HISTORYTOPIC: THE ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABLES

Submitted by:MRUDULA SARAMPALLYSEMESTER I2014104

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLEPage Number

DECLARATION BY THE CANDIDATE3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT4

INTRODUCTION5

DEFINITIONS OF UNTOUCHABILITY6

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF UNTOUCHABILITY7

ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABILITY IN LATER VEDIC ERA9

THEORIES THAT PROPOUNDED THE ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABILITY10

ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABILITY IN MEDIVIAL INDIA12

A BREIF VIEW OF THE ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABLES IN DIFFERENT STATES OF INDIA

13

THE BURAKU OF JAPANCONCLUSION 14 16

CERTIFICATE

Title of the Subject: HISTORY-II

Name of the Faculty: VISHWANATH MADASU

ParticularsDate & Signature of theRemarks

Faculty

Abstract

First Consultation

Second Consultation

Third Consultation & Final

Submission

I, S.MRUDULA , hereby declare that this Project titled THE ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABLES submitted by me is an original work undertaken by me. I have duly acknowledged all the sources from which the ideas and extracts have been taken. The project is free from any plagiarism issue.

(Signature of the Candidate)

Place: Visakhapatnam S.MRUDULA

Date: 11/11/20142014104

Semester I

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank Mr Dr.Vishwachandranath garu for giving me the opportunity to do this project named 44th amendment of Indian constitution which was quite interesting and informative. I would also like to thank my friends who helped me to finish the project.

INTRODUCTION:The origin of the term Sudra comes from the word, 'suc' which means to be sorrowful while as per some other group it comes from 'ksudra' which means trifling. Numerous groups dictate Sudras to be non-Aryans. However, there are some groups of Aryans who were also designated as Sudras, but in a very less number.In ancient India, the Rig Veda divided the society into four varnas in accordance with the human being that is to say Brahmins from the Purusa(the primeval man), Kshyatriyas from the arms, vaishyas from the Thighs and Sudras from the feet. This division marked the formation of Aryan Agrarian Society. The Brahmins, were the highest ranked Varna who held the positions of priest and teacher of the Vedas; the kshyatriyas took charge of politics and the military; the vaishyas formed the group of cultivators, herders and merchants; and the Sudras were deprived to the position of servants. The top three varnas, members of Aryan society, were called the Dvijati, or 'twice born', and were allowed to participate in the religious worship. In contrast, the Sudras were segregated from the Dvijati as Ekajati, who were born only once from their mothers' wombs. Below the Sudras, a class of inferior people existed, in which the 'Chandalas', or 'untouchables'. It was believed that the Sudras were born only to serve the brahmins and any wealth acquainted by the Sudra belonged to the Brahmins. Marriage is permitted only in one's own Varna. This rule was often broken. But any twice-born male who took a Sudra to be his wife would become the object of particular scorn. If a twice- born male had only one wife i.e., anuloma marriages and she was of Sudra status, he would be considered to be in a state of ritual impurity and would be forbidden to attend family ceremonies. On the other hand, any Sudra male who approached a twice-born female, i.e., pratiloma marriages, behaved like a twice-born Varna in everyday life. The Sudras were neglected or ignored during the times of distress and emergency.Un-touch-ability carries a sense of contamination and abuse. It also, implies convinced socio-religious incapacities. Untouchability includes customs, practices given by the rigid Indian caste system where persons belonging to the scheduled caste were debarred from entering Hindu Temples, public places, streets, public conveyances, eating place, educational institutions, etc.

MEANING OF UNTOUCHABILITY:Untouchability is defined as the quality or condition of being an untouchable, ascribed in the Vedic tradition to persons of low caste or to persons excluded from the caste system. Untouchables means pollution by the touch of a particular group of persons or family born in a caste. This system is generally seen in Hindu society. The Webster's dictionary describes the Untouchables as, members of a large hereditary group in India having traditional Hindu belief and quality of defiling by contact the persons, food or drink of a member of a higher caste, and formerly being strictly degraded and restricted to menial work.DEFINITIONS OF UNTOUCHABILITY:a) Maharashi V.R. Shinde: A nation-wide co-institution indicating three features of often observing pollution, asking to live outside of village and not giving equal legal protection of law.b) Mahatma M.K. Gandhi: Untouchability means pollution by the touch of certain persons by reason of their birth in a particular state of family.c) Dr. Babasaheb B.R. Ambedkar: Untouchability is the notion of defilement, it is a case of permanent hereditary stain which nothing can cleansed) Mr. Justice N. Sreenivasan Rao: The use of the work untouchability refers to the meaning of the term in the context of the historical development of the practice and does not connote its literal meaning.[footnoteRef:2] [2: Dr. Vijaykumar H. Salimani, Eradication of Untouchabilty, First Edition, LAXMI BOOK PUBLICATION 258/34, Raviwar Peth, Solapur, Pg 5.]

