Who were the creators of the caste system in India?

Question

Who were they to decide, for example, these people will be "untouchable", Sudra I believe is the word for them? What kind of minds would you say creates something like this? How far is ti still practiced today? Do upper and lower castes intermarry, or does it create problems if someone wants to marry from another
caste?

Answer 1

The original "caste system" has its origin in Vedic times. The current system is a perverted form of the original. My answer will be quite long so I hope u will read it. I'm sure my answer will help u to understand the original caste system, and how it developed into the present one.

Casteism in India has gotten a lot of criticism, and rightly so. The way casteism is at present should not even exist. Casteism as we find it today is now nothing more than a misrepresentation and misinterpretation of a legitimate and progressive Vedic system known as varnashrama. However, we need to know the difference between the two, then get rid of present-day casteism to again utilize the genuine and liberal form of social organization, known as varnashrama.


What Casteism is Today

The casteism that we find today is the materialistic form of designation that has become a way of oppressing the lower social orders of people. It says that if you are born in a family of a certain classification, then you are of the same class. In casteism, birth is now the major factor in determining one’s social standing. It dictates that your social order, occupational potential and characteristics are the same as your parents, which is a label that may have been placed on a family hundreds of years ago.

Casteism says that if you are born of a brahmana family, then you are a brahmana, no matter whether you truly exhibit the genuine characteristics of a brahmana or not. And if you are also born in a kshatriya family, or a vaisya or shudra family, then that is what you must be. It is as if when one is born in a doctor’s family, the child is also considered a doctor. However, this requires the proper training and perception to see if the child will be a qualified doctor or not. Just being born in the family of a doctor does not mean that the children will also be doctors, although this may help. But they surely are not doctors merely by birth. Training and intelligence must be there.

This form of materialistic casteism was practiced even five hundred years ago, during the time of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who was considered an incarnation of the Supreme Being. However, Sri Caitanya paid no mind to these social customs. He saw them as a way that the hereditary brahmanas were merely protecting their own position and privileges and not spreading spiritual well-being, which is their duty. Even during that time the brahmanas had the idea that if they ate with or touched anyone outside the brahmana caste, they would risk losing their own social rank. Sri Caitanya, however, ignored such restrictions and readily accepted invitations to eat with the sincere devotees of the Lord, or also embrace them, even if they were of the lowest social position. In this way, He dismissed the materialistic method of casteism. By this action He also showed that it was not birth that was important, but one’s consciousness, intentions, and spiritual awareness that was the prominent factor, which superceded the rank of one’s body or family. It is this which actually determines one’s personality, character and abilities, not merely one’s birth. This is actually how we should see people and treat them equally as spiritual beings inside material bodies.


The original caste system (varnashrma)

The origin of the caste system, called varnashrama, was legitimate and virtuous. It was meant for the progressive organization of society. Varnashrama is the Vedic system that divides society into four natural groups depending on individual characteristics and dispositions. Everyone has certain tendencies by their own natural inclinations and choice. These inclinations are also seen in one’s occupational preferences. These activities are divided into four basic divisions called varnas. For example, there are those who prefer to offer service to society through physical labor or working for others (called shudras); those who serve through agriculture, trade, commerce, business, and banking or administrative work (vaishyas); those who have the talents of leaders, government administration, police or military and the protection of society (kshatriyas); and those who are by nature intellectuals, contemplative, and inspired by acquiring spiritual and philosophical knowledge, and motivated to work in this way for the rest of society (the brahmanas). It was never a factor of whether a person had a certain ancestry or birth that determined which class was most appropriate for him or her.

Ashramas divided society for spiritual reasons. These were brahmacharya (students), grihasthas (householders), vanaprasthas (retired persons), and sannyasa (those who were renounced from all materialistic affairs).

In this way, the system of varnashrama came into existence according to the natural tendencies of people, and to direct them so that everyone could work together according to the needs of society. The ashramas divided an individual’s life so that a person could fulfill all of one’s basic desires as well as accomplish the spiritual goals of life. Only according to one’s qualities, tendencies and traits, usually as one grew up in school, was it determined which varna was best for that person. And then he would be trained accordingly to do the most suited work that fit his qualities, much like the way counselors work with students in schools today.

