Indian Antiquary Vol 41

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 105

Mar, 1912.]
THE CASTES IN INDIA
101
THE CASTES IN INDIA. BY E. SENART OF THE INSTITUT DE FRANCE.
(Translated in part from the French)
BY REV. A. HEGGLIN, S. J.; BOMBAY. [In the following pages we give to the readers of the Indian Antiquary, the translation of part of a work on Caste which is justly entitled to particular notice. The title of the work is : Les Castes dans L'Inde. Emile Senart, Membre de l'Institut, Paris, Ernest Leroux, Editeur, 28, Rue Bonaparte, 28, 1896.
The author is a great and enthusiastic French Orientalist, well known by a series of original works on topics drawn from the Pali and the Sanskrit. His book, Les Castes dans l'Inde containing 22 pages of proface and 257 pages of text in 0., is divided into three chapters, each subdivided into paragraphs. The first chapter, inscribed Le Présent, treats the caste-system in its present features ; the second entitled Le Passé, shows the system in the light thrown upon it by the standard works of Sanskrit literature. These two chapters form the basis on which the author .builds up his theory on the origins of the caste-system in the third chapter. For European readers, wbo have never been in India, they are most instructive, and, we think, even indispensable ; but Indian readers, who are either members of castes themselves, or, are at least familiar with the working of the caste-system and with the traditional views of the past regarding it, will have no difficulty in finding their way tbrough the third chapter, without having read the preceding two.
We, therefore, confine ourselves to a translation of the third chapter which is headed Les Origines, and in which the chief interest of the book lies. The solution of the riddle of the caste-system as a historical institution, which Monsieur Benart set forth in this chapter, has certainly the charm of originality, if not of an all-round satisfactory and final explanation, as far as such can be reached in so complex a problem.
With these few remarks of introduction, we now give the translation of the third chapter.ED]
Chapter III.-The Origins. I.-The systems of explanation. The Traditionalists. II.-Profession as the foundation of Caste. Mr. Nesfield and Mr. [Sir Denzil ] Ibbetson. III.—Race as the foundation of Caste. Mr. [Sir Herbert ] Risley. IV.-Oaste and the Aryan constitution of the family,
7.-Genesis of the Indian Caste. VI.-General survey, Caste and the Indian mind,
From the day when it aroused the attention of men of an inquisitive mind, the problem of the origin of the castes has often been treated and from various stand points. Many systems have been set forth. I think, I may shorten their list without much scruple.
I leave aside from the very beginning those explanations which are too general, or too histy, or which are not based upon close study, nor do sufficiently master the ground occupied by the problem.
Various groups may be formed amongst those attempts which are recent enough to be completely informed, it will be sufficient to fix their tendencies by examples. This will not be a matter of mere curiosity. This summary view will furnish the occasion of clearing the ground, and Pre shall come nearer probable solutions, even if it were only by way of successive elimination.