannot come to his wedding on horseback (an ancient custom in India);

you cannot drink water from the same well with representatives of the higher castes;

you cannot look after representatives of other castes.

Current situation

For 2014-2015, the following became clear.

According to the results of the survey, healthcare workers do not visit 65% of the settlements of the untouchables.

Dalits are not allowed in some shops.

It is believed that there is discrimination in the education system.

Police have received reports that Dalits are often forced (as a bullying) to drink urine and eat feces. In March 2015, a seventeen-year-old untouchable girl was set on fire, allegedly for getting a job in educational institution.

In September 2015, a naked 45-year-old Dalit woman was forced to eat feces.

One of the reports says that the Dalit were forced to drink urine at the police station by the police themselves.

At least 27% of Hindus recognize such a phenomenon as untouchability, that is, distinguishes Dalits as a separate social stratum.

It is difficult for a member of the lower caste to rent land.

Despite the improvement in the situation in large cities, where it is difficult to determine their origin, in the countryside the untouchables are still oppressed.

The fight for equal rights

The struggle for equal rights began in the twentieth century and was actively supported by Gandhi. In 1930-1940 Bkh joined the struggle. R. Ambedkar. He succeeded in securing jobs for the lower castes, places in higher education institutions and even in the legislature. Also thanks to him, a ban on the practice of "untouchability" was inscribed in the constitution, caste discrimination became a criminal offense.

Fighting for your rights was not easy. The Dalits were very often subjected to violence.

According to statistics, two Dalits were beaten every hour, and three untouchable women were raped every day.

The most modest attempts by untouchables to lead a normal life could provoke brutal violence. Many Dalits had to abandon their religion, Hinduism, and adopt Buddhism, Christianity or Islam - being a representative of one of these religions in India, it is a little easier for a Dalit to live, although they remain branded as "untouchable" for life.

The untouchable castes still exist today, but the struggle continues.

Untouchables beat "Dalit" dishes in china shops.

They go to temples illegally.

In 2008, the "untouchable" groom rode a horse under the strict guard of the police.

In 2015, a number of laws were revised, the reform was aimed at better protecting Dalits from violence, and violence meant not only physical harm, but also sexual violence and humiliation.

Back in 1990-2000, the formation of Dalit political parties began. The union of the untouchables with the other oppressed allowed the creation of an influential social bloc. Dalitka Mayawati soon became the prime minister of Uttar Pradesh, a state in India. Mayawati was elected to this position three times, despite the fact that she was a tanner (one of the most oppressed strata even by Dalits).

In 2008, the untouchable first became a judge of the Supreme Court of India.

The most striking victory at the moment can be considered the fact that in 1997 Dalit K. R. Narayanan became President of India, although he did not stay in office for long - until 2002.

In short, the problem of oppression of the untouchables still exists, but their situation is gradually improving. Perhaps one day there will be complete equality in India.

Recently I was preparing an essay on anthropology on the topic "Mentality of India". The creation process was very exciting, because the country itself amazes with its traditions and characteristics. Who cares, read.

I was especially amazed: the fate of women in India, the phrase that "The husband is an earthly God", the very difficult life of the untouchables (of the last estate in India), and the happy existence of cows and bulls.

Contents of the first part:
1. General information
2. Castes

1 ... General information about India

INDIA, Republic of India (in Hindi - Bharat), a state in South Asia.
Capital - Delhi
Area - 3,287,590 km2.
Ethnic composition. 72% -indo-aryans, 25% -dravids, 3% -mongoloids.

The official name of the country , India, comes from the ancient Persian word Hindu, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit Sindhu (Skt. सिन्धु) - the historical name of the Indus River. The ancient Greeks called the Indians the Indians (ancient Greek Ἰνδοί) - “the people of the Indus”. The Indian Constitution also recognizes a second name, Bharat (Hindi भारत), which derives from the Sanskrit name of the ancient Indian king, whose history was described in the Mahabharata. The third name, Hindustan, has been used since the Mughal Empire, but has no official status.

Territory of India in the north it extends in the latitudinal direction for 2930 km, in the meridional direction - for 3220 km. India is washed by the waters of the Arabian Sea in the west, the Indian Ocean in the south and the Bay of Bengal in the east. Its neighbors are Pakistan to the northwest, China, Nepal and Bhutan to the north, Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In addition, India has maritime borders with the Maldives in the southwest, Sri Lanka in the south and Indonesia in the southeast. The disputed territory of the state of Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with Afghanistan.

India has the seventh largest area in the world, second largest population (after China) , currently lives in it 1.2 billion people. India has been one of the highest in the world for thousands of years.

Religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism originated in India. In the first millennium AD, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam also came to the Indian subcontinent, which had a great influence on the formation of the diverse culture of the region.

More than 900 million Indians (80.5% of the population) practice Hinduism. Other religions with a significant number of followers are Islam (13.4%), Christianity (2.3%), Sikhism (1.9%), Buddhism (0.8%) and Jainism (0.4%). In India, such religions as Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Bahá'ís and others are also represented. Among the aboriginal population, which is 8.1%, animism is widespread.

Almost 70% of Indians live in rural areas, although migration to large cities has resulted in a dramatic increase in urban populations in recent decades. The largest cities in India are Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Delhi, Kolkata (formerly Kolkata), Chennai (formerly Madras), Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. In terms of cultural, linguistic and genetic diversity, India ranks second in the world after the African continent. The sex composition of the population is characterized by the excess of the number of men over the number of women. The male population is 51.5% and the female population is 48.5%. There are 929 women for every thousand men, this ratio has been observed since the beginning of this century.

India is home to the Indo-Aryan language group (74% of the population) and the Dravidian language family (24% of the population). Other languages \u200b\u200bspoken in India are descended from the Austro-Asian and Tibeto-Burmese linguistic family. Hindi, the most widely spoken language in India, is the official language of the Indian government. English, which is widely used in business and administration, has the status of an "auxiliary official language", it also plays big role in education, especially in secondary and higher education. The Indian Constitution defines 21 official languages, which are spoken by a significant part of the population or have a classical status. There are 1,652 dialects in India.

Climate humid and warm, mainly tropical, in the north, tropical monsoon. India, located in tropical and subequatorial latitudes, fenced off by the Himalayan wall from the influence of continental arctic air masses, is one of the hottest countries in the world with a typical monsoon climate. The monsoon rhythm of precipitation determines the rhythm of chores and the whole way of life. 70-80% of the annual rainfall falls during the four months of the rainy season (June-September), when the southwest monsoon comes and it rains almost incessantly. This is the time of the main field season "kharif". October-November is the post-monsoon period when the rains generally stop. The winter season (December-February) is dry and cool, during which roses and many other flowers are blooming, many trees are blooming - this is the most enjoyable time to visit India. March-May is the hottest, driest season with temperatures often exceeding 35 ° C, often rising to over 40 ° C. This is a time of sweltering heat, when the grass burns out, leaves fall from the trees, and air conditioners operate at full capacity in wealthy houses.

National animal - tiger.

National bird - peacock.

National flower - lotus.

National fruit - mango.

The national currency is the Indian rupee.

India can be called the cradle of human civilization. The Indians were the first in the world to learn how to grow rice, cotton, sugarcane, and the first to start raising poultry. India gave the world chess and the decimal system.
The average literacy rate in the country is 52%, with 64% for men and 39% for women.

2. Castes in India

KASTA- division of Hindu society in the Indian subcontinent.

For many centuries, caste has been primarily determined by profession. The profession that passed from father to son often did not change over the course of tens of generations.

Each caste lives according to its own dharma - with that set of traditional religious precepts and prohibitions, the creation of which is attributed to the gods, divine revelation. Dharma determines the norms of behavior of members of each caste, regulates their actions and even feelings. Dharma is that elusive, but immutable, which is indicated to the child already in the days of his first babbling. Everyone should act in accordance with his dharma, deviation from the dharma is lawlessness - this is how children are taught at home and at school, this is what the brahmana - mentor and spiritual leader repeats. And a person grows up in the consciousness of the absolute inviolability of the laws of dharma, their immutability.

At present, the caste system is officially banned, and the strict division of crafts or professions depending on the caste is gradually being reduced to nothing, at the same time, a state policy is being pursued to reward those who have been oppressed for centuries at the expense of representatives of other castes. It is widely believed that castes are losing their former meaning in the modern Indian state. However, the development of events has shown that this is far from the case.

