HISTORY

TOPIC: THE ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABLES

Submitted by:
MRUDULA SARAMPALLY
SEMESTER I
2014104

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE

Page Number

DECLARATION BY THE CANDIDATE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

INTRODUCTION

DEFINITIONS OF UNTOUCHABILITY

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF UNTOUCHABILITY

ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABILITY IN LATER VEDIC ERA

THEORIES THAT PROPOUNDED THE ORIGIN OF

UNTOUCHABILITY

ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABILITY IN MEDIVIAL INDIA

10

12

A BREIF VIEW OF THE ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABLES IN

DIFFERENT STATES OF INDIA

THE BURAKU OF JAPAN

CONCLUSION

13

14
16

CERTIFICATE
TitleoftheSubject:HISTORYII
NameoftheFaculty:VISHWANATHMADASU
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Date&Signatureofthe
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Remarks

Abstract
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SecondConsultation
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Submission

I,S.MRUDULA,herebydeclarethatthisProjecttitledTHEORIGINOF
UNTOUCHABLESsubmittedbymeisanoriginalworkundertakenbyme.Ihaveduly
acknowledgedallthesourcesfromwhichtheideasandextractshavebeentaken.The
projectisfreefromanyplagiarismissue.

(Signatureofthe
Candidate)
Place:Visakhapatnam
Date:11/11/2014

S.MRUDULA
2014104
Semester I

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank Mr Dr.Vishwachandranath garu for giving me the opportunity to do this
project named 44th amendment of Indian constitution which was quite interesting and
informative. I would also like to thank my friends who helped me to finish the project.

INTRODUCTION:
The origin of the term Sudra comes from the word, 'suc' which means to be sorrowful while
as per some other group it comes from 'ksudra' which means trifling. Numerous groups
dictate Sudras to be non-Aryans. However, there are some groups of Aryans who were also
designated as Sudras, but in a very less number.
In ancient India, the Rig Veda divided the society into four varnas in accordance with the
human being that is to say Brahmins from the Purusa(the primeval man), Kshyatriyas from
the arms, vaishyas from the Thighs and Sudras from the feet. This division marked the
formation of Aryan Agrarian Society. The Brahmins, were the highest ranked Varna who held
the positions of priest and teacher of the Vedas; the kshyatriyas took charge of politics and the
military; the vaishyas formed the group of cultivators, herders and merchants; and the Sudras
were deprived to the position of servants. The top three varnas, members of Aryan society,
were called the Dvijati, or 'twice born', and were allowed to participate in the religious
worship. In contrast, the Sudras were segregated from the Dvijati as Ekajati, who were born
only once from their mothers' wombs. Below the Sudras, a class of inferior people existed, in
which the 'Chandalas', or 'untouchables'. It was believed that the Sudras were born only to
serve the brahmins and any wealth acquainted by the Sudra belonged to the Brahmins.
Marriage is permitted only in one's own Varna. This rule was often broken. But any twiceborn male who took a Sudra to be his wife would become the object of particular scorn. If a
twice- born male had only one wife i.e., anuloma marriages and she was of Sudra status, he
would be considered to be in a state of ritual impurity and would be forbidden to attend
family ceremonies. On the other hand, any Sudra male who approached a twice-born female,
i.e., pratiloma marriages, behaved like a twice-born Varna in everyday life. The Sudras were
neglected or ignored during the times of distress and emergency.
Un-touch-ability carries a sense of contamination and abuse. It also, implies convinced socioreligious incapacities. Untouchability includes customs, practices given by the rigid Indian
caste system where persons belonging to the scheduled caste were debarred from entering
Hindu Temples, public places, streets, public conveyances, eating place, educational
institutions, etc.