Its real purpose was that the system of varnashrama was not to label or restrict someone. It was actually part of the means for self-discovery and development. It was to assist a person to find their place in life where he or she would be most comfortable in terms of functionality and occupation. It was to allow the means for everyone to work according to their own nature, which helps bring happiness to the individual and society. Thus, a person could study what was most suited for him or her rather than pursue a type of work that was not really in line with that person’s character, and in which he would soon be dissatisfied. So, it would help guide one to more efficiently complete one’s life and reach fulfillment. In this way, the varnashrama system is based on the natural divisions within society and is not meant to be forced distinctions or restrictions.

However, beyond this it was meant to help raise the consciousness of humanity from materialism to a higher state of devotional regard for God in spiritual life. It would help one in managing the physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual energy for improving one’s health, mental and physical development and productivity, along with spiritual awareness. Thus, it was meant for helping society to become spiritually harmonized and make the everyday tasks into a means of spiritual progress and growth.

To explain further, in Bhagavad-gita (4.13) Lord Krishna says, “According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me.” Then He continues, “Brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras are distinguished by their qualities of work in accordance with the modes of nature.” (Bg.18.41) Herein we can see that there is no mention of birth as a determining factor for one’s varna or classification. They are ascertained by their qualities of work. Furthermore, “By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect. . . By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, man can, in the performance of his own duty [or occupation], attain perfection.” (Bg.18.45-6)

Herein we can understand that these divisions are created by the Lord so that everyone can be rightly situated in the work and activities that are most suitable for each person, and in which they can feel most comfortable. Whatever occupational tendency a person may have is determined by the modes of material nature one has acquired, or in which he or she associates. Beyond this, these classifications are to organize society in a way that can help in the systematic development of the spiritual consciousness of all mankind.

In the Vishnu Purana (3.8.9) Lord Parasharama also says, “The Supreme Lord Vishnu is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varna and ashrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Lord.” So, by engaging in this varnashrama system the Supreme Lord can be satisfied with one’s occupation. It is a way of making one’s work and activities into devotional service to the Lord. However, it may be pointed out that a person in pure spiritual consciousness is above all such designations, even though for his service to God he may act in any one of these divisions at any given time.

Now we can understand how the Vedic arrangement of varnashrama provides the means for each person in each varna to be able to make spiritual advancement by offering one’s activities to the Lord. It is the way a person can directly engage in bhakti-yoga, or devotional service to the Supreme. Thus, in whatever position one is in, all of one’s duties can become an offering of love to God, which becomes the highest level of meditation and intention.

If everyone engages in his or her particular occupation with the idea that it is a service to God, then that occupation becomes the means for one’s worship and thoughts or meditation on the Supreme. If one thinks like this always, then, by the grace of the Lord, he will be delivered from material existence. This is the highest perfection of life. In whatever occupation people may be engaged, if they serve the Supreme Lord, they will achieve this highest level of success. It is by this means that the spiritual form of varnashrama can satisfy the Lord, and everyone makes spiritual advancement. As society progresses in this way, all working together for the satisfaction of the Lord, they forget who is in what position, or that there seems to be a difference, because spiritually they are all transcendental. Thus, everyone rises above the material platform by dint of their work in devotional service. Then the harmonious and advanced nature of the mode of goodness, as found in the age of Satya-yuga, can be invoked even in this dark age of Kali-yuga.

The system of varnashrama exists naturally everywhere because people will always have the tendencies for what they want to do, or have particular qualities for occupational skills. And these can invariably be divided into the four above-mentioned groups. This is natural, and, as we have seen the evidence here, it has been created by the Supreme Creator. Therefore, it will always be in existence in some shape or form.

This system, however, was never meant to divide people according to materialistic classifications. It was meant to unite people in a cooperative society in the service of God. In Vedic times, even the shudras had the same rights as those of the other varnas, and their dignity was preserved without discrimination. In this way, everyone would be satisfied materially and work in a way for the Lord’s pleasure. The Vedic culture, ultimately, was for the well-being and spiritual advancement of the whole society. Forced designation or untouchability was never a part of the Vedic process. The materialistic system of casteism has deteriorated into a means of dividing society according to mere parentage to control certain groups, while protecting or expanding the worldly happiness of the privileged. Actually, there is no word as “untouchable” in any of the Vedic scriptures. This has been a modern invention.

Logically speaking, if a person is not performing any unhygienic activities, then why should he be called a Dalit, or an untouchable, simply because of the family in which he was born? Even after performing something dirty, one need only wash oneself properly to be clean again. Likewise, to raise one’s consciousness to a higher awareness or frequency of activity, one need only participate in the Vedic methods of spiritual advancement, which must be done regardless of one’s rank or varna, whether shudra or brahmana.

On the other hand, I have seen brahmanas in India who ate eggs, ate meat, and drank alcohol. How does one clean oneself from that if he is considered a clean and pure brahmana? It means that such a person is hardly a brahmana at all, even if he is born in a brahmana family. So classification is to be judged by qualities, habits, and the content of one’s character, not by mere title and birth.

So, as it stands today, the present form of casteism is a great curse on Hinduism. It attacks the core of its spiritual philosophy, and has resulted in large numbers of Hindus converting to other religions. Therefore, it needs to be replaced by the genuine system of Varnashrama, or simply thrown out completely. However, there are groups of Vedic followers who are open for everyone and do not divide people or consider them according to their birth.

In the Bhagavad-gita (18.42), Lord Krishna explains that the natural qualities of the brahmanas are peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and knowledge. The Mahabharata (1) also explains that a brahmana must be perfectly religious. He must be truthful and able to control his senses. He must execute severe austerities and be detached, humble and tolerant. He must not envy anyone, and must be expert in performing religious sacrifices and giving whatever he has in charity. He must be fixed in devotional service and expert in Vedic knowledge. These are the twelve qualifications for a brahmana. The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, Chapter 180) also goes on with a quote from Yudhisthira, that a brahmana possesses truthfulness, charity, forgiveness, sobriety, gentleness, austerity, and a lack of hatred.

So the point is that, unfortunately, in today’s form of casteism, when we see brahmanas who are proud of their position, or who desire material benefit, or look condescendingly at those of lower castes, they are not really elevated but are materialistic. This means that they have lost the true qualities of brahmanas. They actually help promote contempt throughout casteism. Thus, for those that act this way, and not all of them do, only by birth are they called brahmanas, but the necessary qualifications are not found in them. In fact, the very people that may pride themselves for their high social classifications, and are supposed to be the spiritual leaders of society (the brahmanas), only indicate their lack of qualifications by focusing on the temporary material designations when they are supposed to be above such things.

A final point in this regard comes from Suta Gosvami who says in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.8) that such occupational duties a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This means that the modern materialistic form of casteism that we find today is no longer connected with the Vedic system of varnashrama. It misses the point of helping everyone make spiritual advancement, or to please the Supreme Lord. Thus, it has become a useless and destructive system.



How Did the Present Casteism Develop?

Through time, society began to deviate from the Vedic standards. The perverted nature of the modern caste system started to creep into the genuine Vedic system of varnashrama from the time of Jamadgni and Parashurama many hundreds of years ago. As the brahmanas became more self-interested, a struggle began between them and the kshatriyas. The brahmanas made birth in a brahmana’s family as the qualification for being one. Thus, one’s varna was determined by birth and was then written in the dharmic shastra, such as the Manu-samhita.

In this way, the caste system degenerated in India, and the classes gradually neglected their duties. Testing the abilities, tendencies and talents of the children to determine their natural interests and character disappeared. Birth became the major factor in determining varna or caste. The brahmanas in particular became self-centered and protective of their superiority, forgetting their duties and losing their qualities. Sacrifice, religious study, and austerity gradually became absent in the traits of many of the brahmanas. The people in the other varnas also lost their good characteristics. Chivalry, leadership, and forbearance were no longer to be found in the kshatriya spirit. As leaders, they no longer kept the welfare of the people in focus. Vaishyas lost their charity and honesty in business and became greedy and avaricious. The laborer class, the shudras, no longer wanted to be servants, but desired that others serve them. They wanted to have position and control, without knowing what is best to do with it, and not being qualified to guide or lead people properly, and thus misdirecting the world. In this way, society has become disheveled and out of balance and harmony, and does not follow in accord with dharma.