In fact, the caste system itself has not gone anywhere: when a student enters a school, he is asked his religion, and if he professes Hinduism, a caste, in order to know if there is a place for representatives of this caste in this school in accordance with state norms. When entering college or university, caste is important to correctly assess threshold value points (the lower the caste, the lower the number of points is enough for a passing score). When applying for a job, caste is again important in order to strike a balance. Although castes are not forgotten when they arrange the future of their children, weekly appendices with marriage announcements are published in major newspapers in India, in which columns are divided into religions, and the largest column with representatives of Hinduism - on castes. Often under such advertisements, describing the parameters of both the groom (or bride) and the requirements for prospective applicants (or applicants), the standard phrase "Cast no bar" is put, which means "Cast does not matter", but, to be honest, I doubt a little that a bride from the Brahman caste her parents will seriously consider the candidacy of a groom from the caste below the Kshatriyas. Yes, inter-caste marriages are also not always approved, but they happen if, for example, the groom has a higher position in society than the bride's parents (but this is not a mandatory requirement - there are different cases). In such marriages, the caste of children is determined by the father. So, if a girl from the Brahman family marries a young Kshatriya, then their children will belong to the Kshatriya caste. If a Kshatriya boy marries a Veishya girl, then their children will also be considered Kshatriyas.

The official tendency to underestimate the importance of the caste system has led to the disappearance of the corresponding column in the censuses conducted once in a decade. The last time information on the number of castes was published in 1931 (3000 castes). But this figure does not necessarily include all local podcasts that function as distinct social groups. In 2011, India plans to conduct a general population census, which will take into account the caste of the inhabitants of this country.

The main characteristics of the Indian caste:
... endogamy (marriage exclusively between caste members);
... hereditary membership (accompanied by the practical impossibility of transferring to another caste);
... the prohibition to share a meal with representatives of other castes, as well as to have physical contact with them;
... recognition of the firmly fixed place of each caste in the hierarchical structure of society as a whole;
... restrictions on choosing a profession;

The Indians believe that Manu is the first person from whom we all descended. Once upon a time, the god Vishnu saved him from the Flood, which destroyed all the rest of humanity, after which Manu came up with the rules that were to be followed by people from now on. Hindus believe that it was 30 thousand years ago (historians, however, stubbornly date the laws of Manu to the 1st-2nd century BC and generally claim that this collection of instructions is a compilation of works by different authors). Like most other religious prescriptions, the laws of Manu are distinguished by exceptional meticulousness and attention to the most insignificant details of human life - from swaddling babies to cooking recipes. But it also contains much more fundamental things. It is according to the laws of Manu that all Indians are divided into four estates - varnas.

Very often they confuse varnas, of which there are only four, with castes, of which there are a great many. Caste is a rather small community of people united by profession, nationality and place of residence. And varnas are more like categories such as workers, entrepreneurs, office workers and the intelligentsia.

There are four main varnas: Brahmanas (officials), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaisyas (merchants), and Shudras (peasants, workers, servants). The rest are "untouchable".

Brahmanas are the highest caste in India.

Brahmanas came from the mouth of Brahma. The meaning of life for a brahmana is moksha, or liberation.
These are scientists, devotees, priests. (Teachers and priests)
Today Brahmanas are most often employed as officials.
The most famous is Jawaharlal Nehru.

In a typical rural area, the highest layer of the caste hierarchy is formed by members of one or more Brahman castes, representing 5 to 10% of the population. Among these brahmanas there are a number of landowners, a few village clerks and accountants or bookkeepers, and a small group of worshipers who perform ritual functions in local shrines and temples. Members of each brahmana caste marry only within their own circle, although it is possible to marry a bride from a family belonging to a similar podcast from a nearby area. Brahmanas are not supposed to go after the plow or do certain types of work related to manual labor; women from their midst can serve in the house, and landowners can cultivate allotments, but not plow. Brahmanas are also allowed to work as cooks or household servants.

A brahmana is not entitled to eat food prepared outside of his caste, but members of all other castes can take food from the hands of brahmanas. In choosing food, a brahmana observes many prohibitions. Members of the Vaishnava caste (worshiping the god Vishnu) adhere to vegetarianism since the 4th century, when it becomes widespread; some other castes of brahmins who worship Shiva (shaiva brahmanas), in principle, do not refuse meat dishes, but abstain from the meat of animals included in the diet of the lower castes.

Brahmanas serve as spiritual guides in the families of most castes of upper or intermediate status, with the exception of those who are considered "unclean." Brahman priests, as well as members of a number of religious orders, are often recognized by "caste signs" - patterns painted on their foreheads with white, yellow or red paint. But such marks indicate only belonging to the main sect and characterize this person as a worshiper of, for example, Vishnu or Shiva, and not as a subject of a particular caste or podcasts.
Brahmanas, more than others, adhere to the occupations and professions that were provided for by their varna. For many centuries, scribes, scribes, clergymen, scientists, teachers and officials have emerged from their midst. Back in the first half of the 20th century. in some areas, brahmanas held up to 75% of all more or less important government posts.

