Give an account of the system of varnas described by Albiruni.

Question

.Read the excerpt and answer the following questions

System of varnas

This is Al-Biruni’* account of the system of varnas:

The highest caste are the Brahmana, of whom the books of the Hindus tell us that they were created from the head of Brahman. And as the Brahman is only another name for the force called nature, and the head is the highest part of the … body, the Brahmana are the choice part of the whole genus. Therefore the Hindus consider them as the very best of mankind. The next caste are the Kshatriya, who were created, as they say, from the shoulders and hands of Brahman. Their degree is not much below that of the Brahmana. After them follow the Vaishya, who were created from the thigh of Brahman. The Shudra, who were created from his feet . . . Between the latter two classes there is no very great distance. Much, however, as these classes differ from each other, they live together in the same towns and villages, mixed together in the same houses and lodgings.

i. Give an account of the system of varnas described by Albiruni.

ii. Describe why did he call it as social pollution?’

iii. Was this system contrary to the law of nature?

Answer 1

(i) System of Varnas

i. The highest caste was the Brahmanaand as the Brahman was only another name for the force called nature, and the head was the highest part of the body, the Brahmana are the choice part of the whole genus. Therefore the Hindus considered them as the very best of mankind.

ii. The next caste was the Kshatriya, who was created, as they say, from the shoulders and hands of Brahman. Their degree was not much below that of the Brahmana.

iii. After them follow the Vaishya, who were created from the thigh of Brahman iv. Shudra, who were created from his feet ... Between the latter two classes there is no very great distance.

(ii) As social pollution

i. Based on exploitation

ii. Created out of the Brahman/ nature

iii Differential treatment

(iii) He considered the caste system contrary to the law of nature as *** has created everyone equal and this system was not prevalent in the western society. He considered it as social pollution.