MEANING OF UNTOUCHABILITY:
Untouchability is defined as the quality or condition of being an untouchable, ascribed in the
Vedic tradition to persons of low caste or to persons excluded from the caste system.
Untouchables means pollution by the touch of a particular group of persons or family born in
a caste. This system is generally seen in Hindu society. The Webster's dictionary describes the
Untouchables as, members of a large hereditary group in India having traditional Hindu
belief and quality of defiling by contact the persons, food or drink of a member of a higher
caste, and formerly being strictly degraded and restricted to menial work.
DEFINITIONS OF UNTOUCHABILITY:
a) Maharashi V.R. Shinde:
A nation-wide co-institution indicating three features of often observing pollution, asking to
live outside of village and not giving equal legal protection of law.
b) Mahatma M.K. Gandhi:
Untouchability means pollution by the touch of certain persons by reason of their birth in a
particular state of family.
c) Dr. Babasaheb B.R. Ambedkar:
Untouchability is the notion of defilement, it is a case of permanent hereditary stain which
nothing can cleanse
d) Mr. Justice N. Sreenivasan Rao:
The use of the work untouchability refers to the meaning of the term in the context of the
historical development of the practice and does not connote its literal meaning.1

1 Dr. Vijaykumar H. Salimani, Eradication of Untouchabilty, First Edition, LAXMI BOOK

PUBLICATION 258/34, Raviwar Peth, Solapur, Pg 5.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF UNTOCHABILITY:

1. CASTE AND UNTOUCHABILITY:
A caste can be defined as a social class, made distinct from others by differences in rank,
profession, or wealth. The caste system in India has been heavily influenced by the Hindu
religion. In Hinduism, everyone is born into a caste (or jati). The untouchability is not a
unique feature in itself and is a by product of the caste system that has evolved through
centuries which was based on Manu smriti, vedas and religious scriptures but untouchability
has been evolved on the introduction of buddhism and the continuation of beef-eating by the
so called untouchables in the society. The Brahmins are the ones who imposed restrictions on
the lower caste people who were observed as untouchables in the society. The caste system
which was divided into four varnas originally and was later transformed into thousands of
castes and sub-castes, which classified people touchables and untouchables in the society.
These people who were touchables symbolised themselves as a symbol of purity considering
the others are impure. Untouchability was considered as a rule of external behaviour with the
so called lower strata of people.2
2. HINDUISM- ONLY MEANS OF UNTOUCHABILITY:
Untouchability is only seen in the Hinduism whose rules were always propounded by the
Brahmins and others followed it considering them the informers of god. They even imposed
certain disabilities or conditions on these section of people who were forbidden from doing
various activities in the society. It was originated from the very basic principle of hatred
towards the adopted religion that is Buddhism in the society. In this sense, untouchability is
the unique feature of Hinduism which in the present scenario cannot be defended as it has
been abolished by the Constitution of India.
3. SLAVERY AND UNTOUCHABILITY:
A slave is a person who is born without any rights or status and always works under some or
the other person. He is always controlled by the owner or the person under whom he was
working. He has no property for himself and in turn becomes the property of others.
Manu gave the seven reasons for a person to become a slave for some person. They are,
2Dr. Vijaykumar H. Salimani, Eradication of Untouchabilty, First Edition, LAXMI BOOK
PUBLICATION 258/34, Raviwar Peth, Solapur, Pg 12.

Those people who were made captive in war

Those who were in search of bread for their livelihood
People born in the houses of Dasi putra or children of slaves.
People who were bought
People who were gifted or presented by others
Those people who were inherited from ancestors
People who were given a punishment to work as slaves3

Untouchables were treated as slaves and were sold, mortgaged like other property like land
etc till the recent past. They were not only treated as untouchables but also as useable and
unapproachable. Untouchables were the workers of high caste people who were dominated
and controlled by them.
4. IMPURITY:
Untouchables in the early era were considered to be impure which had various categories that
make a person impure in his own way. These persons being impure were considered to be a
evil in the society. Impurity is the main characteristic feature of untouchability. The following
are some of the ways that made a person impure. Impurity,

based on birth.
based on death.
based on occupation.
based on menstruation.
based on territory.
based on conversion and so on.

5. POVERTY AND ILLITERACY:

Due to lack of education and money these people who were treated as untouchables tolerated
the dominance of the higher caste people. In the society, there was no social equality and
economic equality. But it has to be understood that untouchability has not been originated
from these issues. Here, untouchability is the cause of the problem and poverty and illiteracy
made the problem of untouchability even more severe and complicated.
The untouchables were looked down in the society and were subjected to various
conditions like, they were prevented from entering the place of worship and participating in
3Dr. Vijaykumar H. Salimani, Eradication of Untouchabilty, First Edition, LAXMI BOOK
PUBLICATION 258/34, Raviwar Peth, SolapurPg 17.

the religious activities of god, they were restricted from the usage of refinery and jewellery,
preaching about untouchability on a philosophical ground, insult made when they were seen,
discrimination made in private and public palces and so on and so forth.

ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABILITY IN LATER VEDIC ERA:

The name Chandala was originally the name of an indigenous tribe carrying on hunting and
gathering in the forests. This term was defined as those persons who destroy the purity either
by a direct contact or through indirect contact are said to be Chandalas. According to the
Hindu law codes, the chandalas, the untouchables of ancient times, was the son or daughter
of a Sudra father and a twice-born mother, i.e. the offspring of the most condemned pratiloma
marriages. But this theory of the origin of untouchables, is a product of Varna system.
Chandalas came into existence in around the end of Later Vedic Era i.e., 1000 B.C to 600
B.C. During this era the Aryans, were mainly herders, moved into the upper and middle
reaches of the Ganga basin and formed an agrarian society and formed states. There was a
close relationship between the formation of agrarian society and the origin of untouchables.
The brahmins secured their position in the society even when the kshyatriyas ruled the Ganga
basin, who had the Brahmins for the political support in the administration, propounded to
maintain the untouchability in the society.4 The continued and developed hatred on the flesh
eating and hunting among the brahmins also contributed for the lower class people to remain
much more backward than what they actually ought to be as it destroyed the level of purity
which the Brahmins believed is the main component to establish supremacy or to be called as
higher class and to maintain the higher standards in the society. The existence of
untouchables functioned to displace the dissatisfaction of the direct producers, Vaishyas and
Sudras, within the Varna-based society.
Restrictions imposed on Sudras as per the Dharma sutras:
The Dharma sutras defined sudras or the untouchables as, "people who will pollute the twiceborn by either direct or indirect contact". As per the rules contained in the Dharma sutras
which were compiled between 600 B.C to 300 B.C, Sudras were born from the feet, they
were to serve the three upper varnas i.e., Brahmins, Kshyatriyas and the Vaishyas. They were
to live their livelihood with the small amounts of compensation received from the higher
4 Edited by H.Kotani, Caste system, Untouchability and the depressed, 1997 Pg 10.

varnas, like 'cast-off shoes, umbrellas, garments, mats, and left-over food' for the services
they rendered. A Sudra whose master had fallen into poverty was required to assist him with
the wealth he had accumulated during his servitude. On the other hand, the Dharma sutras
also require masters to care for and support their Sudras. Sudras were also allowed to become
artisans who were required to provide one day of service per month to the king. The Sudras
was strictly forbidden from participating in the religious ceremonies of the Aryans. If it
happened that the Sudras participated in the religious activities, they were punished severely
which depicted strongly that Sudras were excluded from Aryan customs and behaviour.5
In the later stage, Intra-Varna rules of marriage were broken that the Dharma sutras were
finally recognized the practice of anuloma, or marriage to women of a lower Varna. There
were exceptions to the rules imposed on Sudras. The most important exception was the rigid
nature of the higher varnas during the time of distress or emergency, at the time of which the
people are not supposed to accept food from any sudra even at the time of starvation. The
society is very different from that of the orthodox brahmans and there is allowance for social
mobility.
As per the Hindu Legal Codes i.e., Manu Smriti composed between 200 B.C and 200 A.D,
laid down a systematised manner of the four Varnas as described in the Dharma Sutras. The
Hindu Legal Codes continued to list the principles of Sudra discrimination and exclusion
from the Aryan Culture; but there are also practices that describe the reality of the distinction
between the Vaishya and Sudra varnas. Dharmasutras gave importance to the sudras by
giving rules that allowed the higher varnas to have food cooked by the sudras and also
allowing the pratiloma and anuloma marriages. The Arthasastra terms the untouchables or the
chandalas as those people who are confined to the forests even though it does not give special
reference to the untouchables. It takes the varna system as the basis and lists the rules and
regulations of each varna. The descriptions of Megasthenese depicts the difference that was
shown among the people. In the Yajnavalkya Smriti, there is a provision which allows the
sudras to carry on trade and commerce.