The kshatriyas rebelled and formed or joined Buddhism, which did without all varnas or castes. The vaishyas also used Jainism. Together, Buddhism and Jainism tried to bring the end of brahminism. The result was actually a deterioration of the Vedic culture in general.

As society in India started to decay after distancing itself from the true Vedic system, it weakened to the point wherein it allowed the low-born or mleccha kings from outside India to come in and conquer and control it. This brought even further decline to the Vedic culture. Later, it was during the British reign in which the caste system became more widely practiced and ingrained in Hinduism.

The British encouraged the practice of it to increase the divisions between people, thus making it easier for the British to rule over them. A disunited society will hardly have the force and cooperation to defend itself from intruders. So the British fueled casteism and kept it more ingrained in society for their own interests. In this way, it was many years before the British could be removed. In fact, the British justified their presence with promises of helping keep the peace between the growing divisions in the Indian social structure. In any case, well after the British left, the divisions and the focus on ethnic classifications that had increased during their reign have remained.

Though Indian society has always been progressive to varying degrees, this idea of assigning a varna, caste or class of activity to someone merely by one’s birth parents has been the major failure of individual and social development in modern Hindu society.



But nowadays the "caste system" is slowly getting wiped out from society. It was outlawed long back but still practiced. In urban areas there is virtually no caste system. Only in a few of the extreme backward villages however it still continues. Intercaste marriages though still very small in numbers is gradually increasing. In rural areas and many urban areas too, normally the societies do not prefer or encourage intercaste marriages.

Though the tag of "backward class" is still there, many people have economically risen higher than the "upper castes". In many areas the "rajputs" who are supposed to be upper castes are much more economically backward than the lower castes. A recent survey revealed that in urban areas the other backward class people own 44% of the land and in rural areas 37%. Quotas
are in place in all spheres to uplift them. In education, jobs.....
Hopefully in some years it should completely disappear.

Answer 2

There was no creator of the caste system in India. It was Manu who identified the four caste system for efficient running of the society.

According to the laws of Manu, all the priests, pundits and Brahmins fall into the Brahmin category. The protection of the country was to be done by the Kshatriyas. The trading community was to be called Vaishya and the worker class as Shudra.

It was not Manu or anybody else for that matter that caste system came into existence. I may be born in a Jain family. If I feel like joining the Army then I am following the Kshatriya Dharma. And one in the same family joins the trading business. He no doubt follows the Vaishya Dharma. In such circumstances is anybody to blame!

If a child is born in the Shudra family and joins the Army! He is ultimately following Kshatriya Dharma. The concept of the four castes was not to create disharmony amongst people of various communities... rather it was to keep them bound together.

The vested interests of politicians and religious leaders have ruined the system. They have tried to differentiate people of various castes on communal lines! This was the prime reason why Mahatma Gandhi termed the Shudra community as harijan. And who is a harijan? A son of God... a son of Hari (in Hinduism God is also represented as Hari).

This was one of the noblest things Mahatma Gandhi ever did for the community. He laid down his life for the country is a different matter. More on Manu here- http://www.godrealized.com/dharma_definition.html

Answer 3

I heard it was invaders from the Aryan mountains who conquored much of India 3,000 years ago. The caste system was originally used as an excuse to maintain the status quo, with the Aryans at the top. But as the Aryans interbred with the native Indians, things got much more complicated.

Answer 4

These issues normally come from wealth. Wealth gives power, then the people in power create these systems in order to live above everyone else and to stay in power. This is why there is typically wealthy people involved when there is social or political change.

