Music of India 8, The Caste.

The Caste Structure of India.

Although in more recent times the caste system in India has due to humanitarian organisations been devolved. It is still vary apparent. The Caste system is a large part of  Indian society, and covers all of the Indian populous. Every separate ethnic group or tribe is associated with its own caste, of which there are over two thousand. These are generally situated within one of the four main castes:

1. Brahmin-  the priests
2. Kshatriya - warriors, nobles, and kings
3. Vaishya - farmers, merchants, and businessmen
4. Shudra  -servants and laborers

There is then a fifth caste known as Dalit or the untouchables, these were quite often seen as almost a sub-human group. Comprised of lower tribal groups and relegated to such jobs as toilet cleaners or rubbish removal, the Dalit were seen as unclean. So much so that it was forbidden for them to touch a person from a higher caste, and taken to the extreme that they were even forced to walk around ringing a bell to let other castes know they were coming, enabling the higher caste to avoid becoming 'polluted' by them.

This caste system was extremely strict, and the belief was held that you could never rise above the caste you were born into. Similarly marrying or consorting socially outside of your caste was also taboo, and could result in death for the lower caste member.

This separation is also present in the music. The dalit would have musically been similar to the work chants of African slaves, a simple call and response system interspersed with simple percussion of membranophones or idiophones. As the Dalit were not allowed to be educated, or allowed in temples and could be executed for hearing religious text,their music would have retained that tribal folk feel again not unlike the uneducated African slaves. The Shudra would have also had a more simplified form of music, perhaps slightly more elaborate than the Dalit simple melodic instrumentation would have been present, reed based aerophones and perhaps crude chordophones filling out the instrumentation available. 

The strictness of the caste system meant that a musician would not be allowed to play instruments of higher castes.

The majority of Indian music would have permeated form the middle castes predominately the Vaishya which was the caste closely associated with musicians, poets, dancers and actors.

Though as we have seen in modern times these caste divisions are less rigid. The Brahmin caste who once upon a time would have only played temple music, have now evolved into a more wider musical reportorial diversity. It is interesting to note however that Doctors fall into the Brahmin caste, and from personal experience I have seen how classical Hindustani music is still very much locked into that caste. Having worked with performers from this Caste I have seen first hand not only how complex the music is, but also that the caste mentality is still very deeply ingrained into the Indian psyche. It is also interesting to note that perhaps the most well known Indian musician Ravi Shankar, is also of the Brahmin caste.

 Shankar was born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, Chowdhury literally meaning 'Holder of Four' referring to the four castes, it is derived from the sanskrit Chatur Dhrit meaning "One who holds all the four varns (groups) of society" i.e respected by all.This shows how deeply routed the caste system is, even down to surname denoting your place in society.






Reference:
 Heitzman. James, and  Worden Robert L. editors. Section 89 'Caste and Class-Varna, Caste, and Other Divisions' 'India: A Country Study' Washington. The Library of Congress(1995).[online] available at< http://countrystudies.us/india/89.htm> (accessed 30 November 2013)
Unknown 'CHAPTER IV: CASTE AND FOOD The Newari Caste System'(no date) (article) [online] available at<http://web.comhem.se/~u18515267/CHAPTERIV.htm> (accessed 30 November 2013)
Dileep Karanth 'Caste in Medieval India: The Beginnings of a Reexamination' (no date)(article)[online]available at< http://www.infinityfoundation.com/mandala/h_es/h_es_karan_caste.htm> (accessed 30 November 2013)

Prof. M Narasimhachary' “So, you want to marry my daughter?” The Caste System: An Overview' Oxford Centre for Vaishnava and Hindu Studies 2002(lecture summary)[online] available at <http://www.ikfoundation.org.uk/eventfiles/IK%20Lecture%203%20Summary%20NSA%20oct02.pdf> (accessed 30 November 2013)

Vasey Christopher, 'The System of Castes-Shackle or benefit?' Health and Self Knowledge (no date) (article)[online] available at:<http://www.christophervasey.ch/anglais/articles/the_system_of_castes.html>

Pruthi R.K. 'Indian Caste System' New Dehli Discovery Publishing House 2004 pp.5-35,78-80 [online] available at:<http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=rC1bJcd-MDUC&pg> (accessed 30 November 2013) 

'CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA' anonlineindia.com (no date)(article) [online] available at:< http://www.anonlineindia.com/facts/caste-system.htm>(accessed: 30 November 2013)