THEORIES THAT PROPOUNDED THE ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABILITY:

5 Edited by H.Kotani, Caste system, Untouchability and the depressed, 1997 Pg 4..

1. The Theory of Taboo:

This theory explains the origin of untouchables due to the establishment of Varna System in
the society, that was explained in the Purushasukta part of the early literature, Rig Veda. In
the early society the society was divided into four Varnas or Castes namely the Brahmins,
Kshyatrias, Vaishyas and the Sudras who were created from the head, arms, thighs and feet of
the God. The untouchables were not included in the said Varnas. So, were treated as
outcastes, untouchables and were degraded. This theory is completely based on the fictitious
belief of caste purity and it fails to explain the origin of Untouchability.6
2. Race and occupational Theory:
This theory was propounded by Stanley Rice to explain the origin of Untouchables in the
society. It was said that the untouchables were those section of people who were non-Aryans
and non- Dravidians who were subjugated by the Dravidians, the Aryans and left
occupationally backward. According to Babasaheb Ambedkar, the untouchables are not those
people who were left out from the society and those who were not non-Aryans and nonDravidians as they had the same identical characteristics as the high caste people.
3. Multi-Causal Theory:
This theory gives the causes of birth of the untouchability in five different categories,

People performing filthy and unclean occupations.

People who were independent entities but later on extinguished in wars.
Believers in Buddhism, non-believers in God, superstitions and Vedas and people who

did not accept the supremacy of Brahmans were made Untouchables.

Tribals who did not live like civilians.
The marriage of a high caste female with a low caste male, called the Pratiloma
marriages which was considered to be against the Dharma sastras and their children
were treated as untouchables.

4.Broken Man Theory:

6 Dr. Vijaykumar H. Salimani, Eradication of Untouchabilty, First Edition, LAXMI BOOK PUBLICATION
258/34, Raviwar Peth, SolapurPg 7.

This theory was propounded by Dr.B.R.Ambedkar. He says that the early man were all tribes
and with the development of agriculture, developed the man. During this process of
development some section of people still remained as nomadic tribes and there were wars
between the developed people and these tribes because of various reasons namely, stealing
cattle, women and grazing of farms in the land of the other. The other reasons were the
nomadic people thought if they attacked the developed or settled people so that they can steal
their wealth. This led to the division of tribal groups and hence called Broken Tribesmen.
The other reasons for the origin of untouchability, according to B.R.Ambedkar were,

The contempt of Buddhism which preached the concepts of liberty, equality and
fraternity and was professed by the Broken men as this was not on the hereditary
basis as that of the Brahmins and also because the Buddhists opposed the supremacy

of the Brahmins in the society.

The concept of beef eating by the same group of people. These people were allowed
to eat the flesh of those animals which died a natural death and this opposed the
principle of the Brahmins who followed the principles of non-violence and
vegetarianism.7

THE ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABILITY IN MEDIEVAL INDIA:

The percentage of discriminated classes in Medieval India are comparatively low and is very
different than that of the Ancient India. In the Medieval India, the untouchability has taken
many changes in comparison to the ancient philosophy of Untouchability.
1. Population: The population of the untouchables in the medieval India has increased when
compared to the ancient times.
2. Area of living: The untouchables lived in a segregated area, in the outskirts of the city .
3. Occupation: These people performed various occupations which included agriculture
unlike the ancient times.

7 Dr. Vijaykumar H. Salimani, Eradication of Untouchabilty, First Edition, LAXMI BOOK PUBLICATION
258/34, Raviwar Peth, SolapurPg 8.

During this period which accepted the division of the society into four classes or varnas,
continuously developed and the process of which

people who were excluded number

increased rapidly, which in turn increased the population of untouchables.

A BREIF VIEW OF THE ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABLES IN DIFFERENT STATES OF
INDIA:
TAMIL NADU:
Rajaraja I conquered the whole of kaveri delta, Sri lanka and the Pandyan kingdom. During
his regime Rajaraja I, he had established many inscriptions which had some clues about the
untouchables in the society. They were called cheri which means untouchables and tindacheri is the residential area where these people lived. The other type of people who lived were
called paraiyas and parai-cheri is the place they lived. There were another group of people
called pulaiyas which meant 'the lowest' or 'unpure' of similar status. Above these people the
blacksmiths, barbers, carpenters, washerman, potters etc and below them the soldiers and
toddy tappers were placed. On some other inscriptions and palm leaf writings it was found
that vellalas who were of a superior caste were also thrown into the wage of untouchables.
There were instances that these people involved in cultivating the land, grassing the horses,
weaving on the hike of the taxes and many other occupations. These people were yet treated
to be as slaves by the superior castes and were transferred from one owner to the other.8
ATI SUDRA CASTES IN THE MEDIEVIAL DECCAN:
The group of people who were discriminated from the society, compiled into another group
called the Ati Sudras approximately between twelfth and fifteenth centuries. Contact with the
ati sudras is treated as impurity and this impurity is considered to be transmittable from this
person to the others.
The people who lived on hills, called the Hillman or Adivasis are also considered as
untouchables in the Maratha Kingdom.9
RAJASTHAN:

