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Did British colonial powers invent the Indian caste system? Did British colonial powers invent the Indian caste system?
Yes, British colonial powers invented the Indian caste system Yes, British colonial powers invented the Indian caste system
No, British colonial powers did not invent the Indian caste system No, British colonial powers did not invent the Indian caste system
British colonial powers reshaped the caste system British colonial powers reshaped the caste system
British colonial powers disseminated the caste system British colonial powers disseminated the caste system
The Portuguese invented the Indian caste system The Portuguese invented the Indian caste system
Colonial bureaucracy created the caste system Colonial bureaucracy created the caste system
Pre-colonial documents indicate a more socially mobile society. Pre-colonial documents indicate a more socially mobile society.
‘Caste’ has no direct translation in many Indian languages ‘Caste’ has no direct translation in many Indian languages
The caste system closely mirrors the British class system The caste system closely mirrors the British class system
The caste system is present in Hinduism The caste system is present in Hinduism
Regional differences over castes were eradicated under the British Regional differences over castes were eradicated under the British
The caste system blends British and Indian thinking The caste system blends British and Indian thinking
Academic generalizations helped the adoption of the caste system Academic generalizations helped the adoption of the caste system
The caste system derives from a Portuguese labeling system. The caste system derives from a Portuguese labeling system.
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Did British colonial powers invent the Indian caste system?
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No, British colonial powers did not invent the Indian caste system

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The caste system is present in Hinduism

The caste system is visible in Hindu society prior to the arrival of the British in India.
Arthur Anthony Macdonnell
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The Argument

The Indian caste system can be traced back 2,500 years, long before the British arrived in India.[1] The caste system is a uniquely Indian phenomenon that has been in place in parts of the country for over two millennia. Caste is mentioned in the Rigveda, one of the founding texts of multiple Indian religions. It is also visible in texts dating as far back as 1700 BC.[2] The text describes the division of Purusha into four castes “for the protection of the whole creation”. The Brahmins were created from the mouth, while the Sudras were born from the feet.[3]

Counter arguments

There is evidence to suggest that the addition of the caste system in the Rigveda was made retroactively only after the scriptures were translated into English. The caste system that was present in the “Hindu” religion before the colonial era was likely a variant of “Brahmanism”, rather than a fully-fledged social hierarchy.[4]

Proponents

Premises

[P1] The caste system is mentioned in texts as far back as 1700 BC. [P2] This pre-dates the British colonial powers. [P3] Therefore, the caste system cannot be a British colonial invention.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] The texts were amended when the documents were translated into English.

References

  1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1862285?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
  2. http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/
  3. https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1012&context=phr
  4. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-48619734
This page was last edited on Wednesday, 18 Nov 2020 at 22:55 UTC