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Perspectives on the Study of Caste Systems: GS Ghurye

Ghurye’s approach towards caste is attributional Attributional approach discusses primarily the significant features of the caste system and what distinguishes it from other forms of social stratification. For Ghurye each caste was separated from the other in a hierarchical order. This ordering sprang from the attributes of a caste. Ghurye cognitively combined historical anthropological and sociological perspectives to understand caste and kinship system in India. He tried to analyze caste system through textual evidences using ancient texts; on the one hand and also from both structural and cultural perspectives, on the other hand. Ghurye studied caste system from a historical comparative and integrative perspective.

Later on he did comparative study of kinship of Indo-European cultures. In his study of caste and kinship, Ghurye emphasizes two important points :

1. The kin and caste networks in India had parallels in some other societies also.
2. The kinship and caste in India served in the past as integrative frameworks.
3. The evolution of society was based on the integration of diverse, racial or ethnic groups through these networks. Ghurye highlights six structural features of caste system as follows:
4. Segmental division : Membership of a caste group is acquired by birth and with it come the position in the rank order relative to other castes.
5. According to Ghurye, During british rule, people of different castes joined same occupation, say army therefore occupational status (Class Position) was same but in private life caste identities still dominant Even in British organization caste hierarchies persisted Caste was able to maintain its distinctive identity even in class structure or private life due to the reason that caste councils (having legislature, executive and judicial powers). British structure couldn’t touch private life Indian Caste man. Also, voluntaristic integration of caste culture through marriages, death, rituals strengthened case values and norms and accepted voluntarily dictates rules of caste councils. Therefore caste contributes to segmentation of people while culture promotes unity of people of India.
6. Hierarchy: Following from the above, society was arranged in rank orders, or relations of superiority or inferiority. Thus Brahmins were accepted as highest in the hierarchy and untouchables at the very bottom.
7. In opinion of Ghurye, Hierarchical nature of Indian society generally over glorified by westerns schools. They suffer from Eurocentric bias. Ghurye cites ‘Jon Hayer’s writings’ (1670) Hierarchical gradation of people clearly exists but hierarchical position of caste is not absolutely visible. For example, In south India, Brahmanical superiority is not automatic but constantly challenged or resisted Bhakti Saints were considered purer than Brahmins in reality. Kayasthas and Nayars asserted their position through mughal patronage. So hierarchical system (caste) persists; but hierarchical position in reality isn’t ideal Negotiation of internal forces. So actually caste is a Competitive Hierarchy.
8. Ghurye makes comparative analysis of food behaviour among various caste groups in different parts of the country (TN, Bengal, Maharashtra) to come forward with a conclusion that there is a strong correspondence between food hierarchy and caste hierarchy. Develops Interactional theory to caste. He concludes by indicating that if a caste receives highest no. of food items from maximum numbers of caste then lower is it’s position in caste hierarchy and vice versa.
9. Pollution and purity: In this idea the whole effort of a caste was to avoid contamination from polluting object (those involved in unclean occupations or of the lowest castes). This shunning of pollution is reflected in the residential separation of the caste group.
10. Civil and religious disabilities and privileges of different sections : These were placed on every caste which gave permission to its members only to interact with particular groups of people. This included its dress, speech, customs and rituals and from whom they could accept food. The system was geared to maintain purity of the group members, hence of the caste group.
11. Lack of choice of occupation: Ghurye felt that every caste had a traditional occupation. The clean castes had clean occupation whereas unclean and impure castes had defiling occupations.
12. Restrictions on marriage : This trait of the castes was very distinct and essential to keeping it together as a group that maintained its own distinct character. Essentially it maintained that one could only marry within ones castes.

Besides the above characteristics, Ghurye laid particular stress on endogamy as the most important feature of the caste system. Any effective unit of the caste hierarchy is marked by endogamy. Every caste had in the past segmented into smaller sub-divisions or sub-castes. Each of these sub-castes practiced endogamy. For example, Vaishya castes are divided into various sub-castes such as Agrawal, Maheshwari etc.

Caste is also linked with kinship through caste endogamy and also clan (gotra) exogamy. Gotra has been treated as thoroughly exogamous unit by the Brahmins and later by the non-Brahmins. The basic notion here is that all the members of a gotra are related to one another, through blood, i.e., they have rishi (sage) as their common ancestor. Therefore, marriage between two persons of the same gotra will lead to incestuous relationship. It will lead the lineage of the gotra to near extinction.

The relationship between caste and kinship is very close because

1. Exogamy in our society is largely based on kinship, either real or imaginary and
2. The effective unit of caste, sub-caste is largely constituted of kinsmen.

To Ghurye, these are three types of marriage restrictions in our society, which shape the relationship between caste and kinship. These are endogamy, exogamy and hypergamy. Exogamy can be divided into parts:

1. Sapinda or prohibited degrees of kin, and
2. Sept or gotra exogamy-The gotra were kin categories of Indo-European cultures which systematized the rank and status of the people. These categories were derived from rishis (saints) of the past These rishis were the real or eponymous founder of the gotra. In India, descent has not always been traced to the blood tie. The lineages were often based on spiritual descent from sages of the past. Outside the kinship, one might notice the guru-shisya (teacher-student) relationship, which is also based on spiritual descent. A disciple is proud to trace his descent from a master. Likewise, caste and sub-caste integrated people into a ranked order based on norms of purity pollution. The rules of endogamy and commensality marked off castes from each other. This was integrative instrument, which organized from into a totality or collectivity.The Hindu religion provided the conceptual and ritualistic guidelines for this integration. The Brahmins of India played a key role in legitimizing the caste ranks and orders through their interpretation of Dharmashastras, which were the compendia of scared codes.
3. Ghurye said caste system is a functional division, provides order to Indian society. He did not refer to pitfalls, drawbacks which have entered the caste system. He opposed caste riots near Bombay in between Brahmans and untouchables. He said such things are happening because different caste groups are not following their classical duties or dharma.
4. Ghurye has been criticized by Coral Upadhyay, as he provides Hindu classical view of caste system. Upadhyay said Ghurye has not been an empirical sociologist and he did not refer to the ideological aspects of caste system. Which could have strengthened these ideas.
5. Sujatha Patel said, his view are Brahmanical views which cannot be sustained in all parts of India. She said in certain areas Brahmans are not regarded ritually superior.

M N Srinivas

Louis Dumont

Andre Beteille

The End of the Blog: Perspectives on the Study of Caste Systems: GS Ghurye