CASTS. 



621 



Indian. 



the arts and manufacture* in civilized countries, lint 

 . ot these pleasing associations occur to the mind 

 on contemplating tin.- perfection of Imli.in workman- 

 ship, which iKvir fail to present themselves on consi- 

 oYring the improvement of the arts in other countries. 

 In the latter case, the proficiency of the artist is in ge- 

 neral an indication of enlargement of understanding, 

 and of scientific attainments ; in the former, it is ra- 

 ther a proof of mental degradation, when we consi- 

 der that mechanical dexterity in the arts has arisen 

 from the restriction of the faculties to one minute 

 point, beyond which they arc not permitted to wan- 

 der, and in which they have attained perfection by 

 expending all their energies in one unconnected ob- 

 ject. 



Dr Robertson having inadvertently said in his 

 Disquisition concerning India, that " what now is 

 in India, always was there, and is likely still to con- 

 tinue;" some writers have set to work to confute 

 him, without doing him the justice to acknowledge 

 that he himself has corrected the assertion in a note, 

 and admitted that very considerable changes have 

 taken place in Hindoo customs and manners. We 

 are happy to have it in our power to state, that the 

 influence of the pernicious system of casts which has 

 to long prevailed in India, is almost daily diminish- 

 ing, and in many cases is scarcely felt. This is so 

 contrary to what has been so frequently asserted on 

 the subject, that it is necessary for us to produce 

 our authority, which we hope will appear decided 

 and unexceptionable. We quote from Mr Cole- 

 brook's Remarks on the Husbandry, S$c. of Bengal; 

 a gentleman who was long a provincial judge in In- 

 dia, and who is well known for the accuracy of his 

 information on every subject connected with the cus- 

 toms and literature of India. " They (the Hindoos) 

 are, as it is well known, divided into four grand classes ; 

 but the three first of them are much less numerous 

 than the Soodra. The aggregate of Bramins, Ketri, 

 and Byse,* may amount at the most to a fifth of the 

 population ; and even these are not absolutely re- 

 stricted to their own appointed occupations. Com- 

 merce and agriculture are universally permitted : and 

 under the general designation of servants of the other 

 three tribes, the Soodras seem to be allowed to pro- 

 secute my manufacture. In this tribe are included 

 not only the true Soodras, but also the several casts 

 whose origin is ascribed to the promiscuous inter- 

 course of the four classes. To these also their se- 

 veral occupations were assigned : but neither are they 

 restricted by rigorous injunctions to their own ap- 

 pointed occupations. For any person unable to pro- 

 cure a subsistence by the exercise of his own profes- 

 sion, may earn a livelihood in the calling of a subor- 

 dinate cast, within certain limits in the scale of rela- 

 tive precedence assigned to each ; and no forfeiture 

 is now incurred by his intruding into a superior pro- 

 fession. It was, indeed, the duty of the Hindoo 

 magistrate to restrain the encroachments of inferior 

 tribes on the occupations of superior casts ; but un- 

 der a foreign government this restraint has no exist- 

 ence. In practice, little attention is paid to the limi- 

 tations to which we have here alluded ; daily ob- 

 servation shows even Bramins exercising the menial 



profession of a soodra. We are avrarc, that every 

 cast forms itelf into clubt or lodges, conmting of 

 the hi -ver.il individuals of that cast, rcbiding within a 

 small distance ; and that these clubs, or lodges, go- 

 vern themselves by particular rules and cust'unt, or 

 by-laws. But though some restrictions and limita- 

 tions, not founded on regions prejudiceo, are found 

 among their by-laws ; it may be received as a general 

 maxim, that the occupation, appointed for each tribe, 

 is entitled merely to a preference. Every profession, 

 with few exceptions, is open to every description ot 

 persons ; and the discouragement arising from reli- 

 gious prejudices, is not greater than what exists in 

 Great Britain, from the effects of municipal and cor- 

 poration laws." " If these facts and observation! 

 be not considered as a conclusive refutation of the 

 unfounded assertion made on this subject, we must 

 appeal to the experience of every gentleman who 

 may have resided in the provinces of Bengal, whe- 

 ther a change of occupation and profession does not 

 frequently and indefinitely occur ? Whether Bramins 

 are not employed in the most servile offices ? and 

 whether the Soodra is not seen elevated to situations 

 of respectability and importance ? In short, whether 

 the assertion above quoted, (respecting the influence of 

 the casts in preventing improvement in commerce and 

 agriculture,) be not altogether without foundation." 

 Remarks on the Husbandry. 8fC. of Bengal, p. 171. 



From this passage it will appear that another as- 

 sertion made by Dr Robertson, and by almost all 

 other writers on Indian casts, is without founda- 

 tion. He says in the Appendix to his Disquisition, 

 " though the line of separation be so drawn, as to 

 render the ascent from an inferior to a higher cast 

 absolutely impossible, and it would be regarded as a 

 most enormous impiety, if one in a lower order should 

 presume to perform any function belonging to those 

 of a superior cast ; yet in certain cases the pundits 

 declare it to be lawful for persons of a high class to 

 exercise some of the occupations allotted to a class 

 below their own, without losing their cast by doing 

 so." This is so far from being the case, that no for- 

 feiture is incurred by intruding into a superior pro- 

 fe.\sion, and the Soodra is permitted to prosecute any 

 manufacture, under the designation of servant to the 

 superior caste, by which he frequently rises to wealth 

 and eminence; whilst the lazy Bramin, who rests sa- 

 tisfied with his divine indefeasible right to pre-emi- 

 nence, sinks into poverty and merited contempt. 



The institution of casts, and the restriction to par- 

 ticular professions, have always been regarded as the 

 chief obstacles to the improvement of India. From 

 what we have stated, however, it does not appear that 

 they are so formidable- as is generally apprehended. 

 The natives themselves find it impracticable to ob- 

 serve these restrictions ; the inconvenience of which 

 is so great, and their absurdity so glaring, that 'the 

 only wonder is, that they have maintained their 

 ground so long. Our European settlers, however, 

 and those in particular who have at present the 

 greatest power in India, have uniformly acted as if 

 it were essential to the safety of their government 

 to uphold the present system of degradation and su- 

 perstition. The three superior casts, the Bramins, 



" We have here departed, for the sake of uniformity, from the mode of spelling adopted by our author : and should b gl*i 

 w have some specific rule for the orthography of Indian -words. 



