Most people who have heard of India have noticed the word caste and a question that very often comes up in cooking classes is; can you tell me about the caste system. This is a very rigid system that is not easy to understand, but I will try to explain it as best I can.
Society has always wanted to categorize people into groups. The caste mark has had a similar function. The four castes had different colored tilaks (marks on the forehead that are often confused with bindis ). The system is not followed today, except in very conservative families in the villages.
At first there was no form of categorization of professions, anyone could apprentice with a senior priest and become a Brahmin, a scholar. The priests quickly realized that knowledge is power, so if they did not accept "ordinary" students, but only kept the knowledge in the family, only the priest's son would become a priest. This became a trend that spread and teachers' sons became teachers, etc. When it was further implemented by the scholars marrying scholars, such knowledge would remain in the family and they would thus have a better reputation in society. The "scholars" abused their knowledge and those who could not read and write had lower self-confidence. It became important to show off where you were in the hierarchy.
Here are the main castes and there are an incredible number of subcastes:
1. Brahmin was a priest or academic (scholar). Had a tilak of white sandal wood which was rubbed against a stone and mixed with a little rose water. The purpose was to keep the brain sharp and provide well-being, it also symbolized purity.
2. Khatriya (kings, warriors and administrators) wore red tilak made of red powder (sindhoor) which denoted bravery.
3. Vaishya (merchants) wore a yellow tilak (made of saffron or turmeric which denoted prosperity.
4. Sudra (service class) used black tilak which denoted service professions like tailor, baker, shoemaker, hairdresser etc.
- Dalits (the untouchables) were those who could not perform any of the above tasks or professions and ended up cleaning for those who could pay for it. Picking up garbage and similar services were something they had to do to make a living.
In the end it became a very rigid system where the upper class refused to socialize with those below them, the system was formally abolished in 1950 and Mahatma Gandhi ji was one of the champions against the system. Unfortunately it is probably still practiced in small towns and rural areas due to the lower educated and more orthodox population than in the bigger cities. Foreigners are not considered part of the caste system and do not belong to any caste. What I actually see in our social circle in India is that it is mostly easy to find a partner from another caste.
(Images borrowed from Google)
Those who know the old system can even place people in the correct caste by hearing their last name. Based on this, all Hindus belong to one caste or another. One cannot "upgrade", which means that one is born into a caste and remains there. This system has nothing to do with the red mark that married Indian women wear on their foreheads and is called bindi .
Through the surname, one can also in some cases place the origin of the family background, i.e. which state the origin is from. So that those who have their origin in Punjab are called Punjabi (from Punjab), those who come from Gujrat are called Gujrati for example. Even though my father was born in Peshawar which is now in Pakistan, while my mother's family has always been in the Indian part, we are called Punabi because both of our ancestors originally came from Punjab belonging to the Khatriya caste. I myself have never lived there. Pakistan was only established as late as 1947 and after this year, in addition to the caste, one had to relate to which side of the border the ancestors came from.
During my trip to India, I have been back to my childhood home and met my uncle who has recounted the entire experience of the partition in 1947. Soon I will share the exciting and moving story with you. Have a nice day ahead!