Varna Theory Of Caste Essay

The Varna Theory of Caste, the first mention of which is found in Purusha Sukta, a hymn in Rig Veda, suggests that the four varnas originated from different body parts of Brahma- Brahmans from the head, Kshatriyas from the arms, Vaishyas from the thighs and Shudras from the feet. Although not explicitly mentioned in the hymn, the body parts are interpreted to denote the status of the four Varnas. The existence of much more than four castes is said to be a result of intermarriages. Several concepts like endogamy, Karma and Dharma, caste based occupation and commensality have come to be associated and viewed as central to the caste system. The Brahman centric view of the society was upheld even though there was not much overlap between the prescribed

Alexander Dow tried to understand the Indian society through Persian translations with the assistance of a priest from Banaras. The Missionaries and Orientalists albeit had different objectives and methods for studying the Indian society, were similar in their acceptance of the Varna Theory of Caste. A perspective of caste system that evolves from interpretation of ancient texts with the help of Brahmans is inevitably centred around Brahmans and their supremacy. It views the position of all other castes in relation to that of Brahmans. This textual view was grossly in conflict with the reality of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries wherein most of the political and military power rested in the hands of other groups and Brahman dynasties were few in number. The administrators, working on ground level in close contact with the Indian society formulated a view of caste based on close observation and extensive statistics, as a thing which can be counted and categorised. Although they became aware of regional variations and flexibility in the caste system, yet they did not reject the Varna Theory of Caste. Instead they tried to fit the numerous jatis in the Varna