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Vol. XXII, No. 4
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Not to speak of a Brāhmaṇa, even a Shadra becomes polluted if Ulladan approaches within 40 hands. Nāyadi approaching within 200 hands pollutes everyone. If somecome intends to give them alms it is placed on the ground and the giver goes away. Then they approach with fear and collect it."'20
The attitude of the untouchables towards the Brāhmaṇas is described in the same work:
"The Brāhmanas are untouchables to the Parias the same way the Parias are untouchables to the Brāhmanas. A Brāhmana passing through the quarters of the Parias or Holeyas is beaten, formerly it is said he was killed sometimes. Then after the Brāhmaṇa has left, they purify their locality with cowdung "21
"The Holeyas are regarded as a very low caste Their residence becomes totally impure by the contact of a Brāhmaṇa. Only a little earlier they would kill the Brāhmanas entering their village. The
ipateeyās of Orissa can eat the refuse of all but Brahmaņas, king, barbers and washermen are untouchable to them. There are other low castes like these who regard the food touched by a Brāhmaṇa as impure."22 Other Grounds
Other arguments are advanced to establish that caste system and untouchability were borrowed from non-Aryans namely,
"1. The Aryans had no caste-system in fact when they came to India, if they had it was not significant. Its rigours increased gradually.''21
2. "The Aryans in Ancient Greece, Rome and Germany had the pride of nobility but nothing like caste-system. The caste-system of the type is not seen in the fire-worshippers of Iran either. The Parsis do not believe in the caste-distinctions".24
3. "It is not sharp in predominantly Aryan regions of Punjab etc. It is sharp only in predominantly non-Aryan South,"25
The conclusion drawn from the above is "...the Aryans did not bring this institution with them. They found this monstrous discrimination prevailing in the non-Aryans and could not overcome it. Probably they tried to discard it for a long time but had to submit to the majority subsequently."26 Basic Errors
The theory is open to following objections :
1. To mark out caste-system and untouchability as something borrowed from non-Aryans implies a conviction in the impossibility of its appearance in the Aryan society in any case. But the develop. ment of a society does not depend on the virtues and vices of a
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