Understanding the caste system in Mauritius
The social construction of India is dominated by the Hindu caste system. Caste refers to a inflexible system of ranked social inequality with vital limitations to mobility or to intimate associations between completely different strata. ‘Caste’ comes from the Portuguese phrase casta, that means lineage, breed, race or cat- egory, and is described by one or each of the 2 historic Indian ideas of varna and jati. The caste (varna) system has 4 ranked classes: clergymen (Brahmins), warriors (Kshatriyas), farmers and mer- chants (Vaisyas), and labourers and servants (Sudras). Nevertheless, the standing of the Sudra was truly increased than that of a fifth varna, the Panchama. This fifth varna was added at a later stage to incorporate the so-called untouchables, who had been excluded from the opposite 4 varna. Based mostly on socio-economic hierarchy, the varna system will be classi- fied into three castes: higher (Brahmins), center (Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras) and decrease (Panchama). In up to date India, the federal government refers to Panchama or untouchables as scheduled castes.
In Mauritius it’s also sophisticated by the a number of waves of migration which have taken place. Indians from completely different components of the subcontinent – Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh – usually reside side-by-side, together with members of different ethnic teams corresponding to Muslims of Indian heritage, Creoles, Chinese language and French. They’ve complicated social, cultural and financial interactions with each other. The fact of Mauritius has turn out to be complicated. It is because the Hindus in our nation have wrongly interpreted the “Varna Dharma”. The irony is that they don’t even have full information of the completely different ‘jatis’ or castes they usually have even failed to know that the “Varna Dharma” was a division of labour in response to the completely different aptitudes, capacities or qualities of individuals. Folks had a form of achieved standing. However, the ‘varna of Brāhmans’ generally recognized with the clergymen and realized class, is the “Maraze” in Mauritius. The ‘varna of Kshatriyas’ related to rulers and warriors together with property house owners, are the “Baboojee” in Mauritius. Apart from, the ‘varna of Vaishyas’ related to businessmen, farmers and merchants are the “Vaish” in Mauritius and are additionally in majority on the island. Eventually, the ‘varna of Shūdras’, that’s the servile labourers, are the “Rajput” (or “Dusadh”) and the “Ravived” (or “Chamar”) in Mauritius.
Bihar was the primary laboratory of optimistic discrimination within the Hindu belt. In truth, in Bihar, political energy is with decrease castes whereas financial surplus and bureaucratic rule stay decisively with higher castes. Bihar was definitely the epicentre of the post-1990 “silent revolution” that resulted, throughout the Hindi belt, within the switch of energy from higher castes to OBCs.
The time period ‘Dalit’ isn’t a homogenous class however consists of 22 caste teams that the federal government has labeled as Scheduled Castes (SC):
1 Bantar
2 Bauri
3 Bhogta
4 Bhuiya
5 Bhumij
6 Chaupal
7 Chamar (current in Mauritius)
8 Dabgar
9 Dhobi (current in Mauritius)
10 Dom
11 Dusadh (current in Mauritius)
12 Ghasi
13 Halalkhor
14 Hari/Mehtar
15 Kanjar
16 Kurariyar (current in Mauritius)
17 Lalbegi (current in Mauritius, a lot of whom adopted Islam later)
18 Musahar (introduced in Mauritius, largely quietly suppressed due to its shameful standing)
19 Nat
20 Noni (current in Mauritius)
21 Ravidas (current in Mauritius)
The Dusadhs (Paswans) are the one Dalit caste with the standard occupation as watchman, is usually ranked increased than different Dalit teams. Musahar (rat catcher), one of many largest Mahadalit castes, is considered the bottom within the caste hierarchy.
The Musahars primarily reside within the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. A big Musahar inhabitants has additionally settled in Nepal. In Bihar, with a inhabitants of over two million, the Musahars kind the third largest Dalit group within the state. They’re the poorest and probably the most discriminated towards of all of the Dalit castes in Bihar.
