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Encyclopedia > Sudra

Shudra or Sudra is the fourth Varna in the traditional four-section division in historic Indian society. Their assigned and expected role in post-Vedic India was that of laborers. The four Varnas are Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya, and Shudra. The word Caste is derived from the Portuguese word casta, meaning lineage, breed or race. ... The Vedic Civilization is the Indo-Aryan culture associated with the Vedas. ... This page deals with the Hindu varna. ... Kshatriya (Hindi: , from Sanskrit: , ) is the title of the princely military order in the Vedic society. ... In the Hindu caste system, a Vaishya (Sanskrit vaiśya, female vaiśyā) is a member of the third of the four major castes of the varna system of traditional Indian society, comprising farmers, herders, merchants, and businessmen. ...

Contents


Origins

Whilst the origins of the other varnas can be traced to Indo-Aryan or even Proto Indo-European words, the root of the word is not clear at all. A threefold division of societies can be found in ancient Iran that matches the Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaisya varnas. Although linguistically related Nuristani people in neighboring Afghanistan have a class equivalent to the Shudras amongst them. [1] The Indo-Aryan languages form a subgroup of the Indo-Iranian languages, thus belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. ... Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies Indo-European is originally a linguistic term, referring to the Indo-European language family. ... The Nuristani are an ethnic/religious group in the Nurestan Province of Afghanistan. ...


From Dasas and Dahyus

It has been proposed that the Shudras were same as Dasas and Dahyus, who are portrayed as enemies of the Aryans in the Vedas, and who it is said were enslaved by the Aryans[citation needed]. But the latter groups are also encountered in the Avestan texts and no subjugation is mentioned, though enmity is. This is because the Dasa, Dasyus or Pani as they are sometimes referred to were Iranic. The Iranians proudly call themselves "Dahyu." Panini was a Pashtu Brahmin of Hinduism who came to India to learn Sanskrit[citation needed]. So then this suggests that the Dasa were merely a tribe. The ancient texts of India betray no such subjugation by conquest resulting in servile group of people, but merely assume that the Shudras are part of society, even if not the most exalted. Luftwaffe Tornado ECR Deutsche Aerospace AG Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG Founded May 19, 1989 as Deutsche Aerospace AG, bundling space and aeronautic elements of Daimler-Benz (including Dornier Luftfahrt), Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), MTU München, and Telefunken Systemtechnik (TST) In 1992, the helicopter division was... Aryan ()is an English language word derived from the Indian Vedas and Iranian Avestan terms ari-, arya-, ārya-, and/or the extended form aryāna-. The Sanskrit and Old Persian languages both pronounced the word as arya- () and aryan. ... The Vedas are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures form part of the core of the Brahminical and Vedic traditions within Hinduism and are the inspirational, metaphysical and mythological foundation for later Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and even Bhakti forms of Hinduism. ... See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Yasna 28. ...


Etymology

There is no etymology of the word as well, it is mentioned in the purusha-sukta of Rig veda. The numerical strength of this varna is also not clear from the Vedic corpus as tasks attributed to Shudras later are done by Vaisys in the era represented by these texts. The Rig Veda ऋग्वेद (Sanskrit ṛc praise + veda knowledge) is the earliest of the four Hindu religious scriptures known as the Vedas. ...


Jati

Main article: Jati

The Jati which derived from the Sanskrit word for birth, is the full blown expansion of the theoretical and the original varnas carried to its extreme in the ages following the 'Vedic' period. Every Jati claimed to belong to some Varna. Jatis (the word literally means births) comprise the subcastes found within the four major castes, or varnas, of the Indian caste system. ... Jatis (the word literally means births) comprise the subcastes found within the four major castes, or varnas, of the Indian caste system. ... Varna (Bulgarian: Варна) is the third largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 351,552 (as at January 10, 2006). ...


Local variations of Jati sub-castes exist within the Shudra caste. A sub-caste is a local endogenous group practicing a particular occupation, which may vary from place to place due to variations in language and occupations in various parts of India. Higher end Shudras can be land lords where as the lower end Shudras will be untouchable Dalits. Jatis (the word literally means births) comprise the subcastes found within the four major castes, or varnas, of the Indian caste system. ... In South Asias caste system, an untouchable, dalit, or achuta is a person outside of the four castes, and considered below them. ...


Occupations

Though British tried to fit Indians based on traditional roles to any of the four castes, none of the castes always strictly followed any stereotypical roles assigned by the scriptures or Hindu law givers. This was especially true for Shudras. Manu Smriti declares that Shudra must serve other three twice born castes. This entailed the role as labourers and servants to higher caste members. However, big chunk of Shudras were independent occupational groups. Manu has several meanings: *Manu in Indo-European mythology was the first man, hero and first Holy King to rule this earth, see Manu (Hinduism), Germanic Mannus, Mannaz. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...


Shudras and North Indian society

It is commonly believed that the caste division is somewhat uniform in North Indian society compared to South Indian society. However some prominent rulers of North India were believed to have originated from the Shudra caste. Ex: The Nandas and Chandragupta Maurya. NANDA (formerly the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association) is a professional organization of nurses to standardize nursing terminology that was founded in 1982 and develops and refines the nomenclature, criteria, and taxonomy of nursing diagnoses. ... Allegiance: Magadhan Empire Rank: Emperor Succeeded by: Bindusara Maurya Reign: 322 BC-298 BC Place of birth: India Chandragupta Maurya (Sanskrit: चन्द्रगुप्त मौर्य; Greek: Sandrocottus ) (ruled 322–298 BC) was the founder of the Mauryan Empire. ...


