Lets talk about India's caste system

[Maula Jatt]

This BS worked back a 100 or so years ago, not relevant now, at all..

there are "shudra"business people, "kshatriya" religious folk and "Dalit" heads of state and in the forces.. incl. our current President now. Mr Kovind

where this "caste/varna" systems rears its head is mostly marriage, plus, they sprinkle it with Vedic astrology and all sorts too.


Same in India wrt Chowdharys.. in rural village India, they rule.. there's even a saying/angry retort "chowdhary ban raha hai ?"

I might be wrong, but from what I've heard the "Quarashis" are a traditional butcher clan.. meat traders, which kind of explains all the 1000s of quarashi resturants everywhere.. they can be a bit hit or miss though lol, you have to find the best ones.


may I ask what part of Pak you might originally be from ? ... not a Punjabi/Sindhi ?

Lahore- didnt see a lot of Qureshi's
It's mostly Indian Muslim phenomenon

of course, I also believe one needn't conform to stereotypes.

 

[Maula Jatt]

India without caste is an interesting alternate history to explore. But I think you are too generous to comment that India would have been 'richer than China' if not for such a system. Various other factors like climate, fertility of land and lack of easy accessibility to metal ores could have contributed to the unsustainable rise in population, inevitable poverty, stifled innovation and subsequent colonization of the subcontinent. While the practice of restricting education exclusively to the higher castes over hundreds of years is certainly detrimental, it has to be acknowledged that similar social pyramids were present in western civilizations as well.

The caste system in India is perhaps the most successful experiment in eugenics. I wonder if Hitler had put his cronies to study this for his European dream.

how? except for maybe Dalits, everyone looks the same- clearly unsuccessful eugenics
and not marrying different people groups is a common practice in the Arab world with tribes not marrying out, and many other cultures world over, not an India only phenomena

 

[Wood]

how? except for maybe Dalits, everyone looks the same- clearly unsuccessful eugenics
and not marrying different people groups is a common practice in the Arab world with tribes not marrying out, and many other cultures world over, not an India only phenomena

Eugenics is selective breeding to improve genetic quality of human population. The caste system allowed for the higher caste people to keep their genetic pool intact. Brahmins even made sure that inbreeding was not introduced by discouraging marriage within the same Gotra. I call it the most successful experiment because the system has survived largely intact for many centuries despite invasion and colonization by other cultures. I've collaborated with Indians extensively in work and have always found South Indian brahmins to be above average almost every time.

PS: Please do not assume from my comments that I support any sort of discriminatory traditions. Just being honest with what I've noticed in my experience. My experiences are likely to be limited and therefore always subjective.

 

[surya kiran]

This thread.

 

[RescueRanger]

First off, it is not exclusive to India.. Quarashis (butcher caste) and Chowdharys (landlord caste?) just as 2 examples are common across at least India and Pak within the Muslim lot.

So by applying your logic - apparently honorific surnames are castes in Pakistan?
---
I have compiled a list of some more potential Pakistani castes for you, based on your system:

• Awan's (Budget Malik's)
• Butt (Big Butt Caste) = Sorry to any butt's here
• Rashid's (Lal Hawali Caste)
• Malik ( former lordly caste)
• Raja's (Think they are royalty caste, but mainly drive Toyota Corolla's)
• Niazi / Nyazi (mostly bipolar caste)
• Rohkri (Broke Niazi's)
• Afiridis (Warrior Caste)
• Ghazini (Like Afradis but better looking caste)
• Gandapur (Big Mustache club caste - they carry big sticks!)
• Pirzada (Driving big Landcruiser's caste - speak farsi)
• Qizilbash (Like Pirzada's but more mainstream)
• Pasha (Ertugrul Caste)

 

[Drizzt]

 

[RescueRanger]

I am not going to hide my ignorance of Hindu religious customs and history, but after watching this the gist is the Brahmin was given a glass of water by an "untouchable" and he has somehow polluted the Brahmin, the Brahmin and Rama took exception as to how a "untouchable" could be pure and chaste, when he challenged the narrative rama kills him?

Is this a historical story that is being dramatized? Where can I read more about this please, I am presently trying to learn more about Hindu culture for my own personal interest.