Musahars are portrayed as a fraction of a Dravidian tribe not too long ago however imperfectly absorbed into the Hindu caste system. Their origin will be traced to the Bhuiya tribe of Chotanagpur (in some components of Bihar they’re nonetheless often called Bhuiyas). It’s unlikely that the time period ‘Musahar’ was the unique title by which the neighborhood referred to itself. The time period has a pejorative that means, and it appears to be a part of a dominant discourse. Musa means ‘rat’ in Hindi, and ‘Musahar’ means ‘rat-eater/-killer’. Musahar is the title that their Hindu masters gave them due to their ‘non- Aryan’ and unclean behavior of consuming area mice. By the way, such a caste was additionally labeled in Vietnam, who had been the scavengers of paddy fields, and labored because the excrement carriers. The nation was then beneath the imperial rule, largely of the Chinese language kin, means that ‘Mushera’ (one other variant of the time period Musahar) derives from masu (flesh) and hera (seeker), presumably a extra complete time period than ‘rat-catcher’. In line with Brahmanical notions of purity and impurity, it was the follow amongst upper-caste Hindus to provide depreciatory names to lower-caste communities as a result of the upper-caste Hindus discovered the latter’s meals habits each revolting and impure. The title ‘Musahar’, though meant as a time period of reproach by caste Hindus, has now been accepted by the Musahars, this being the title by which they consult with themselves immediately.
The colonial representations employed the Brahmanical scale based mostly on the notion of purity and impurity to measure the social respectability of the Musahars and different Dalit teams. The lengthen of deprivation of human dignity included classes like ‘denied the providers of Brahmins as household clergymen, denied entry to Hindu temples, prompted air pollution by sure distance or proximity, not allowed to make use of to get water from the identical effectively as different castes, didn’t obtain mantra from a Brahmin or a acknowledged Hindu Guru, didn’t worship Hindu Gods, buried their lifeless, took to consuming beef and pork, and didn’t present reverence to cows.’
The Mushirs or Mousers as they be referred to as, are present in each village of Monghyr and half-starved even in instances of a lot. They seldom see cash, however obtain their scanty wages in coarse grain, which they flavour with rats, mice and snails and jungle roots while residing in hovels, which an English pig would take into account a poor lodging. One would think about that such individuals would discover problem in getting wives, however the opposite is the case, for bachelors and spinsters are unknown. For as they attain the age of puberty, they current themselves on the landlord’s home and having signed a deed binding themselves to stay in bondage for the time period of their pure lives, obtain a number of shillings in return, with which to entertain their associates at a wedding feast and to arrange a home.
In Bihar, as all over the place in rural India, energy and dominance are linked to the possession of land, which in flip is expounded to caste standing. Of the 4 higher castes in Bihar (Brahmans, Bhumihars, Rajputs and Kayasthas), who represent 12.7 % of the inhabitants, the Rajputs and the Bhumihars personal probably the most land and are dominant in rural areas. The higher stratum of the Different Backward Courses (OBC), comprising primarily the Yadav, Kurmi and Koeri, and constituting 19 per cent of the inhabitants, are additionally among the many landowning dominant castes within the state.
Bihari Mauritians are the descendants of primarily Bhojpuri and a few Awadhi talking migrants to Mauritius. A majority of Indo-Mauritians are of Bihari descent, and most of Mauritians are Indo-Mauritian Hindus: Brahmin (maraze), Bhumihar (babuji-Kshatriyas), Vaishya, Rajput, Koeri, Yadav, Kurmi, Bania (ahir), and Kayastha (dusadh, dhobi, chamar) castes. The higher stratum of the Different Backward Courses (OBC) as recognized in India, however not utilized in Mauritius, includes primarily of the Yadav, Kurmi and Koeri. Chamar is a dalit neighborhood labeled as a Scheduled Caste beneath fashionable India’s system of optimistic discrimination. Traditionally topic to untouchability, they had been historically exterior the Hindu ritual rating system of castes often called varna. They’re discovered all through the Indian subcontinent, primarily within the northern states of India and in Pakistan and Nepal. Chamars (those that cope with animal skins) who’ve adopted the weaving career and deserted tanning and leathercraft, establish themselves as Julaha Chamar.