In communion with the rest of the population, brahmanas do not allow reciprocity; thus, they accept money or gifts from members of other castes, but they themselves never make gifts of a ritual or ceremonial nature. There is no complete equality among the Brahmin castes, but even the lowest of them stands above the rest of the highest castes.

The mission of a member of the brahmana caste is to study, teach, receive gifts and give gifts. By the way, all Indian programmers are brahmanas.

Kshatriyas

Warriors from the hands of Brahma.
These are warriors, rulers, kings, nobles, rajas, maharajas.
The most famous is Buddha Shakyamuni
For a kshatriya, the main thing is dharma, the fulfillment of duty.

Following the brahmanas, the most prominent hierarchical place is occupied by the Kshatriya castes. In rural areas, they include, for example, landlords, possibly associated with former ruling houses (for example, the Rajput princes in northern India). Traditional occupations in such castes are the work of administrators in estates and service in various administrative positions and in the troops, but now these castes no longer enjoy the former power and authority. In ritual terms, the kshatriyas stand right behind the brahmanas and also observe strict caste endogamy, although they allow marriage with a girl from a lower podcast (an alliance called hypergamy), but a woman in no case can marry a man on podcasts below her own. Most ksatriyas eat meat; they can take food from the brahmanas, but not from any other caste.

Vaisyas

Arose from the thighs of Brahma.
These are artisans, traders, farmers, entrepreneurs (strata engaged in trade).
The Gandhi family is of the Vaisyas, and in due time the fact that it was born with the Nehru brahmanas caused a huge scandal.
The main life incentive is artha, or the desire for wealth, for property, for hoarding.

The third category includes merchants, shopkeepers, and usurers. These castes recognize the superiority of the Brahmins, but do not necessarily show such an attitude towards the Kshatriya castes; as a rule, the vaisyas are more strictly observant of the rules regarding food and are even more careful to avoid ritual contamination. The traditional occupations of the Vaisyas are trade and banking, they tend to stay away from physical labor, but sometimes they are involved in the management of the farms of landowners and village entrepreneurs, without directly participating in the cultivation of the land.

Shudras

Come out of the feet of Brahma.
Peasant caste. (Farm laborers, servants, artisans, workers)
The main aspiration in the sudra stage is kama. These are pleasures, pleasant experiences delivered by the senses.
Mithun Chakraborty from Disco Dancer is a sudra.

They play an important role in solving social and political issues in some areas due to their numbers and ownership of a significant part of local land. Sudras eat meat, and widows and divorced women are allowed to marry. The lower sudras are numerous podcasts, the profession of which is of a highly specialized nature. These are the castes of potters, blacksmiths, carpenters, joiners, weavers, butter makers, distillers, masons, hairdressers, musicians, tanners (those who sew products from finished leather), butchers, scavengers and many others. The members of these castes are supposed to pursue their ancestral profession or trade; however, if a sudra is able to acquire land, any one of them can engage in agriculture. Members of many artisan and other professional castes have traditionally had relationships with the higher castes, which consisted in the provision of services for which there was no salary, but an annual remuneration in kind. This payment is made by each courtyard in the village whose requests are met by the given professional caste. For example, a blacksmith has his own circle of clients, for whom he makes and repairs inventory and other metal products all year round, for which he, in turn, is given a certain amount of grain.

Untouchable

Those engaged in the dirtiest jobs are often beggars or very poor people.
They are outside of the Hindu society.

Occupations such as leather dressing or the slaughter of animals are considered manifestly desecrating, and while the work is very important to the community, those who do it are considered untouchable. They are engaged in cleaning dead animals from streets and fields, toilets, leather dressing, and cleaning sewers. They work as scavengers, tanners, knackers, potters, prostitutes, laundresses, shoemakers; they are hired for the most difficult jobs in mines, construction sites, etc. That is, everyone who comes into contact with one of the three dirty things specified in the laws of Manu - sewage, corpses and clay - or leads a wandering life on the street.

In many ways, they are outside of Hindu society, they were called "outcasts", "low", "registered" castes, and Gandhi proposed the euphemism "Harijans" ("children of God"), which became widespread. But they themselves prefer to call themselves "Dalits" - "broken". Members of these castes are prohibited from using public wells and columns. You cannot walk on the sidewalks so as not to inadvertently come into contact with a representative of the higher caste, because they will have to cleanse themselves after such contact in the temple. In some areas of cities and villages, they are generally prohibited from showing themselves. Under the ban for Dalits and visiting temples, only a few times a year they are allowed to cross the threshold of the sanctuaries, after which the temple is subjected to a thorough ritual purification. If the dalit wants to buy something in the store, he must put the money at the entrance and shout from the street that he needs - the purchase will be taken out and left on the doorstep. Dalit is forbidden to start a conversation with a member of the caste, or to call him on the phone.

