New Indian Census to Include Caste

[craziii]

ehh, if everything is dictated by the "need" of business, why the hell do we take up moral high ground on only some offenders? it is no wonder we are hated.

[Jom]

ehh, if everything is dictated by the "need" of business, why the hell do we take up moral high ground on only some offenders? it is no wonder we are hated.

Because those offenders don't have anything we want. Compare the West's approach to Mugabe with the one it takes to Saudi Arabia.

[Tiberios]

Hopefully India will get rid of the caste system. It's barbaric and must be abolished.

[Babur]

Hopefully India will get rid of the caste system. It's barbaric and must be abolished.

I hope so too

Is caste based on the religion? I always thought it
was a cultural thing.

It is a cultural thing, Muslims in South Asia also have a caste system

Sadly I know very little about Indian culture so Wiki had to suffice.. It says that there's no "universally accepted theory" for the origin of the caste system, which I take to mean.. who the feck knows?

Regardless it does seem very much Indian since Muslims and Christians have been a part of it as well.

it's a cultural thing, and you're right in saying that Muslims also believe in caste system

Indian culture and Indian religion are one and the same. Caste is primarily a Hindu thing though, but Hinduism is not a set codex like Christianity, it is just the way Indian culture is manifested.

I don't think so since Muslims also have a caste system of sorts

[removeduser_052420]

Muslims in South Asia don't really have a system that is comparable to the one that is used by the Hindus. Usually, its' just the dalits and such that converted to Islam never really improved their socio-economic status, and never gained the dignity and self-respect that they should have, so they are confined to the bottom of Society. No one really keeps them down there, as in Hinduism.

Sadly I know very little about Indian culture so Wiki had to suffice.. It says that there's no "universally accepted theory" for the origin of the caste system, which I take to mean.. who the feck knows?

IIRC, the caste system was used to subdue the local Indian populations when the Aryans invaded India thousands of years ago. The local Indians became the lower castes, and the light skinned invaders took the place at the top of society in the upper tier castes.

[motiv-8]

Was this before or after the advent of Hinduism?

[Heinz Guderian]

Was this before or after the advent of Hinduism?

We just dont know Jim. Narrowing down the time when Hinduism began/its advent is a pretty difficult project academically.

[removeduser_052420]

Was this before or after the advent of Hinduism?

After, I guess. The Aryans themselves created Hinduism, as a way of controlling the local Indian population, as they pushed the locals southward towards Tamil Nadu and Kerala. So in this way, South Indians are the "true" Indians, which can be seen in their dark skin and wavy hair, as compared to North Indians, who's skins are generally lighter.

Did Muslims escape the caste system via conversion, or did they just become another caste themselves?

To escape the Caste system, many hindus did in fact convert to Islam and Christianity. And I guess muslims in South Asia have their own pseudo caste-system? But it's not very noticeable, and doesn't really have much effect behind the lower classes of Pakistan. IE a lower-caste muslim couldn't be denied schooling in Pakistan just because of his caste, whereas if he was a lower-caste hindu in India, it might be that he be denied.

[Babur]

To escape the Caste system, many hindus did in fact convert to Islam and Christianity. And I guess muslims in South Asia have their own pseudo caste-system? But it's not very noticeable, and doesn't really have much effect behind the lower classes of Pakistan. IE a lower-caste muslim couldn't be denied schooling in Pakistan just because of his caste, whereas if he was a lower-caste hindu in India, it might be that he be denied.

Doesn't mean that they wouldn't be looked down upon though, Ashrafs (those claiming foreign descent) still may view themselves as superior to Ajlafs (Muslims who converted from Hinduism,Buddhism etc)

[removeduser_052420]

Doesn't mean that they wouldn't be looked down upon though, Ashrafs (those claiming foreign descent) still may view themselves as superior to Ajlafs (Muslims who converted from Hinduism,Buddhism etc)

Hmmm

Maybe the whole thing is more pronounced in India? You probably know more about this than me. I have never experienced it. In fact, I don't even know what caste I am

[Babur]

Hmmm

Maybe the whole thing is more pronounced in India? You probably know more about this than me. I have never experienced it. In fact, I don't even know what caste I am

check this:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste_s..._Asian_Muslims

[removeduser_4536284751384]

Was this before or after the advent of Hinduism?

a few thousand years after

[Kanaric]

Hinduism is more of a culture than religion.

Besides, culture and religion go hand in hand.

I understand, however my question basically was is that in hinduism if the religion specifcally state rules for caste structure or if it was more something that had to do with society as a whole

If muslims in that region also have castes then that answers possibly answers my question.

[SorelusImperion]

Regardless it does seem very much Indian since Muslims and Christians have been a part of it as well.

At least Muslims are not pat of the Indian caste system which was one of the main reasons for conversions to Islam as members of the Pariah caste tried to escape the system.

[motiv-8]

Did Muslims escape the caste system via conversion, or did they just become another caste themselves?