8 Edited by H.Kotani ,Caste system, Untouchability and the depressed, 1997 Pg 21.
9 Edited by H.Kotani, Caste system, Untouchability and the depressed, 1997 Pg 32

The chamars of Rajasthan were the lowest community people residing in the outskirts of the
city. The Jama Bandhis who were of a higher caste used to impose haevy taxes on the
chamars. These people were sometimes not on record as they acted as slaves to the higher
families. The chamars were found in almost every village of Rajasthan who were in different
numbers. The main source of income or their occupation was these people removed the dead
cattle from the villages which used to fetch them with the leather from the animals. They
involved in making leather bags, mats, ropes etc which were then intensively used for
agriculture. They also produced bridles, saddles, scabbards for swords. It was mentioned in
the records that taxes were imposed on chamars who produced maize and tobbacco.

THE BURAKU OF JAPAN:

In Japan, the Buraku people are still looked down and were treated as untouchables in their
society because of their work. The members of Japan belonged to the feudal lords and the
highest rank they can go up to was to become the emperor. Below these people there were
castes like samurai (the warrior class), the nofu (farmers), the jukenaru (skilled artisans), and
the shonin (merchants). There were other castes in the Japan society like the hinin, the kakibe
and the kujome. The Burakumin commonly called as Buraku were treated as untouchables
similar to that of dalits in India. As the main religion during the time was Buddhism, which
preached about the value of life, those who involved the killing of animals were looked
down. The Buraku, like the Dalits, were considered by upper class people to be impure and
contaminated. This impurity was considered to be contagious by the higher class members of
society. As a result,most of the Buraku lived in isolated areas, as seen in the literal translation
of Buraku, meaning village people. The situation of a Buraku was considered hereditary
i.e., the child of a Burakumin couple was also considered as a untouchable. Marriage of a
Buraku with someone of higher status is considered a crime. In addition to this these people
were forbidden to enter most religious sites. Hence, these people had their own temples and
places of worship to keep them isolated from society. Discrimination against the Buraku
people i.e., the lowest caste was shown in the form of removing all headwear as a sign of
subservience. There were a lot of similar characteristics between the Buraku of Japan and
Dalits or untouchables in India. But today the Buraku caste is invisible and got mixed up with
the other castes in Japan. 10
10 Article on A History of the Untouchables: The Buraku and the Dalit, by Katelyn Coyle.

CONCLUSION:
The reality of Sudra castes in the medieval Deccan, is the fact that their existence was
ambivalent. They were discriminated against in various ways in daily life but at the same
time they played an important role. But, also at the same time, they were so deeply
incorporated into the caste system that they were left behind by the higher caste people.
Untouchability as a sense of superiority, racial or caste purity on the part of Hindus increased
an attitude of apathy, hatred and indifference towards untouchables. The belief in
superstitions, for example thinking untouchable as a matter of disgrace, bad omen and a
source of some calamity or danger to men and animal also barred this section of society out
of the society.
The ideology of purity, which was developed by the religious leaders of Hindu society, who
were the Brahmins and contributed to the social stratification in villages organized according
to the castes. With the development of this ideology, strata of inferior castes and artisans, who
were previously not looked upon as ritually impure, were also designated as untouchable.
Moreover, stratification occurred among the old and new untouchable castes based on
difference in the degrees of purity, resulting in exclusionary behaviour among them. This
existence of untouchables reduced the tense relationships arising from inequality within the
village community and brought about a certain amount of stability. The role played directly or
indirectly in the development of the untouchability during this time by the ruling classes on
both the state and local levels was a very important one.
Untouchability includes oppressive servitude, acute illiteracy, poverty and degraded status. It
even stopped the progress of the nation to a great extent. The Hindus successfully exploited
the ignorance and helplessness of the untouchables to such an extent that they were made to
believe that it was most religious and divinely instituted and hence they tolerated the
oppression and resisted to it.