Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 54

PART
I
GENERAL VIEW OF SOCIETY IN INDIA,
AND GENERAL REMARKS ON THE CASTE SYSTEM
CHAPTER
I
—
Castes peculiar to Certain Pro-
Division and Subdivision of Castes.
Division of Castes
Particular Usages of some Castes.
vinces.
founded on Parentage. Subordination of Castes. Outward Signs
Division of Caste-groups into Right-hand and
of certain Castes.
Left-hand.
—
—
—
—
—
The word caste is derived from the Portuguese, and is
used in Europe to designate the different tribes or classes
into which the people of India are divided l
The most
ordinary classification, and at the same time the most
.
ancient, divides them into four main
and most distinguished of all is that
Brahmins the second in rank is that
castes.
;
Rajahs
chants
;
;
The
first
of Brahmana,
of Kshatriyas,
or
or
the third the Vaisyas, or Landholders and Mer-
and the fourth the Sudras, or
and
Cultivators
Menials.
The functions proper to each of these four main castes
for
for Brahmins, priesthood and its various duties
are
Kshatriyas, military service in all its branches
for Vaisyas,
agriculture, trade, and cattle-breeding
and for Sudras,
general servitude.
But I will describe more fully hereafter
the several social distinctions which are attached to each
:
;
;
;
of them.
Each of the four main castes
others, the number of which it
is
is
subdivided into many
difficult to determine
The Sanskrit word is Varna = colour, thus showing that upon the
difference of colour between the Aryan Brahmins and the aboriginal
inhabitants the distinction of caste was originally founded.
Pope.
1