Sanskritisation is as true in North India as it is in South India. Many historically and politically significant social groups such as Khatri,Kayastha,Jats and Yadavs were also considered Shudra for various reasons.Caste status of Rajput,Bhumihar and even Brahmin is disputed according to scriptures and researchers which has connotations of their Shudra origin. Many people successfully changed their caste status during islamic invasion of india as well as during the British colonial period Sanskritization is a term coined by late M.N.Srinivas, the eminent sociologist from India, to define the process by which castes placed lower in the caste hierarchy seek upward mobility by emulating the rituals and practices of the upper or dominant castes. ... In sociology, a group is usually defined as a collection consisting of a number of people who share certain aspects, interact with one another, accept rights and obligations as members of the group and share a common identity. ... Purushottam Das Tandon Punjabi Khatris are a community that originated from the Pothohar Plateau (Rawalpindi division) and surrounding regions of Punjab, Pakistan. ... Kāyastha or Kayasth is a Indo-Aryan clan (Maha-parivar) who were originally Brahmins of Aryavarta (Vedic India), but eventually came to be regarded in the Kaliyuga as Kshatriyas. ... ... Yadav is a Hindu caste which is referred to in ancient Hindu scriptures. ... Rajputs (anonymous, c. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This page deals with the Hindu varna. ...


Shudras and South Indian society

South Indian society makes more sense from feudal angle than caste angle. Here, both the dominant castes and weaker castes are classified under Shudras[citation needed]. This caste model is also true for Bengal, Orissa, Assam . Hence the mapping of four varnas over these areas is incomplete. Feudalism comes from the Late Latin word feudum, itself borrowed from a Germanic root *fehu, a commonly used term in the Middle Ages which means fief, or land held under certain obligations by feodati. ... Bengal, known as Bôngo (Bengali: বঙ্গ), Bangla (বাংলা), Bôngodesh (বঙ্গদেশ), or Bangladesh (বাংলাদেশ) in Bangla, is a region in the northeast of South Asia. ... Orissa (Hindi: ) (2001 provisional pop. ... Assam (Assamese: অসম, Hindi: असम; Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...


The caste system that made feudal families in all over South India an endogenous unit was readily accepted even though Brahmins didn't exactly give Kshatriya and Vaishya status to all the warrior and merchant communities. Mostly the Brahmins acquired land and until land reforms in twentieth century, were feudal lords. Kshatriya (Hindi: , from Sanskrit: , ) is the title of the princely military order in the Vedic society. ... In the Hindu caste system, a Vaishya (Sanskrit वैश्य vaiśya) is a member of the third of the four major castes of the varna system of traditional Indian society. ... Land reform (also agrarian reform) is the government-initiated or government-backed transfer of ownership of (or tenure in) agricultural land. ...


It could be debated if the people of South India really realized (when it comes to weaker castes) or cared (when it comes to dominant castes), their position in caste hierarchy. Also, most importantly whether many communities even think they were part of the caste system, since if one removes the Vedic part of Brahmanical Hinduism, there isn't much difference between Brahmin worship and native Dravidian worship. Young Indian brahmachari Brahmin A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. ... Dravidian may refer to: Dravidian languages, including the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada languages spoken especially in southern India and Sri Lanka. ...


Many South Indian communities had their own temples and priests. However, the universal education during British period and the Western concepts of community identity caused the developement of caste consciousness in South Indian society (the clan identities were present and those could be within the caste too). In Tamil Nadu it resulted in the dominant castes asserting themselves through the Dravidian movement against the caste system in general and Brahmins in particular. In Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh it resulted in dominant castes claiming higher caste positions. Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... Self-Respect Movement is a movement that was called by Thanthai Periyar in Tamil Nadu state of India. ... Kerala ( (Anglicised) or (native); Malayalam: േകരളം, — ) is a state on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... Karnātakā (Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) (IPA: / /) is one of the four southern states of India. ... Andhra Pradesh : (Telugu: ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్, Urdu: آندھرا پردیش, IPA: / /), is a state in South India. ...


Shudras outside of India

Shudra as a Varna is seen amongst the Hindus of Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bali in Indonesia. In Bali, Indonesia they form 97% of the practicing Hindu population (See Balinese caste system). During the historic period many people in Java, Cambodia and Champa (a region in Vietnam) were considered to be Shudras prior to their conversion to Buddhism and Islam. Bali is an Indonesian island located at , , one of the Lesser Sunda Islands. ... The Balinese caste system is a system of social organization similar to the Indian caste system. ... The term Java can refer to: In geography: Java (island), Indonesia, the most populous island in the world Javanese language, a language widely spoken on the island of Java Java coffee, a variety of coffee plant which originated on the island of Java, or a slang word for coffee Java... Rough location of Champas core territories. ...


References

  •   Who were the Shudras By B. R. Ambedkar [2]
  •   Shudras in Ancient India/R. Chandra and K.L. Chanchreek. New Delhi, Shree Pub., 2004, xiii, 253 p., ISBN 81-88658-65-0.
  •   Early Evidence for Caste in South India[3]

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Sudra (159 words)
They are not permitted to perform the upanayana initiatory rite, which introduces members of the three upper classes to the study of the Vedas and gives them their status as dvija ("twice-born").
The sudra varna includes a wide spectrum of groups with dominant, landowning groups at one end of the scale and near-untouchable washers, tanners, shoemakers, sweepers, and scavengers at the other.
"Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the vaisyas, and for the sudras there is labor and service to others."
Brahma Sutras by Swami Sivananda (990 words)
Hence the Sudras are not entitled to the study of the Vedas.
Gautama, having ascertained Jabala not to be a Sudra from his speaking the truth proceeded to initiate and instruct him.
It is possible for the Sudras to attain that knowledge through the Puranas, Gita and the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata which contain the quintessence of the Vedas.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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