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 than
another’s duty well
Introduction to Caste Video show later
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 custom, and
religious tradition.
The Caste System
• According to the sacred texts (Vedas)
• Rigid 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: Vaisyas – 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 Vaisya caste, a store owner would be higher
than a traveling merchant. In most cases, same rules of interaction
would apply
• Caste based partly on occupation
Caste Rules
• Complex – Laws of Manu
• Meant to keep people spiritually pure = moksha
• Rule more strict for higher castes
• Protect from spiritual pollution
• Rules govern: cooking, eating habits, marriage,
employment, clothing, worship, manners
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
• Manners:
• greet in certain ways
• lower caste not sit in presence of higher caste
• Even names
• Each caste had a council to enforce caste rules
• Caste Panchayat: self-governing of an Indian caste
• Created interdependence: stability and order
• Castes looked after their own but depended on other castes
• Caste video – Caste Video YouTube 5 minutes
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 – clarifies butter use in cooking and religious
ceremonies
Pandit Roop Chand, headman of Tajpur village
Other Aspects of Early Hindu Life
• Family
• Identified 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 from 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
• Banned by British during 1829
• Legally from 1856 widows were allowed
to remarry
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?