Transcript India: Traditional Patterns of Life

India: Traditional
Patterns of Life
“The traditional patterns of life in
India revolve around the idea of
duty”
Closure
 What are the drawbacks and benefits in a
society where role and duties are clearly
defined?
 What role does the idea of duty play in
your life?
Doing one’s duty
ensures the moral
order of the universe
It’s better to do one’s
own duty badly that
another’s duty well
Introduction to Caste Video
Caste/Family Life/Village Life
 All gave a person a role in society and
rules to live by to ignore would disrupt
society
 Gives structure
Why has the caste system
existed for so long?
 Caste system deeply embedded in law,
custom, and religious tradition.
The Caste System
 According to the sacred texts (Vedas)
 System of social groups based on birth
 1: Brahmans – the priests/religious
leaders who recite and learn the Vedas
 2: Kshatriyas – warriors, leaders, nobles,
landowners
 3: Vaishyas – merchants and traders
 4: Sudras – those who work with their
hands, included farmers, artisans,
carpenters, etc.
 5: Untouchables (Harijan/Dalit) - included
morticians and anyone who did unclean
things, homeless
 Harijan: Children of God
Caste
 not based on wealth
 Gave role in society on rules to live by
 Seen as holding a diverse group together
 Divides today
 1000’s of castes
 Within castes there were levels, called jati – subcaste
 For example, in the Vaishya caste, a store owner
would be higher than a traveling merchant. In most
cases, same rules of interaction would apply
 Higher castes more pure and closer to moksha
 Caste based partly on occupation
Caste Rules
 Complex
 Meant to keep people spiritually pure =
moksha
 Rule more strict for higher castes
 Protect from spiritual pollution
 Rules govern: cooking, eating habits,
marriage, employment, worship
Caste Rules
 Interactions between castes were limited, most
interaction was top down
 Clappers for lower castes – shadow impure
 Marriage limited to own caste and even jati
 Each caste even has dietary restrictions
 Brahmans are vegetarians
 eat only food prepared by other Brahman
 Other castes could be limited to certain meats and
spices
Caste Rules
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which Gods to worship
where to live
what to wear
Manners:
 greet in certain ways
 lower caste not sit in presence of higher caste
 Each caste had a council to enforce caste rules
 Created interdependence: stability and order
 Castes looked after their own but depended on
other castes
 Caste video
Village Life
 Most common
 Basic unit of society – varied in size – variety of castes
 Headman:
 governed the village – landlord – inherited position
 Made decisions – organized work projects
 Self-sufficient = all jobs based on caste
 Landlord: controlled most land
 Tenant farming: paid with part of harvest
 Cattle economic importance: plowing, transportation,
milk products
 Ghee
Pandit Roop Chand, headman of Tajpur village
Other Aspects of Early Hindu
Life
 Family
 Indentified first with family
 Joint families (everyone lived together) – like extended
family
 The eldest male led the family (patriarchal) – may
consult with wife
 Property belonged to every member of the family
Father Knows Best
Other Aspects of Early Hindu
Life
 Children and Parents
 Children learned form their parents (how to follow their
caste)
 Arranged marriages: page 192
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Children little or no say
to benefit family
girls became part of husband's family
In some parts of India, the marriage of a daughter included a
dowry: gift to groom's family
 Higher the caste more costly
Other Aspects of Early Hindu
Life
 Women
 Few rights – obey husband
 Duties: marry, wait on husband, bear sons
 Influence within the family
 Shakti: creative energy – women had but men controlled –
men incomplete without women
 Higher castes: purdah: seclusion
 public had to be covered (like Muslims)
 Sati/Suttee – virtuous women
 ritual suicide when a husband died
Closure
 What are the benefits and drawbacks in a
society where role and duties are clearly
defined?
 What role does the idea of duty play in
your life?