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Marriage and Position of Woman
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Even this freedom of marriage among the four Varnas was not allowed for a long time. Subsequently Sūdras were cast outside from the rest of the Varnas. The first three Varņas, viz., Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas, were allowed the freedom of having inter-marriage and inter-dining relations among themselves and not with the Sūdras who were asked to have dining and marriage relations with Sūdras alone.70
We have already seen that the Jaina community was originally divided into four classes only, viz., Brāhmaṇa, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra, and that the modern Jaina castes developed gradually out of these four classes.71 We have further noticed that the Hindu caste system considerably influenced the Jaina caste-system and that its prominent features are discernible in the Jaina community even now.72
The invariable characteristic of the caste system in India is its endogamous nature and its observance of certain rules restricting the choice of mates.73 It was but natural that these characteristics were accepted in toto by the Jaina castes when they were formed. Though there were a few instances of inter-marriages between different Jaina castes, 74 yet the general rule was to marry in one's own caste or sub-caste only. The same rule is adhered to even now. Along with this came in turn other restrictions which virtually limited the field of selection. According to the nature of restrictions limiting the field of selection, following types of endogamy are found in the Jaina community at present. (1) Caste or Sub-caste Endogamy :
The first restriction was that both the parties to the marital union must belong to the same caste.75 For marital purposes a sub-caste acts like a caste and the sub-caste virtually forms an endogamous group.76 Thus, castes like Saitavāla, Khandelavāla, Chaturtha, etc. which have no sub-divisions among them practise caste-endogamy. The Srimālī caste in Gujarātha has been divided into sub-castes and these sub-castes form their own endogamous groups.77 (2) Religious or Sectional Endogamy :
There are many castes in Jaina society which have got their counterparts in other societies. There are Agravālas, Srimālīs, Poravādas, etc. both among Hindus and Jainas and marital rela.
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