Jlany ^Titers have claimed for caste a trans-Hima- layan origin, while others have supposed that it origin- ated with the successive waves of emigration within the plains of India. Professor lioth thus states this view : " When the Vedic people, driven by some polit- ical shock, advanced from their abodes in the Punjaub fiurther and further south, and drove the aborigines into the hills, and took possession of the country lying be- tween the Ganges, the Jumna, and the Vindliya Jloim- tains, circumstances required and favored such an or- ganization of society as was therein developed." On
the other hand, Dr. Haug says: "From all we know, the real origin of caste appears to go back to a time an- terior to the composition of the Vedic hymns, though its development into a regular system with insurmount- able barriers can be referred only to the latest period of the Vedic times."
2. Extent. — But, whatever may have been its origin, it is now a complex and highly artificial system, multi- form in shape, and often so blended with the ordinarj' usages of society and the minute division of labor to which the older civilizations tend, that it is very diiH- cult to make a comjilete or satisfactory analj'sis of it, A close inspection of the census returns to the British government in the north-west provinces of India in 18GG shows that it is very much more variable than was formerly supposed. Sometimes the minuter divisions into classes seems to follow no other tlian the lines of the occupations of the jieoplc, and they are accordingly returned as belonging to the caste of tailors, or shop- men, etc., without other discrimination. This "Blue book" thus enrolled more than three hundred distinct castes within that political division. There is, however, after a general fashion, a maintenance of the general classifications, as (1) Brahmans, (2) Kshatlriijas. (3) Va- ishyas, and (4) Sudra ; below which is a yet more de- based class, (5) known as Pariahs, or outcasts, to be found in all portions of the country. The four greater castes above named answer to priestly, warrior, agricul- tural, and artisan, or servant classes. We note in this census return hereditary priests, rope-dancers, sweepers, elephant-drivers, turban-winders, ear-piercers and clean- ers, charmers, makers of crowns for idols, and even he- reditarj' beggars and common blackguards.
3. Rules. — These castes are all hereditaiy, the son al- ways following the occupation of the father, however overburdened some departments of occupation may be- come by the accidents of birth. No classes except the highest two are assumed to intermarrj', and all es- chew contact with a lower class. They do not eat to- getlier, nor cook for nor serve food to each other. This dislike of contact extends to their vessels and other utensils. The usages, liowever, seem often arbitrarj"-. Smoking from the bowl of another's pipe may not be an offence if one can make a stem of his fist, but the stem or snake of the pipe must not be touched, or it is ren- dered worthless to all parties. It is in accordance with caste requirement that brass or copper utensils should be moved from ]5lace to place, but an earthen vessel once used for cooked food or water must not be trans- ported to another locality. Loads may be carried on the head by some castes, on the back by some, and not at all by others. The poorest Hindu family do not wash their own clothes, yet the loin-cloth must always be washed by the wearer of it. If a Hindu were touch- ed by a man of an inferior caste while eating, he would not only throw away all the food he had cooked, but would even spit out what might cliance to be in his mouth at the instant.
The accumulation of motive for the preservation of caste purity is astounding. The slightest variation from custom is at once visited with punishment or fines, while the graver offences become the gTound of expul- sion literaUy from all human society, and of disabilities in business and disinheritance; and, believing in ances- tor worship as the Hindu does, and that the happiness of his departed relatives is dependent on his performing the manes, the additional curse comes upon him of being disabled from performing these ceremonies because of caste impurity.
4. Effects. — The caste policy of India checks genius, yet as from the first the individual knows what his life- business is to be, he pursues it, and attains a skill in handicraft uneipialled. The Indian system tends like- wise to give permanence to institutions, but it unfor- tunately perjietuates evils also. It has been the great hinderance to all progress, civil, political, religious, or social, and has presented the greatest obstacles to the
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progress of Christianity. The railroads and other Eu- ropean conveniences have by some been looked upon as likely to make great innovations on caste-usage. There is already a large and -.veU-organized portion of the population known as Brahmists who wholly ignore castes. See Hindus, Modern.
There is much less of caste observance among what is considered to be an older population than the Hindu, such as the people inhabiting the Himalaya Mountains, and the "wild tribes" of Central India.
See Mulr's Sanskrit Texts, vol. i (Lond. 1868) ; Cole- brook's Miscellaneous Essays ; Wilson's Transl Vishnu Ptirdnn ; iliiller, Chips, ii, 295 sq. (J. T. G.)