After some Indian states passed laws to penalize canteen owners for refusing to feed Dalits, most catering establishments introduced special cupboards for them. True, if the dining room does not have a separate room for the Dalits, they have to dine outside.

Until recently, most Hindu temples were closed to the untouchables, there was even a ban on approaching people from higher castes closer than the set number of steps. The nature of the caste barriers is such that it is believed that the Harijans continue to desecrate members of "pure" castes, even if they have long abandoned their caste occupation and are engaged in ritually neutral activities, such as agriculture. Although in other social conditions and situations, for example, being in an industrial city or on a train, an untouchable may have physical contact with members of higher castes and not desecrate them, in his home village, untouchability is inseparable from him, no matter what he does.

When British journalist of Indian origin Ramita Navai decided to make a revolutionary film that reveals to the world the terrible truth about the lives of untouchables (Dalits), she endured a lot. She stared courageously at the Dalit teenagers roasting and eating rats. Small children splashing in a gutter and playing with dead dog parts. At a housewife cutting out more interesting pieces of a dead pig carcass. But when the well-groomed journalist was taken to work shift by a lady from a caste that traditionally cleaned toilets by hand, the poor woman vomited in front of the camera. “Why do these people live like this ?! - the journalist asked us in the last seconds of the documentary "Dalit Means Broken". Because the same reason why the child of brahmanas spent the morning and evening hours in prayers, and the son of a kshatriya at the age of three was put on a horse and taught to swing a saber. For a Dalit, the ability to live in mud is his valor, his skill. The Dalits know like no one: the one who is afraid of dirt will die faster than others.

There are several hundred untouchable castes.
Every fifth Indian is Dalit - it is not less than 200 million people.

Hindus believe in reincarnation and believe that the one who observes the rules of his caste in a future life will rise by birth to a higher caste, the same one who breaks these rules is generally incomprehensible who will become in the next life.

The first three high classes of varnas were ordered to undergo a rite of passage, after which they were called twice-born. Members of the high castes, especially the brahmanas, then put on the "sacred thread" over their shoulders. Twice-borns are allowed to study the Vedas, but only brahmanas could preach them. Sudras were strictly forbidden not only to study, but even to listen to the words of the Vedic teachings.

Clothing, despite all its seeming uniformity, is different for different castes and noticeably distinguishes a member of a high caste from a member of a low one. Some wrap their thighs with a wide strip of fabric that falls down to the ankles, for others it should not cover the knees, women of some castes should drape their bodies in a strip of fabric at least seven or nine meters, while women of others should not use fabric longer than four or five on a sari meters, some were prescribed to wear a certain type of jewelry, others were prohibited, some could use an umbrella, others did not have the right to do so, etc. etc. The type of dwelling, food, even vessels for its preparation - everything is determined, everything is prescribed, everything has been studied from childhood by a member of each caste.

That is why it is very difficult in India to impersonate a member of any other caste - such imposture will be immediately exposed. Only he can do this who has studied the dharma of another caste for many years and had the opportunity to practice in it. And even then he can only succeed so far from his area, where they know nothing about his village or city. And that is why the most terrible punishment has always been expulsion from the caste, the loss of one's social face, a break with all industrial ties.

Even the untouchables, who from century to century performed the dirtiest work, cruelly suppressed and exploited by members of higher castes, those untouchables who were humiliated and disdained as something unclean, they were still considered members of caste society. They had their own dharma, they could take pride in adherence to its rules and maintain their long-established industrial ties. They had their own well-defined caste face and their own well-defined place, albeit in the lowest layers of this multi-layered hive.

Bibliography:
1. Guseva N.R. - India in the mirror of centuries. Moscow, VECHE, 2002
2. Snesarev A.E. - Ethnographic India. Moscow, Science, 1981
3. Material from Wikipedia - India:
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%98%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%8F
4. Online Encyclopedia Around the World - India:
http://www.krugosvet.ru/enc/strany_mira/INDIYA.html
5. Marrying an Indian: life, traditions, features:
http://tomarryindian.blogspot.com/
6. Interesting articles about tourism. India. Women of India.
http://turistua.com/article/258.htm
7. Material from Wikipedia - Hinduism:
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%98%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%83%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BC
8. Bharatiya.ru - pilgrimage and travel across India, Pakistan, Nepal and Tibet.
http://www.bharatiya.ru/index.html