Dusadh, are a Dalit neighborhood from jap India. They’re discovered primarily within the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. The urdu phrase Paswan means bodyguard or «one who defends». In Mauritius, Dusadhs aligned to name themselves Gehlot Rajputs with the solar as their image. This inspiration was taken from the actual rajputs of Rajasthan, who’re Kshatriyas, that’s, warriors. This controversial standing may be very conflicting as Dusadhs declare their origin from numerous people and epic characters as a way to search the upliftment of their social standing. Some consider that they’ve originated from Rahu, a superhuman and one of many planets in Hindu mythology whereas others declare their origin from Dushasana, one of many Kaurava princes. The claims concerning origin from «Gahlot Kshatriya» are additionally persistent by a few of the castemen however others view these claimants as inferior, as they don’t wish to be related to Rajputs. But, in Mauritius, this caste sanitised itself by calling it Rajputs. They’ve all the time been thought-about to be an untouchable neighborhood. In Bihar, they’re primarily landless, agricultural labourers and have traditionally been village watchmen and messengers. Previous to 1900, additionally they used to rear pigs significantly in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Dusadh defend the occupation of rearing pigs by stating it as a technique to counter the Muslims. They assert that, as a way to defend themselves from Muslims, Dusadh ladies used to put on amulets created from bones of pigs and saved pigs at their doorways, given the animosity of Muslims with pigs. Since Rajputs of Rajasthan additionally reared in addition to hunted wild pigs, this truth is utilized by them to defend this occupation which is corroborated by the truth that after the tip of Zamindari system, the standard occupation of serving as guards couldn’t present subsistence to them.
Historically, the Dhobi are washer males. The title dhobi is derived from the Hindi dhona (to clean). The Dhobi had been thought-about ‘untouchables’ – the bottom castes within the Hindu social hierarchy. India’s independence caused a brand new structure that lifted this age-old stigma of impurity.
In an agrarian society like Bihar, landlessness means rather more than materials poverty. Land represents many issues, together with financial, social and political energy, and with it respect. The Musahar and different Dalit teams’ complete lack of land has successfully prevented their participation within the decision-making course of in rural India. This powerlessness has additionally led to their lack of affect, particularly over native manifestations of the state, together with the police and welfare officers. Up to now, this identical vulnerability made them simple to be recruited as indentured labourers, which was one other disguised type of slavery, by the British colonisers. Many fled their dire conditions, money owed, everlasting bondage and disgrace for the hope of greener pastures. The hegemonic pursuits of the higher castes make sure that the OBCs all the time stay illiterate and, due to this fact, a available supply of low cost labour. Equally, until now, in fashionable India, the caste-centred feudal mode of manufacturing, due to their low place, are handled as slaves within the agricultural sector and in caste-defined menial occupations within the cities.
Although in comparison with different Dalit teams the OBCs have been gradual to sanskritize (i.e. emulate the tradition and customs of higher castes), the educated amongst them do see this as a manner of reaching upward social mobility. To be able to shed the damaging photographs connected to the neighborhood, some adopted generic surnames which give them anonymity, corresponding to Bharati, Prasad, Mondal and Kumar, rather than conventional names like Manjhi, Musahar or Rishidev.
The ignorance of the British colonists of castes and scheduled castes and tribes, untouchable castes made it simpler to meddle up names and origins once they had been registered as new employees for Mauritius. Many additionally obtained their names wrongly spelled and written, giving one other benefit of wiping off their tracks of untouchability. Via the course of time, the swell of the indentured employees gained new standing and began gravitating the economical ladder once they had been allowed to purchase land. And lots of aligned their names within the huge classes of Vaish quite than be referred to as Dalits or OBCs. Publish impartial Mauritius was pivotal in sanitising the Hindu inhabitants following Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam because the newly designated Prime Minister of the nation. SSR, being himself from a Koeri background made manner for almost all of the inhabitants of the nation to embrace a brand new future.
