Prime Time 7, Coursebook plus Semester Self-checks

6 The caste system The role of the caste system in India Fact file The Indian caste system • • Castes (from the Portuguese word “casta”) divide society into groups of people with different functions and status. The original Hindu caste system based on ancient religious texts defined four castes according to their spiritual and physical development and self-control and did not explicitly exclude movement from one caste to another. • • Later the four castes were linked inseparably to the function individuals had in society: The highest caste, the Brahmins , were the intellectual and spiritual guides, priests and philosophers. Second were the Kshatriyas , the caste of warriors and rulers. Then came the Vaishyas , associated with trading and commerce, and the lowest caste were the Shudras , labourers and craftsmen. • • For fear of pollution, higher castes had to avoid any contact with the “ untouchables ”, people who ranked below all others and did the dirty work. While the higher castes managed to strengthen their position, the lower ones were denied any power. Infringement of caste rules of conduct led to severe punishment. • • During their rule the British tried to give more rights to the lower castes and to abolish traditional practices like the suttee (funeral ceremony in which a recently widowed woman burns herself together with her husband’s corpse), but in practice they did not succeed. Since 1949 the Constitution of India has granted all its citizens equal rights , but changes have been gradual. • • The changes brought about by today’s economic boom have done much more to weaken the caste system. With masses of people squeezed together in the big cities pollution laws can no longer be observed, and it has become possible for people to improve their status through professional and financial success. Especially in the cities, the caste system is losing influence. • • The majority of the former untouchables, who now call themselves Dalits (the oppressed), are still underprivileged, but as their numbers are strong (18–20% of the population), democracy – and especially Mahatma Gandhi – has equipped them with more power and provided them with better job opportunities. F Matrimonials In India, most matrimonial profiles are created by parents looking for a suitable bride/groom for their son or daughter – a partner who should come from the same caste. The marriages are mostly arranged. a) Read the following matrimonials that actually appeared in internet forums. •• She is 23 and a homely, down-to earth Sikh female. She belongs to a high status business family. We are looking for a very handsome, well-educated, well-settled, clean-shaven Punjabi boy. Religion: Sikh; Caste: Arora •• Our daughter is a reasonable person with an outstanding nature. We dream of a loving partner for her with a good education. He should be about 5’ 10” and must be working in a software company with well-reputed family background. Religion: Hindu; Caste: Brahmin; Sub-caste: Danua Brahmin •• My son is a humorous, caring, smart and daring self-made boy and can chase any challenge in life. He has been excelling in his career in the financial market for more than five years in Kolkata. He is the only son of ours with two sisters, one of them married. Caste: Kurmi Kshatriva; Sub-caste: Jaiswar •• Our son is a very smart and intelligent boy, and belongs to a very well reputed, rich, respectable and re- nowned industrialist Delhi family. He is currently working as a senior associate in a well-established finance company in Mumbai. We are looking for a beautiful, educated girl belonging to a respectable industrialist family living in Mumbai. Caste: Agarwal b) On the internet, find out more about the traditional Indian wedding ceremony. c) Watch the film Monsoon Wedding (2000), which is about the clashes between traditional and cosmopolitan India, and compare the film with your own findings. 1  2  86 India Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv