The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-09-20
IRONCLAD CASTE.
Its Rule Among The Hindus Abso-
lutte and Interchangeable.
THE POWER OF THE BRAHMAN

All the Wealth Of the World Would
Not Enable q Lower Caste Hindu to
Wed Into His Family or Touch His
Hand-Tyrannieal Social Divisions.
Caste distinction IN India Is a thing
difficult for foreigner 20 comprehend.
All the racial or religious distinctions
which separate European nations from
each other and divide them within
themselves do not equal the number Of
classes into which the Hlndus are di.
yided by what is known as caste"
The 200.0Oo,O00 Hlndus are made up
OF diverse racial elements and speak
about nineteen developed languages
and over 100 dialects. They are again
divided into over 5000 castles, most Of
them with subcastes. One OF these
castles, the Brahmans. is split up into
more than 500 subcastes, OF which none
win intermarry and few win cat to-
gether.
The term caste includes so many
things that It Is difficult 10 define IT.
There are, however two properties Is.
sential TO a true caste first, there is no
entry except by birth; second, mar
rage outside the caste is absolutely
forbidden. TO preserve the purity and
maintain the exelusiyeness Of the So
ciety many minute rules Of conduct
many restrictions on food and many
ceremonial ohservances are imposed on
the members and enforced by penalties
which cannot be evaded. against which
there is no appeal and which in ex-
IRENE cases follow the offender beyond
the grave.
But that Is not all. The relations Of
castles TO each other are as much
matter OF religious observance as the
rules for their internal regulation. The
Brahmans are the highest admittedly
and undoubtedly superior TO all the
rest. After them come those who are
acknowledged TO be twice born. The
less honored follow IN graduated de-
scent until the untouchabe and un-
speakable are reached at the lowest
depth.
1t may be urged that the separation
between the Brahman and, let us say,
the Kurmi market gardener is no wider
than that between the peer Of the
United Kingdom and the coal miner.
There Is this essential difference-that
it is impossible for an Indian to
change his caste. The coal miner may
be elected to parliament. may become
cabinet minister and If he can make
money enough may marry his son TO a
dukes daughter.
The Kurmi must remain Kurmi.
All the wealth Of Croesus will not en-
able him to make an alliance with a
Brahman family or 10 touch a Brah-
mans hand The members Of a caste
may and in some cases do raise them
selves in the sight OF other castles By
adopting more elaborate ceremonies
and more scrupuIous obseryances
4 half civilized Gond. for example,
may find himself brought into contact
with Hindus as the pillow encroaches
on the forest. He tries to raise his 20.
sition and add to his self respect by
adopting the exciusiveness Of his Hin
sIu neighbors. He win even Guido
them il he can, and If the Hindu is
sernpulous about his food the convert
will wash the very wood with which
tfe dIunor IL ponkad
No endeayors Of this kind, however,
will avail to lessen by a hairs breadth
the distance between him and the
caste Hindu or even to induce the
Hindu barber to look upon him as
client whose chin he may shave and
whose toe nails he may pare without
degradation.
Another point connected with caste
which has a very practical bearing
and must be taken into account IS the
nower Of coercion which 1t gives to the
brotherhood If a man is excommunf-
Gated by his caste fellows nobody in
the caste will marry him or win ac-
cept water from his hands or will eat
with him.
II he is married his wife viii not
touch him or speak to him. He Is
dead TO his family. The priest will not
perform ceremonies for him. The vil-
lage barber will not shave him, and
the washerwoman viii not wash his
clothes. These are the methods Of
bringing pressure on the man, The
strictest boycott which Irlshmen have
invented is mild compared to the final
sentence of caste punchayat.
4 system like this is stern fact
which has to be faced. There Is not
police case or a civil case or trial at
the sessions, there Is hardly an APP
pointment to an office in India OF
whatever degree. in which the matter
of caste has not to be considered. It
forces itself into every assessment of
land revenue, into every adjudication
of rent. 1t affects the administration
Of justice. the proceedings Of munich
pal and district councils
The influence and power of the
Brahman and the idea that he Is
above the law and is not to be pun
ished as other people are still alive,
although a century of British justice
has done something toward eradicat-
ing them On the other hand, the sug-
gestion that a man Of a lower caste
might rise to an equality or nearer to
an equality with members Of a caste
above him is unthinkable. Where the
low caste men are, there they must
- tt..... ,,,s.Tlx,os