Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 60
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
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MAY, 1981)
POSSIBLE ORIGIN OF THE CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA
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POSSIBLE ORIGIN OF THE CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA.
BY BIREN BONNERJEA, D.LETT. (PARIS).
(Continued from page 70.) And the cephalio index of the different castes is as follows:
Dolichocephalic. Mesaticephalic. Brachycephalic. Munda Bduri
78.1 Lohár
758 Orion
78.7 Santal
75.8 MAl-Pahariya
78.8 Kurmi
75.8 Teli
78.9 Tăti
76.0 Bhuiya
76.2 Dom
76.4 Mooi
76.5 Vaidya
76.6 Bagdi
76.9 Birhor
76.9 Kaivarrta
77.2 Malo
77.2 GWAIA
77.5 Pod
77.6 Sadgop
7708 Pukuriya
77.9 SonAr Vene (Vaņik] ..
78.0 Gandha Vanik
78.1 Kayastha
78.3 Casa
78.6 Brahmana ..
79.6 Barendra Brahmana
79.7 Raphi Brahmana .. In other words, the result obtained from my own researcher is that the population of Bengal and the gurrounding parts at least, where oaste is as prevalent as anywhere ou, is of the type which may be called the mesorrhyne mesatioephalio cymotrichi.
Consequently, from the above tables we see that soveral anthropological types are met with in each partioular oaste, and therefore caste cannot be taken as a somatological divi. sion. The colour, too, is just as elusive. In the northern parts of India people are fair-oomplexioned, and the more we go south the darker the skin colour becomes. During my last visit to India I had taken some potes on the prevailing colours among different tribes and castes; but after a time, I gave up the attempt as futile. In every Oaste, nay in every family, the skin colour varies from light olive to dark brown; but black is rarely found. In some of the Brahmana families I visited, I found the colour of some members of the family like that of a Spaniard or that of an Italian of the south, whereas others had a skin colour very nearly approaching that of bronze. A Bengali proverb, however, struok me a signifiant The proverb, in the original, runs thus :
"Kala Bamun, Karl Suddur, büfe Mwealman,
Ghar-jdmdi dr preyi-putra, pdc-i saman; "36 34 - Ablak Beach , fair sadra, a short Muhammadan, son-in-law (who caroids to live poems nently with his parents-in-law) and as adopted son are all the samo (moaning, "tarred while the same brush ").
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