Curiously sufficient, not one of the Dharkars caste have been recorded as a part of the cohorts of indentured employees who had been delivered to Mauritius. As they’re sellers in reed and cane manufacture cane stools, chairs, palm leaf followers, matting for flooring and the like. However there have been Gosains, a non secular caste mentioned to descend from the lineage of Shri Hanuman and usually saved to the Brahmin (maraze) caste. Kamhar, Kohar or Kumhars – Conventional pottery makers, nonetheless exist of their predominant space of commerce immediately at Arsenal. Korathy – or tattooer caste was crucial as they transcribed individuals’s IDs as a tattoo. This later took kind as a mere flower or motif, when the internal castes obtained blurred. Many individuals of the older era bore the ‘godna’ or tattoo. Korathy turned Koyratee in Mauritius. Many who got here from Andhra and Tamil Nadu states had been of Lingayat – a hindu non secular sect of Shiva worshippers. The adherents of this religion are often called Lingayats. As we speak, they continue to be as Lingaya as a reputation on the island. Lonia or Nunia, or Loniya, Nonia are from the Uppara caste (Salt and Lime preparers/employees), however they adhered throughout the communities of Islamic merchants and later transformed to Islam. There are only a few recognized Nonias amongst Hindus. The largest Nonia ethnic group is in Malaysia, the place the generic title refers to overseas girls. Chinese language merchants (offspring of Fujian and Guandong) settlers from Malacca, Singapore, Malaysia intermarried the Indians who had been delivered to the islands for bonded slavery. They quickly attained a unique standing, the place the wealth of their husbands gave them a particular place within the society. Until date, the Nonia/Nyonya girls are thought-about extraordinarily expert of their cooking, and in reality the Nonia delicacies turned extremely popular with the seafarers. Momin – a Muslim subgroup, primarily settled in Port Louis, establishing their trades from their place of birth, Surat in Gujarat. They’re often called Surtis in Mauritius, additionally because the ‘white muslims’ as they took to commerce, turned rich and largely harbour a good wheatish complexion, not like the remaining Sunnis who’re additionally derogatorily referred to as ‘darkish muslims’. Primarily as a result of they fashioned a part of the mass which did guide works and likewise a part of the labourers the place they had been saved in sugar estates dwellings.
The Nai, Nao, Napit – Barber caste, has misplaced its traceability however one sees a person being referred to as to hold out rituals throughout Hindu weddings, when all of a sudden, one realises that there are nonetheless Naos on the market. Naick,Nayak, Nayaka, Nayakar, Naicker, Naickan, Nayakkan. They’re all derivatives of the unique Sanskrit Nayaka, that means a pacesetter, they’re discovered within the Tamil neighborhood in Mauritius. In addition to for Naidu, Naidoo which usually hail from Andhra Pradesh, however they obtained blended up and lots of Naidoo are actually Tamils in Mauritius as an alternative of Telugu. One other well-liked Tamil household title is Padayachi, which is likely one of the subsects of the Vanniyar caste. Historically Padayachis had been foot troopers. Equally, Pillai, Pillay, Pulle or Pilli – of Vellala Caste – dealing in agriculture or being landlords, belong to the Tamils in Mauritius. Sonar – neighborhood of goldsmiths, silversmiths and jewellers in Mauritius, though existed primarily among the many Tamils and Muslims, by no means actually took to be a household title, however got here to be often called Sona. The commerce was handed on to households in response to their proximity of the craftsmen. Teli – the title Teli is given due to their career of «making edible oil», this caste primarily hails from the Andhra and Konkan coasts. The topics are simply recognisable by their darkish complexion being within the sunniest areas and doing the cultivation of coconuts and extraction of its oil. Thevanga – a Telugu Caste, Chetty amongst each Tamils and Telugus – offers in agriculture and commerce. Chettiar refers to a member of any of the assorted South Indian castes of merchants, businessmen, and retailers. The title itself could also be from the Tamil honorific (eṭṭi) or from a Sanskrit phrase that means «wealth». There’s just one such household in Mauritius who’re textile tradesmen.
It’s to be famous that for some individuals, the caste system is historic, symbolic and for a lot of, philosophical. For some, it’s one thing to be happy with. For others, it means placing down different individuals. It’s excessive time to eliminate this caste system. Even India has legally abolished its caste system, but we the diluted Hindus are nonetheless holding on to it.