Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-02-08
HISDoo CASTE.


/ HlNDOJ CASTE.
A Mseh Mss..Aesss.sA syssen. s,,
what 1s Really Il.
Their are few institutions, that hav
been the occasion Of 80 much discus
sion on the part Of historians am
travellers as the Hindoo institution o
"caste." 1t il we'll known that it il
inextricably bound mp with the Who'll,
system of Hiudoo civilization, ant
Christian missionaries have united il
denouncing i. as one OF the greatest
obstacles to the advance Of Chris
tianity. The following from the Pal
Hall Gazette will, perhaps, throw some
light on the subject:
There prevails general belief that
caste is religious distinction. But
what ii it be no more than 4 social
distinction? And what If :nissiona.
ries fail chiefly because they begin at
the wrong end? It is import mt 10
obtain as much Trustworthy evidence
a. possible upon this subject and
those who maintain that the caste Of
the Hindoo Is q social distinction,
pure and simple, will find powerful
and experienced ally in Mr.. Robert
Shaw, British Commissioner in Lad ak.
He does not venture to speak about
the rest Of India, bat certainly in the
hill country Of the Punjaub caste is
as purely . social arrangement as
morning calls or dinner parties are in
England and he attributes tho failure
OF our missionaries, in some cons,d-
cradle measure, to the fact that con.
verts are required not only to re-.
nounce their idols, bat ito do vio-
lence to every feeling in their nature,
by eating and cousorting with the
filthiest Of the human race" The
consequences, he says, Of the mission
'aries usual proceeding is that, s.if you
were to ask an ordinary native what
becoming a Christian meant he would
probably reply, eating with sweep
ers." Mr.. Shaw suggests that
mans Christianity should gradually
win him to that perfection which
consists in considering nothing CON-
mon or unclean IN mankind, whereas
the missionaries expect the Hindoo
convert to commence with that amt
Of perfection. Those Christians, who
80 love one another, are not altogeth-
er free from the prejudices OF caste
which has, perhaps, moro flmsy
moral foundation than that Of the
Hindoo. But to show what, if any,
is the connection between the caste
and religion Of the Hindoos, it may
be interesting to read . conversation
founded upon what really took place
between Sarda "a Brahman), Choo-
marco a high caste IIindoo), and
Shaw Sahib.
S. S.-The Goleiria Raipoot has
been made . Mussulman; can he re-
cover his caste?
S. and C.-No; unless the Cash.
mere Maharaja, whose servant he is,
should restore him to caste privileges
daS,nk ws.,l nl.a,,as ne sv.nvuauacs uvvs
il similar cases
s. S.-Can no one but q rajah do
this? I thought some religious GER
emony performed by the Brahmans
was necessary. ~ es.-
S. aud C.-What has it to do with
religion It is merely a question
whether his own kindred will eat
with him or not, and the difficulty is
to get all to agree. When rajah
has set the example no one can then
hold back. ..a IS
s. S.-We English fancy that your
caste u a religions obligation.
C.-Therc is no connection be.
tween the two. II l were to take up
stones and throw them at one Of our
idols. my people would cry out, 'Ah!
Naharai, dost thou not punish this
man who IS mocklng thee?' But
the thought would never strike them
to put me out of the caste.
S.-If caste depended on our reli-
gion, we should have but one caste,
for Brahmans and sweepers all wo--
ship the same deities.
C.-For some years past I have
gwen up believing in all our fables
about Sree Ram and Siv, but am
none the less secure in nay caste. II
Iwere to say Mussnlman "namaz
daily should in no way forfeit my
caste, SO long as did not take into
my mouth anything considered i'm.
pure. 70
S. S.-But do not the duties con
uscted with, caste neccss,tate some
kind of Acknowledgement OF the na
tional idolse
s. and C.-No; whatever worship
we bestow on them is purely solun
tary. II should omit 1t altogether
superstitious old women would shak'
their heads and paophesy that evi
would befall us; but the omission
would not affect our caste standing
ing in any way. 3a
To some q confirmation Of whai
they have always heard and main
tanned; to others . proof OF what ha.
long been suspected as to the quanti
ty Of humanity in human nature
There is not in Christendom city
town or village in which the mos
perfect Christian may not, by socia
impradence, lose caste. or belong to
caste 80 inferior that admission to :
neighbours dinner table is not to b.
heard Of and in which man, if on!,
he be careful of social conventional
ties, may not habitually break al thu
ten commandments and throw stone!
At the Christian religion without any
fear Of losing caste. Some 'supersti
tons old women would shake theil
heads and exclude him, to his grea
delight, from their tea-tables; but a
the dinner party and at the club h
might eat with lords, spiritual as wei
as temporal. The interesting con
versation here is to be found in 4 dif