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF UNTOCHABILITY:1. CASTE AND UNTOUCHABILITY:A caste can be defined as a social class, made distinct from others by differences in rank, profession, or wealth. The caste system in India has been heavily influenced by the Hindu religion. In Hinduism, everyone is born into a caste (or jati). The untouchability is not a unique feature in itself and is a by product of the caste system that has evolved through centuries which was based on Manu smriti, vedas and religious scriptures but untouchability has been evolved on the introduction of buddhism and the continuation of beef-eating by the so called untouchables in the society. The Brahmins are the ones who imposed restrictions on the lower caste people who were observed as untouchables in the society. The caste system which was divided into four varnas originally and was later transformed into thousands of castes and sub-castes, which classified people touchables and untouchables in the society. These people who were touchables symbolised themselves as a symbol of purity considering the others are impure. Untouchability was considered as a rule of external behaviour with the so called lower strata of people.[footnoteRef:3] [3: Dr. Vijaykumar H. Salimani, Eradication of Untouchabilty, First Edition, LAXMI BOOK PUBLICATION 258/34, Raviwar Peth, Solapur, Pg 12.]

2. HINDUISM- ONLY MEANS OF UNTOUCHABILITY:Untouchability is only seen in the Hinduism whose rules were always propounded by the Brahmins and others followed it considering them the informers of god. They even imposed certain disabilities or conditions on these section of people who were forbidden from doing various activities in the society. It was originated from the very basic principle of hatred towards the adopted religion that is Buddhism in the society. In this sense, untouchability is the unique feature of Hinduism which in the present scenario cannot be defended as it has been abolished by the Constitution of India.3. SLAVERY AND UNTOUCHABILITY:A slave is a person who is born without any rights or status and always works under some or the other person. He is always controlled by the owner or the person under whom he was working. He has no property for himself and in turn becomes the property of others. Manu gave the seven reasons for a person to become a slave for some person. They are, Those people who were made captive in war Those who were in search of bread for their livelihood People born in the houses of Dasi putra or children of slaves. People who were bought People who were gifted or presented by others Those people who were inherited from ancestors People who were given a punishment to work as slaves[footnoteRef:4] [4: Dr. Vijaykumar H. Salimani, Eradication of Untouchabilty, First Edition, LAXMI BOOK PUBLICATION 258/34, Raviwar Peth, SolapurPg 17.]

Untouchables were treated as slaves and were sold, mortgaged like other property like land etc till the recent past. They were not only treated as untouchables but also as useable and unapproachable. Untouchables were the workers of high caste people who were dominated and controlled by them. 4. IMPURITY:Untouchables in the early era were considered to be impure which had various categories that make a person impure in his own way. These persons being impure were considered to be a evil in the society. Impurity is the main characteristic feature of untouchability. The following are some of the ways that made a person impure. Impurity, based on birth. based on death. based on occupation. based on menstruation. based on territory. based on conversion and so on.5. POVERTY AND ILLITERACY: Due to lack of education and money these people who were treated as untouchables tolerated the dominance of the higher caste people. In the society, there was no social equality and economic equality. But it has to be understood that untouchability has not been originated from these issues. Here, untouchability is the cause of the problem and poverty and illiteracy made the problem of untouchability even more severe and complicated. The untouchables were looked down in the society and were subjected to various conditions like, they were prevented from entering the place of worship and participating in the religious activities of god, they were restricted from the usage of refinery and jewellery, preaching about untouchability on a philosophical ground, insult made when they were seen, discrimination made in private and public palces and so on and so forth.

ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABILITY IN LATER VEDIC ERA:The name Chandala was originally the name of an indigenous tribe carrying on hunting and gathering in the forests. This term was defined as those persons who destroy the purity either by a direct contact or through indirect contact are said to be Chandalas. According to the Hindu law codes, the chandalas, the untouchables of ancient times, was the son or daughter of a Sudra father and a twice-born mother, i.e. the offspring of the most condemned pratiloma marriages. But this theory of the origin of untouchables, is a product of Varna system. Chandalas came into existence in around the end of Later Vedic Era i.e., 1000 B.C to 600 B.C. During this era the Aryans, were mainly herders, moved into the upper and middle reaches of the Ganga basin and formed an agrarian society and formed states. There was a close relationship between the formation of agrarian society and the origin of untouchables. The brahmins secured their position in the society even when the kshyatriyas ruled the Ganga basin, who had the Brahmins for the political support in the administration, propounded to maintain the untouchability in the society.[footnoteRef:5] The continued and developed hatred on the flesh eating and hunting among the brahmins also contributed for the lower class people to remain much more backward than what they actually ought to be as it destroyed the level of purity which the Brahmins believed is the main component to establish supremacy or to be called as higher class and to maintain the higher standards in the society. The existence of untouchables functioned to displace the dissatisfaction of the direct producers, Vaishyas and Sudras, within the Varna-based society. [5: Edited by H.Kotani, Caste system, Untouchability and the depressed, 1997 Pg 10.]

Restrictions imposed on Sudras as per the Dharma sutras:The Dharma sutras defined sudras or the untouchables as, "people who will pollute the twice-born by either direct or indirect contact". As per the rules contained in the Dharma sutras which were compiled between 600 B.C to 300 B.C, Sudras were born from the feet, they were to serve the three upper varnas i.e., Brahmins, Kshyatriyas and the Vaishyas. They were to live their livelihood with the small amounts of compensation received from the higher varnas, like 'cast-off shoes, umbrellas, garments, mats, and left-over food' for the services they rendered. A Sudra whose master had fallen into poverty was required to assist him with the wealth he had accumulated during his servitude. On the other hand, the Dharma sutras also require masters to care for and support their Sudras. Sudras were also allowed to become artisans who were required to provide one day of service per month to the king. The Sudras was strictly forbidden from participating in the religious ceremonies of the Aryans. If it happened that the Sudras participated in the religious activities, they were punished severely which depicted strongly that Sudras were excluded from Aryan customs and behaviour.[footnoteRef:6] [6: Edited by H.Kotani, Caste system, Untouchability and the depressed, 1997 Pg 4..]

In the later stage, Intra-Varna rules of marriage were broken that the Dharma sutras were finally recognized the practice of anuloma, or marriage to women of a lower Varna. There were exceptions to the rules imposed on Sudras. The most important exception was the rigid nature of the higher varnas during the time of distress or emergency, at the time of which the people are not supposed to accept food from any sudra even at the time of starvation. The society is very different from that of the orthodox brahmans and there is allowance for social mobility. As per the Hindu Legal Codes i.e., Manu Smriti composed between 200 B.C and 200 A.D, laid down a systematised manner of the four Varnas as described in the Dharma Sutras. The Hindu Legal Codes continued to list the principles of Sudra discrimination and exclusion from the Aryan Culture; but there are also practices that describe the reality of the distinction between the Vaishya and Sudra varnas. Dharmasutras gave importance to the sudras by giving rules that allowed the higher varnas to have food cooked by the sudras and also allowing the pratiloma and anuloma marriages. The Arthasastra terms the untouchables or the chandalas as those people who are confined to the forests even though it does not give special reference to the untouchables. It takes the varna system as the basis and lists the rules and regulations of each varna. The descriptions of Megasthenese depicts the difference that was shown among the people. In the Yajnavalkya Smriti, there is a provision which allows the sudras to carry on trade and commerce.

THEORIES THAT PROPOUNDED THE ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABILITY:1. The Theory of Taboo:This theory explains the origin of untouchables due to the establishment of Varna System in the society, that was explained in the Purushasukta part of the early literature, Rig Veda. In the early society the society was divided into four Varnas or Castes namely the Brahmins, Kshyatrias, Vaishyas and the Sudras who were created from the head, arms, thighs and feet of the God. The untouchables were not included in the said Varnas. So, were treated as outcastes, untouchables and were degraded. This theory is completely based on the fictitious belief of caste purity and it fails to explain the origin of Untouchability.[footnoteRef:7] [7: Dr. Vijaykumar H. Salimani, Eradication of Untouchabilty, First Edition, LAXMI BOOK PUBLICATION 258/34, Raviwar Peth, SolapurPg 7.]

2. Race and occupational Theory:This theory was propounded by Stanley Rice to explain the origin of Untouchables in the society. It was said that the untouchables were those section of people who were non-Aryans and non- Dravidians who were subjugated by the Dravidians, the Aryans and left occupationally backward. According to Babasaheb Ambedkar, the untouchables are not those people who were left out from the society and those who were not non-Aryans and non-Dravidians as they had the same identical characteristics as the high caste people. 3. Multi-Causal Theory:This theory gives the causes of birth of the untouchability in five different categories, People performing filthy and unclean occupations. People who were independent entities but later on extinguished in wars. Believers in Buddhism, non-believers in God, superstitions and Vedas and people who did not accept the supremacy of Brahmans were made Untouchables. Tribals who did not live like civilians. The marriage of a high caste female with a low caste male, called the Pratiloma marriages which was considered to be against the Dharma sastras and their children were treated as untouchables. 4.Broken Man Theory:This theory was propounded by Dr.B.R.Ambedkar. He says that the early man were all tribes and with the development of agriculture, developed the man. During this process of development some section of people still remained as nomadic tribes and there were wars between the developed people and these tribes because of various reasons namely, stealing cattle, women and grazing of farms in the land of the other. The other reasons were the nomadic people thought if they attacked the developed or settled people so that they can steal their wealth. This led to the division of tribal groups and hence called Broken Tribesmen.The other reasons for the origin of untouchability, according to B.R.Ambedkar were, The contempt of Buddhism which preached the concepts of liberty, equality and fraternity and was professed by the Broken men as this was not on the hereditary basis as that of the Brahmins and also because the Buddhists opposed the supremacy of the Brahmins in the society. The concept of beef eating by the same group of people. These people were allowed to eat the flesh of those animals which died a natural death and this opposed the principle of the Brahmins who followed the principles of non-violence and vegetarianism.[footnoteRef:8] [8: Dr. Vijaykumar H. Salimani, Eradication of Untouchabilty, First Edition, LAXMI BOOK PUBLICATION 258/34, Raviwar Peth, SolapurPg 8.]

THE ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABILITY IN MEDIEVAL INDIA:The percentage of discriminated classes in Medieval India are comparatively low and is very different than that of the Ancient India. In the Medieval India, the untouchability has taken many changes in comparison to the ancient philosophy of Untouchability. 1. Population: The population of the untouchables in the medieval India has increased when compared to the ancient times.2. Area of living: The untouchables lived in a segregated area, in the outskirts of the city .3. Occupation: These people performed various occupations which included agriculture unlike the ancient times.During this period which accepted the division of the society into four classes or varnas, continuously developed and the process of which people who were excluded number increased rapidly, which in turn increased the population of untouchables.A BREIF VIEW OF THE ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABLES IN DIFFERENT STATES OF INDIA:TAMIL NADU:Rajaraja I conquered the whole of kaveri delta, Sri lanka and the Pandyan kingdom. During his regime Rajaraja I, he had established many inscriptions which had some clues about the untouchables in the society. They were called cheri which means untouchables and tinda-cheri is the residential area where these people lived. The other type of people who lived were called paraiyas and parai-cheri is the place they lived. There were another group of people called pulaiyas which meant 'the lowest' or 'unpure' of similar status. Above these people the blacksmiths, barbers, carpenters, washerman, potters etc and below them the soldiers and toddy tappers were placed. On some other inscriptions and palm leaf writings it was found that vellalas who were of a superior caste were also thrown into the wage of untouchables. There were instances that these people involved in cultivating the land, grassing the horses, weaving on the hike of the taxes and many other occupations. These people were yet treated to be as slaves by the superior castes and were transferred from one owner to the other.[footnoteRef:9] [9: Edited by H.Kotani ,Caste system, Untouchability and the depressed, 1997 Pg 21.]

