Caste System: Jati ?

 

Caste System: Jati ?

Jati or castes are hereditary groups in hierarchical relation to one another, similar to the hierarchy among varna. Brahman castes are the highest while untouchable castes are the lowest. Those between these two extremes are placed according to regional hierarchies.

A caste group can be seen as an extended kin group because members of a caste marry among themselves. Caste endogamy is also explained by the term beti vyavahar as against roti vyavahar. Beti vyavahar refers to the practice of giving and taking of the daughters (beti) of different families within a caste.

Roti vyavahar means only the giving and taking of food (roti) with certain categories of people. It is possible to have roti vyavahar with people of castes other than one’s own. Lower castes accept cooked food and water from higher castes but the opposite is traditionally not permitted. There are certain rules and conditions which regulate the type of food which is accepted when offered to a person of higher caste. 

The caste groups claim their superior status by showing the evidence of their dietary practices in terms of acceptance/non-acceptance of food and water from particular castes. Besides food, there are also customary discriminatory practices related to different caste groups. For example, the untouchable castes were not permitted to enter certain parts of upper caste streets or houses and temples. This is a typical example of the idea of purity and pollution on which the ideology of caste is supposed to be based.

When we consider a caste to be high or low on the basis of its purity or pollution level, we refer to it as a ritual hierarchy of castes. The level of purity/ pollution is judged by the prevalent practices relating to acceptance/non- acceptance of food, entry to sacred places and widow-remarriage. 

In all these hierarchically arranged caste-groups, the scheme of dharma, artha, kama and moksha is followed without hatred or resentment towards the lower or the higher group. In other words, people born into a caste accept the sacred duty (dharma) of their caste and do not question the right to the higher caste-people to social privileges. Within their own caste they organise themselves for fulfilling several purposes. Let us say a few words about caste councils, which have specific functions in regulating the behaviour of their caste members.