Answer 5

Castes are not found in the ancient scriptures . the varubashramam principle was misinereperted by vested interestes among Brhamins who being the learned class in the ancient times claimed to be the superiot to otheres because they ae said o hve been cread out of the head of God . the vaunashrama priciciple was nt meant to assign any order of superiority amoing he people based on the caste . the vaunashrmam itself soes not speak of castes. I t says the people of the society are grouped into four groups wih specific duties to perform for the benefit of he society. They are the teachers , the priests and the prohits wtc who are learned in the vedas and who ae o guide the people on the righteous path by advising hem , since they have to use their brain , they are said to have been made of he head of the God . I is becuse ha for learning i is the brain tha is used mos and it is in the head and we say that one who is learned is very intelligent and is brainy.Jus because they hae a good brain , hey ae generally respected in any society . learned people command respec eveywhere .the king , the general , he warrior , the admisnitrators the soliers are required to be bold and courageous and so we always call the bold warriors as havoing a stout and bold heart . They are supposed to be endowes with a bold heart .They are not considered to be inferior to the Brahmins , since they have a bold heart , they are said to have been made of he chest of the God. all these people , he King , the genral , the soldiers and the administrators do not belong ato any specific and same caste too. The vysyas are in the production and disribution of the provisions and foods fo e society. they are required to satisfy the hujnger of the society and so they are said to have been made of he stomuch of he God . these people do not belong to any particular castes. Now these assigments of God's physiological part to these people does not confer any status in order of importance and priority . fo them. In tha case , the God Brahmman should be considered to be inferior in status to he Brahmins and he Shakthriyas as he is said to have emanaed from the naval of he God and the naval is below the head , and the chest . I is there fore absurd to assigmn any impornce based on the location of the physical parts of thegod and God's bodily parets are not to be graded and degraded according o their locaion in the body of God .The shudras who so the haedes part of he labou and sevices need a grea physical strength and so they ae said to have emeanated form he legs , feet of the God . Because of this l;ocation some vested interests have misinerpereted that the shudras are he most inferior class of people and so have been assigned he feet of God , The shudras mentioned here do not belong to any paicular caste , but refers to all workikng classes of people . It may be noted tha god;'s feet are not anythjkng despicable or inferior .The greatest Saints . Rishis , kings and all learned Brahmins themselves pray to the God specifically requesting God to grand hem asylum near the lotus feet of the god only and not on his head or , belly or chest . It is he feet of god that is said to be the shelter of all ious souls released / freed from the cycles of birth and death .It is this lotus feet of the God hat is assigned to the shudras , so the assignemtn of the fee of the God as the origin of the god is a special favout and boon to the workikng class of the society and not a degradation of any sort . But the foolish and selfish Bajmins and other enemies of he Hindu society took advantage of he ignorance of he people o divide them fo hier advantage . In fact the casgte system that is base on he specific profession of he individual is no found in any ancien literature in Inid a , Even during the Muslim reule of India , you do not fine the case names being appended o the name of any individual . But the caste system based on the profession of he individual is found in the British Society from the ancient times till this day. You can see ta people are named after their profession , like this " Oliver GOLDSMITH. Tom Butler , Thomas weaver . George wood cutter , Mr Samuel Blacksmith , Mr,Cooper , Mr. Fagotter , Tailor etc . It is only during the Bitish Rule of India , the appendages of the caste names are seen in the official records of India . So the castes based on the profession was introduced into India by the British during the period of their rule , in order to divide the people to fecilitate an control over them .The hindu culture has no case discriminaion as it sees God in everything from dust to diamind and e hindus who worship even a crow and animals like the cow and dogs would not consider the man whosesoul is God as anythkg inferior nd untouchable , untouchabilty has a difernt stroy and it is exploited by the people of other religons and particularly the christians in order to win over the people for conversion to chritianity. Untouchability which was based on hygein and cleaniliness was also mase a rule relating to the castes based on all unclean profession.So may unethical and unhindu practices were inroduced into the hindu society with by vested interests with the tacit approvel of some idiotic meanminded hindus who waned to win the faou of he foreign ruling class . Now after independence , in the cities nobody boher about the cases and it is the politicians who want to exploite the caste distinctions and sentiments , are keen on continuing the castes. In the villages those who are seeped in the castesist sentiments forgenerations still coninue to stick to the foolish ideas of he oaste and pracice untouchability . This will also vanish in the yeas o come . It is only normal that tprople do no easily give up the pracices that have steeped in thier blood for centuries together . Social changes do not occur over night. It takes time .