ATI SUDRA CASTES IN THE MEDIEVIAL DECCAN:The group of people who were discriminated from the society, compiled into another group called the Ati Sudras approximately between twelfth and fifteenth centuries. Contact with the ati sudras is treated as impurity and this impurity is considered to be transmittable from this person to the others.The people who lived on hills, called the Hillman or Adivasis are also considered as untouchables in the Maratha Kingdom.[footnoteRef:10] [10: Edited by H.Kotani, Caste system, Untouchability and the depressed, 1997 Pg 32]

RAJASTHAN:The chamars of Rajasthan were the lowest community people residing in the outskirts of the city. The Jama Bandhis who were of a higher caste used to impose haevy taxes on the chamars. These people were sometimes not on record as they acted as slaves to the higher families. The chamars were found in almost every village of Rajasthan who were in different numbers. The main source of income or their occupation was these people removed the dead cattle from the villages which used to fetch them with the leather from the animals. They involved in making leather bags, mats, ropes etc which were then intensively used for agriculture. They also produced bridles, saddles, scabbards for swords. It was mentioned in the records that taxes were imposed on chamars who produced maize and tobbacco.

THE BURAKU OF JAPAN:In Japan, the Buraku people are still looked down and were treated as untouchables in their society because of their work. The members of Japan belonged to the feudal lords and the highest rank they can go up to was to become the emperor. Below these people there were castes like samurai (the warrior class), the nofu (farmers), the jukenaru (skilled artisans), and the shonin (merchants). There were other castes in the Japan society like the hinin, the kakibe and the kujome. The Burakumin commonly called as Buraku were treated as untouchables similar to that of dalits in India. As the main religion during the time was Buddhism, which preached about the value of life, those who involved the killing of animals were looked down. The Buraku, like the Dalits, were considered by upper class people to be impure and contaminated. This impurity was considered to be contagious by the higher class members of society. As a result,most of the Buraku lived in isolated areas, as seen in the literal translation of Buraku, meaning village people. The situation of a Buraku was considered hereditary i.e., the child of a Burakumin couple was also considered as a untouchable. Marriage of a Buraku with someone of higher status is considered a crime. In addition to this these people were forbidden to enter most religious sites. Hence, these people had their own temples and places of worship to keep them isolated from society. Discrimination against the Buraku people i.e., the lowest caste was shown in the form of removing all headwear as a sign of subservience. There were a lot of similar characteristics between the Buraku of Japan and Dalits or untouchables in India. But today the Buraku caste is invisible and got mixed up with the other castes in Japan. [footnoteRef:11] [11: Article on A History of the Untouchables: The Buraku and the Dalit, by Katelyn Coyle.]

CONCLUSION:The reality of Sudra castes in the medieval Deccan, is the fact that their existence was ambivalent. They were discriminated against in various ways in daily life but at the same time they played an important role. But, also at the same time, they were so deeply incorporated into the caste system that they were left behind by the higher caste people. Untouchability as a sense of superiority, racial or caste purity on the part of Hindus increased an attitude of apathy, hatred and indifference towards untouchables. The belief in superstitions, for example thinking untouchable as a matter of disgrace, bad omen and a source of some calamity or danger to men and animal also barred this section of society out of the society.The ideology of purity, which was developed by the religious leaders of Hindu society, who were the Brahmins and contributed to the social stratification in villages organized according to the castes. With the development of this ideology, strata of inferior castes and artisans, who were previously not looked upon as ritually impure, were also designated as untouchable. Moreover, stratification occurred among the old and new untouchable castes based on difference in the degrees of purity, resulting in exclusionary behaviour among them. This existence of untouchables reduced the tense relationships arising from inequality within the village community and brought about a certain amount of stability. The role played directly or indirectly in the development of the untouchability during this time by the ruling classes on both the state and local levels was a very important one.Untouchability includes oppressive servitude, acute illiteracy, poverty and degraded status. It even stopped the progress of the nation to a great extent. The Hindus successfully exploited the ignorance and helplessness of the untouchables to such an extent that they were made to believe that it was most religious and divinely instituted and hence they tolerated the oppression and resisted to it.