Beyond the Four Varnas: Subordination and Conflict
The Brahmanical texts delineated strict social hierarchies, where specific groups were labeled as 'untouchables', or chandalas, based on actions deemed polluting, such as handling corpses. The perception of purity connected to ritual practices alienated these groups, relegating them to the lowest social strata.
Key Points:
- Purity and Pollution: The concept of purity was central to the Brahmanical social order, leading to a strong aversion to ritual pollution. Activities like dealing with corpses were considered impure, necessitating the social segregation of those who performed them.
- Manusmriti: This important text prescribed the social duties of chandalas, effectively enforcing their marginalization by mandating that they live outside the village, use discarded utensils, and sound clappers to announce their presence.
- Historical Accounts: Accounts from Buddhist texts depict chandalas, like Matanga, as possessing agency contrary to Brahmanical norms, illustrating a complex social dynamic where they resisted social degradation.
Implications:
The Brahmanical model espoused a divinely ordained social order, but observations from non-Brahmanical texts suggest that the lived experiences of these groups were more complex and nuanced, often marked by resistance and alternative social realities.