How the British enforced the rigidity of the caste and often manufactured occupational castes during Census is evident from British census officers' writings. Here's Middleton, in the Punjab Census of 1921, "these castes have been largely manufactured and
almost entirely preserved as separate castes by the British Government..we pigeon-holed everyone by caste and if we could not find a true caste for them labelled them with the name of an hereditary occupation."
He further went on to add
"We deplore the caste system and its effect on social and economic problems, but we are largely responsible for the system which we deplore". Caste in earlier days was only rigid among the higher castes, but after the British, it crystallized among all sections of society.
[THREAD]
I had written earlier about history of caste in India. In this thread, I will show how caste-like elements were present in other parts of the world. Occupational, birth-based or endogamic groups are not unique to India. 1/n
In this quest, I will describe primitive societies in Egypt, Western Asia, China, Japan, America, Rome and tribal Europe. Hindu society is always criticized for its caste-like segregation. Let's see how society developed all over the world.
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In ancient Egypt, there were 3 classes - land-owners, serfs, and slaves. The first 2 owned land whereas the slaves didn't.
Source: Ancient Times, A History of the Early World by Breasted p. 67 3/n
We need to understand what the purpose of whataboutery is. When you see a counter-argument to any argument, that starts with "what about", it serves only one purpose - to accuse the arguer of hypocrisy.
In TV debates, press conferences or SM arguments, the only type of argument that you will see is that the person(s) raising a point has practiced the same behavior early and shows hypocrisy. That frees up the necessity of countering the actual argument.
Imagine you are diabetic and are not controlling your sugar intake. I advise you to stop taking sugar. Now, I myself may be also diabetic and can't control my sugar. My advices make me a hypocrite but doesn't diminish the importance of the actual advice.
Caste is still an extremely important term in political and social life India. What is the origin of caste? Was it just a British invention as a form of grouping into Varna? Were there any other groupings in India before the British? A look at the history of caste.
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The word 'caste' comes from the Protugues root 'casta' meaning 'race', 'kind', 'cast' or 'mould'. When the Portuguese first arrived in the East, they used casta to describe the religious and social distinctions as observed among the Hindu people.
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The greatest Portuguese poet Luís de Camões wrote in his epic Os Lusíadas about the people of Malabar where we used the phrase "a casta antiqua" to describe the prevalent groupings. This was the first usage from where the modern word 'caste' is derived. 3/n
Two of the earliest mosques in India were erected during Qutbuddin Aibak's reign by destroying Hindu and Jain temples. The most famous is the Quwwat-ul-Islam in the Qutb Complex in Delhi. The other one is the Adhai din ka Jhonpra in Ajmer.
Pic - Wikipedia 1/n
Qutbuddin Aibak as general of Muhammad Ghori destroyed the Hindu temples and commissioned this mosque in 1192 during his attacks on Ajmer, originally known as Ajaymeru.
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Despite the destructions, Colonel James Tod said that it 'is one of the most perfect as well as the most ancient monuments of Hindu architecture'
Source - Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan Vol I
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Facts on the Madurai impalement which the frescoes of Meenakshi temple show. The legend is that Shaiva saint Sambandar impaled 8000 Jains in 7th century . The Pandya king was a Jain and his wife was a Shaivite. The queen and the minister invite Sambandar to Madurai 1/8
The queen wanted Sambandar to drive the Jain monks from the Madurai hills. The monks burn Sambandar's hut, but he transfers the fire as fever to the king. Jains' mantras fail to cure the king, but the saint applies sacred ash to the king and cures him. 2/8
A series of contests happen. In contest by fire, Sambandar's hymn to Shiva was unburnt but Jain doctrines got burned. In contest by water, Jain manuscript is carried by water, but Shaiva hymn is brought to shore. Then Sambandar cures the hunch of the king to a handsome man
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