 

[General Dong]

Pakistan still has many remants of Hindu culture in our society. This is just one example. People generally look down on Masali's, fakeers, mochis, kummies etc. I dont know if they are considered castes or clans, but i don't believe such prejudice is shown in the arab world towards people based on clan. But I could be mistaken. Arabs don't think much of South asians, so I won't be suprised .

 

[RescueRanger]

Pakistan still has many remants of Hindu culture in our society. This is just one example. People generally look down on Masali's, fakeers, mochis, gummies etc. I dont know if they are considered castes or clans, but i don't believe such prejudice is shown in the arab world towards people based on clan. But I could be mistaken. Arabs don't think much of South asians, so I won't be suprised .

Everyone thinks their shit doesn't stink... That's the reality of the world, we are all racist, some a little bit, some a lot!

 

[Maula Jatt]

View attachment 851940

So by applying your logic - apparently honorific surnames are castes in Pakistan?
---
I have compiled a list of some more potential Pakistani castes for you, based on your system:

• Awan's (Budget Malik's)
• Butt (Big Butt Caste) = Sorry to any butt's here
• Rashid's (Lal Hawali Caste)
• Malik ( former lordly caste)
• Raja's (Think they are royalty caste, but mainly drive Toyota Corolla's)
• Niazi / Nyazi (mostly bipolar caste)
• Rohkri (Broke Niazi's)

braah

• Afiridis (Warrior Caste)
• Ghazini (Like Afradis but better looking caste)
• Gandapur (Big Mustache club caste - they carry big sticks!)
• Pirzada (Driving big Landcruiser's caste - speak farsi)
• Qizilbash (Like Pirzada's but more mainstream)
• Pasha (Ertugrul Caste)

 

[Sharma Ji]

So by applying your logic - apparently honorific surnames are castes in Pakistan?
---
I have compiled a list of some more potential Pakistani castes for you, based on your system:

It is not my "logic", just what I happen to know.. clans/castes are probably a bigger cultural thing on your side of the border, or so I've heard from reliable sources or sources I'd consider reliable. Biradri rules eh ?

 

[RescueRanger]

It is not my "logic", just what I happen to know.. clans/castes are probably a bigger cultural thing on your side of the border, or so I've heard from reliable sources or sources I'd consider reliable. Biradri rules eh ?

Friend there is no “caste” system in Pakistan. It’s just upward and socially mobile people. No one gives a crap of you are a X or Y anymore, they look at your job, education, car, house, passport (in that order).

And I don’t know what tin pot is your source, but I’m a Pakistani- so I think I know what’s what in my own bloody country

 

[Sharma Ji]

Friend there is no “caste” system in Pakistan. It’s just upward and socially mobile people. No one gives a crap of you are a X or Y anymore, they look at your job, education, car, house, passport (in that order).

And I don’t know what tin pot is your source, but I’m a Pakistani- so I think I know what’s what in my own bloody country

Yeah, works exactly the same way here for the most part (except I've heard a few things to the contrary)

basically yahan bhi only 2 "castes" hai.. well to do and no so well to do/moneyed... rich and poor

shaadi/nikah ke mamley me but, as long as the monies is taken care of or people are well to do.. it is rarely brought up in polite society but there are elements/some people who take it seriously, but it is a fading thing.

one of my cousins happens to be married to a muslim, didn't think twice, or even once about that, it was lovely but.. she was dressed up in a lehenga that weighed 15 kilos.. much adorned with all sorts of gems and zari work and whathavyou.

 

[RescueRanger]

Yeah, works exactly the same way here for the most part (except I've heard a few things to the contrary)

basically yahan bhi only 2 "castes" hai..

What do you mean caste? You keep mentioning castes but there are no castes in Islam.

 

[Sharma Ji]

What do you mean caste? You keep mentioning castes but there are no castes in Islam.

Originally, if I'm not wrong (pls feel free to school me) it had exclusively to do with your line of work.

Hilariously observable within the Parsi community.. "yup, "sodabattliopenerwala"/"sodabottleopenerwala" and many "this or that wala" others, including "daruwala" lol are derived from historical work-centric blahs

There may not be castes in Islam but there is a hierarchy baked into it, just the same as any other belief system, tbf