“VARNA, JATI, GOTRA: A BACK DOWN TO VEDIC SOCIETY”

Submitted by:

Naveen Kumar Pandey, B.A. L.L.B (Hons.)(1942)

1st Semester

Submitted to:

Dr. Priyadarshini,

Assistant Professor of History

August,2018

Chanakya National Law University, Patna

INTRODUCTION
In the last century, a general belief was generated that the ugly hereditary caste system is an
exclusive legacy of India, particularly of the Hindus. It was emphasized that the caste system has
religious sanction in Hinduism, and this feature is unique to Hindu religion. Impression was
created that it existed nowhere outside India. It was claimed that the Hindu caste system takes
origin from the Vedic varnas. The Purusha Sukta of the Rig-Veda was interpreted to be the source
of caste system. It was further alleged that the caste system had such an ugly form at the time of
Buddha, that Buddha decided to rebel against Hinduism, with the goal of starting a casteless
egalitarian religion.
The varna dharma or caste is the cardinal term in the social heritage of ancient india. The term
varnashram dharma implies that the dharmas is not the same for all. It is a unique system of
social obligations. It also implies that there is a dharma appropiate to each class and to each
stage in the life of the individual. This throughgoing recognition that men are not the same and
that there is hierarchy of classes each with its acerate duties and distinctive way of life is one of
the most striking features of indian sociology. The fact that the four varnas were born of the
from the different parts of the Samr Purusha indicates the interdependence of the varnas. In
other words they stands for the economic props of the society. The schematic arrangements of
varnas is for the integration of the society and not for it divisions. The varna scheme was the
keystone of the arch of the Indian social scheme. It aimed at the permanent solution of every side
of the social problems viz genetic, psychological, spiritual and economic. The varna system was
based on function and that the varnas were classes and not castes.

The Indian society is even today an agglomeration of numerous castes, tribes and religious
communities. The tribal and caste groups are endogamous, reproductively isolated populations
traditionally distributed over a restricted geographical range. The different caste populations,
unlike tribes, have extensive geographical overlap and members of several castes generally
constitute the complex village society. In such a village society, each caste, traditionally self
regulated by a caste council, used to lead a relatively autonomous existence. Each caste used to
pursue a hereditarily prescribed occupation; this was particularly true of the artisan and service
castes and the pastoral and nomadic castes. The several castes were linked to each other
through a traditionally determined barter of services and produce. These caste groups retained
their identity even after conversion to Islam or Christianity. Each of the caste groups was thus
the unit within which cultural and perhaps genetic evolution occurred, at least for the last 1500
years when the system was fully crystallized and probably much longer. Over this period the
various castes had come to exhibit striking differences in cultural traits like skills possessed,
food habits, dress, language, religious observances, as well as in a number of genetic traits.

The word " gotra" means "lineage" in the Sanskrit language. Among those of the Brahmin caste,
Gotras are reckoned patrilineally. E a c h gotra takes the name of a famous Rishi or sage who was the
patrilineal forebearer of that clan. The concept of Gotra was the socio demographic-cultural coding by
Brahma to classify His family, themselves among different groups. At the beginning, these gentes
identified themselves by the names of various rishis (Angirasha, Daksha, Himavan, Attri, Gautam, Vishrava,
Kashyapa, Vasistha, Kutsa and Bharadwaja ; the first seven of these are often enumerated as Saptarishis).
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
 The researcher tend to analyze the origin and practice of varna, jati and gotra system
through India’s history.
 The researcher tend to analyze the socio-economic and cultural values of varna, jati and
gotra system.
 The researcher tend to analyze the Colonial and European studies in castes and their
impact.
 The researcher tend to analyze the post independent India and varna, jati and gotra system.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The researcher will be relying on doctrinal and non-doctrinal method of research to finalize the
project.

SOURCES OF DATA
 Primary Sources: Books
 Secondary Sources: websites, researches

TENTATIVE CHAPTERISATION
 Introduction

 Varna

a. Etymology and the origin of Varna

b. Varna in classical literature
c. Duties of the Varnas
d. Mobility of the Varnas

 Caste
a. Definitions of caste
b. Origin of caste in India
c. Characteristics of Caste
d. Changes in Caste system
e. Factors for Casteism
f. Caste structure and Kinship
  Gotra

a. Origins

b. List of Gotras

c. Marriage and gotras

d. Significance of Gotra

 Conclusion

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS:
 Research In Sociology : by Dr. D.Narain
 The Penguin History of Early India From the origins to AD 1300: by Romila Thappar
 Ancient India: R.C Majumdar

WEBSITES:
 http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/157640/6/06_chapter%202.pdf
 http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/sociology/essay-on-varna-system-in-india-1513-words/4006
 https://www.lawctopus.com/academike/varna-system/
 https://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/cgi-bin/kbase/Gotra
 https://sbdsisaikat.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/the-vedic-gotra-system/
 http://ijaar.in/posts/images/upload/IJAAR_VOL_III_ISSUE_VI_JAN_FEB_2018__1053_1056.pdf