The book Sapiens explains that the Hindu caste system took shape around 3,000 years ago when the Indo-Aryan community invaded the Indian subcontinent and subjugated the local population. These invaders established a hierarchical society, seizing the dominant positions of priests (Brahmins) and warriors (Kshatriyas) while relegating the native inhabitants to servitude and slavery.
Israeli historian and professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Yuval Noah Harari, in his widely acclaimed book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, narrates the fascinating and fact-based evolution of human civilization. Originally published in English by Harvill Secker in 2014, Sapiens presents historical events from the age of primitive humans to the dominance of Homo sapiens over the world, supported by data and analysis.
The book provides a profound understanding of human social, economic, physical, and psychological evolution. While covering civilizations across the globe, Sapiens also delves into slavery, racism, and discrimination worldwide, drawing comparisons with casteism, superstition, and hypocrisy prevalent in India.
According to Sapiens, Hindus who adhere to the caste system believe that divine powers themselves created one caste superior to another. A prominent Hindu creation myth suggests that the gods created the universe from the body of a primordial being named Purusha. The sun originated from Purusha’s eyes, the moon from his mind, Brahmins from his mouth, Kshatriyas from his arms, Vaishyas from his thighs, and Shudras from his feet.
By accepting this explanation, the distinction between Brahmins and Shudras becomes as natural and eternal as the difference between the sun and the moon. Ancient Chinese believed that the goddess Nu Wa molded nobles from fine yellow clay, whereas commoners were shaped from brown mud.
However, our best understanding suggests that all these hierarchical structures are human inventions. Brahmins and Shudras were not created by gods from different parts of a cosmic entity’s body. Instead, the distinction between these castes emerged approximately 3,000 years ago through rules and norms devised by the people of northern India.
Contrary to Aristotle’s belief, there is no known biological difference between slaves and free people. Human-made norms and rules turned some into slaves and others into their masters. There are some biological differences between black and white people, such as skin color and hair texture, but there is no evidence that these differences extend to intelligence or morality. Most people claim that their own social hierarchy is natural and just, while dismissing other societies’ hierarchies as false and absurd.
Unfortunately, complex human societies seem to require imagined hierarchies and systemic discrimination. Although all social stratifications are not morally equivalent, and some societies suffer from more extreme forms of discrimination than others, scholars have yet to find a large society that has completely eliminated discrimination.
People often organize their societies by categorizing populations into imagined divisions such as elites, commoners, and slaves; white and black; noble and savage; Brahmin and Shudra; or rich and poor. These categories have governed relationships between millions of individuals by granting some people legal, political, or social superiority over others.
All societies are built upon imagined hierarchies, but these hierarchies vary across cultures. Why do these differences exist? Why did traditional Indian society classify people based on caste, the Ottoman Empire based on religion, and American society based on race? In most cases, hierarchical structures arose due to historical circumstances and became refined over generations as vested interests developed.
A page from the book Sapiens
Many scholars believe that the Hindu caste system took shape when the Indo-Aryan community invaded India around 3,000 years ago. These invaders, being a small minority, feared losing their privileged status and unique identity. To prevent this, they divided society into castes, each assigned a specific occupation or social role. Each caste had distinct legal rights, duties, and privileges, with strict prohibitions on inter-caste interactions, marriages, and even dining together. These divisions were not merely legal but became ingrained in religious beliefs and rituals.
The ruling elites justified the caste system as an eternal, universal reality rather than a historical accident. Concepts of purity and pollution were central to Hindu religious doctrine and were used to reinforce the social hierarchy. Devout Hindus were taught that even touching individuals from other castes could not only defile them personally but also pollute the entire society. This reinforced caste-based discrimination and justified social exclusion.
Such notions are not unique to Hinduism. Throughout history, and in nearly every society, beliefs about purity and pollution have played a significant role in maintaining social and political divisions. Elites have frequently manipulated these beliefs to maintain their privileged status.
The fear of impurity is not merely a product of priestly and royal deception. It likely has deep biological roots, as human survival instincts trigger an aversion to potential disease carriers, such as the sick and the dead. If a society wishes to isolate a particular community—be it women, Jews, Roma, homosexuals, or black people—the most effective strategy is to instill the belief that these groups are a source of contamination.
The Hindu caste system and its associated purity laws became deeply embedded in Indian culture. Long after the Indo-Aryan invasion was forgotten, Indians continued to believe in caste distinctions and fear the impurity of inter-caste mixing.
Whenever a new profession emerged or a new group sought to integrate into Hindu society, they had to establish themselves as a distinct caste. Those who failed to do so became true outcasts, denied even the lowest rung of the social hierarchy. These individuals, labeled as untouchables, were forced to live in segregation and sustain themselves through menial and degrading work, such as scavenging and handling waste. Even the lowest castes refused to socialize, eat, or marry them.
Even in modern India, marriage and employment are heavily influenced by caste, despite the democratic government’s efforts to break down these barriers and educate Hindus that caste mixing does not result in pollution.
About the Author, Yuval Noah Harari
Renowned historian Dr. Yuval Noah Harari holds a PhD in history from the University of Oxford and is a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Specializing in world history, his research explores broad questions such as: What is the relationship between history and biology? Is there justice in history? Has human progress led to greater happiness? Sapiens has become an international bestseller, translated into over 30 languages worldwide.
Courtesy: The Mooknayak
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