Why does the caste system persist in India?

为什么印度至今还存在种姓制度？

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Niranjan Behera, studied at Self-Studied

Here is the story of caste system. First of all erase all your prejudice about caste to understand my story. In the ancient golden era caste was a philosophical division of human nature. The philosophers study human nature and divided them in four categories (Varna).

先来介绍一下种姓制度。首先，请你摒弃对种姓的偏见。在古代黄金时代，种姓制度是对人性的哲学划分。哲学家们研究人性，并将其分为四类。

Brahmins – these types of peoples don’t attracted by wealth. They attracted by knowledge. They are the philosopher type people. They engage themselves in the search of knowledge and wisdom. You could include real scientists, philosophers, etc in this category.

Kshatriya – these types of people also don’t attracted by only wealth. They are in search for honour and respect. They are very energetic. You could include great kings in this category.

婆罗门——这类人不为财富所动。他们对知识感兴趣。他们是哲学家类。他们致力于探寻知识和智慧。这个种类囊括了真正的科学家，哲学家等等。

刹帝利——这类人也不在乎财富。他们追求荣誉和尊重。他们精力充沛。这个类别包括了伟大的国王。

Vaishyas – these types of people are attracted by wealth. They love to create wealth. These are businessman and industrialist type people. You could include the rich businessman and industrialist in this category.

Shudras – These types of peoples just want a 9 to 5 job and a descent salary to survive. You could include all the workers and employees in this category.

吠舍——这类人渴望财富。他们喜欢创造财富。他们是商人和实业家。你可以把富商和实业家归入这个类别中。

首陀罗——这类人只想要一份朝九晚五的工作和足够维持生活的薪水。所有的工人和雇员都可以归入这个类别。

Now the most important point, these categories are not exclusive. That means there is no 100% Brahmin or 100 % Shudra. And the second most important point, all the four types of people are required in a society for the smooth running of a society. We need philosophers, artists as well as businessman and regular 9 to 5 employees, peons, maids etc. We also need energetic people with self respect and integrity to lead the society. So all the four are equally important. In the golden era laws were framed by Brahmins. Kings took decision after consulting the Brahmins.

现在最重要的一点是，这些范畴并不排外。这就意味着并没有100%的婆罗门或100%的首陀罗。第二，最重要的一点是，社会的顺利运转需要这四种类型的人。我们需要哲学家、艺术家，也需要商人，需要普通的早九晚五的员工、工人、女佣等。我们也需要有活力、自尊自重、有诚信的人来领导社会。所以这4种人都同等重要。在黄金时代，法律是由婆罗门制定的。国王在征询婆罗门的意见后才会做决定。

Now, some profession starts to associate with a certain group. Scientist, philosophers etc are regarded as Brahmins. Great kings are regarded as Kshatriyas. The rich businessman and industrialists regarded as Vaishyas. Employees and workers are regarded as Shudras.

First categorization was done on the basis of quality, then categorization was done on the basis of occupation, then at last categorization was done on the basis of birth.

We can prove that caste was not decided by birth. If it was decided by birth how did they choose the first Brahmin in the world?

现在，一些职业开始与某个群体相联系。科学家、哲学家等被认为是婆罗门。伟大的国王被认为是刹帝利。富有的商人和实业家被认为是吠舍。员工和工人被认为是首陀罗。

最初分类以质量为基础进行，接着分类以职业为基础进行，最后以出身为基础进行分类。

我们可以证明种姓不是由出身决定的。如果这是由出身决定的，他们是如何挑选出世界上第一个婆罗门的?

As the law of nature every society degrades with time. Time changes everything. Every occupation became caste. And castes associated with Varnas. Then at the dark age everything decided on the basis of birth. Then new categories like the untouchables arrived. Thousands of superstitions blind India’s eye. A beautiful river become a filthy gutter.

From a philosophy caste system became a curse to Indian society.

正如自然法则一样，每个社会都会随着时间的推移而退化。时间改变了一切。每个职业都变成了种姓。在中世纪，什么都以出身而论。然后出现了贱民这种新类别。成千上万的迷信陋习蒙蔽了印度的眼睛。美丽的河流变成了肮脏的水沟。

出于哲理制定的种姓制度变成了印度社会的诅咒。

译文来源：三泰虎    http://www.santaihu.com/46357.html       译者：Joyceliu

Aditya Veer Singh, Software Development Manager at Medlife.com - Discounted Medicines

Because it exploits one of the very basic emotional need of human: ego.

Most of the other divisions around the world were based on simple segregation in a small number of groups. And inevitably, the larger group was the one being exploited. Once they realized this fact, you have revolutions to throw away the upper minority group. At times, they get support from influential people from upper group.

Unfortunately, the people behind caste system design were more shrewd. They exploited the fact that humans love to have a feeling of superiority over others even if it is based on nothing significant. They created a full hierarchy instead of a simple classification.

因为它利用了人类最基本的情感需求之一：自我。

世界上大多数其他的分裂都是基于少数群体的简单隔离。不可避免的是，更大规模的群体是被剥削的群体。一旦他们意识到这一事实，就会爆发革命抛弃上层的少数群体。有时，他们会得到上层人士的支持。

不幸的是，种姓制度的幕后设计者更精明。他们利用了这样一个事实，即人类喜欢优越感，即使这种优越感并没有什么坚固基础。他们创建了完整的等级制度而不是简单的分类。

The biggest culprit in the continual of caste system are the middle level castes, they are ready to be treated as unequals as long as they get to do this to other human beings. They are the majority in our country and if they get united and take significant steps to abolish caste system, it is really very easy.

Caste system is not just about discrimination, if you somehow feel superior(or proud) just because you were born in a particular caste, you are effectively fueling the system. That is the only reason caste system still prevails. Imaginary superiority and inferiority complexes among people of different castes.

The biggest obstacle we face in ending this system is marriages. No matter what a huge percentage of marriages still happen based on caste. Unless caste is removed from such a fundamental institution, we are never going to be able to end this. Other than people from different castes start mixng with each other in all aspects of life including family relationships, there is no way this deep-rooted system is going away. I feel very disappointed when all my friends talk so much about not believing in caste and considering everyone equal but don't say a word when their future bride/groom is looked exclusively in their subcaste. Not a single person has raised his/her voice till now, in my knowledge. This needs to happen at a much bigger scale across the country to have any effect.

在延续至今的种姓制度中，最大的罪魁祸首是中层种姓，只要他们对其他人这样做，他们就能对其他人进行不公平对待，他们就愿意接受不平等待遇。他们是我们国家的多数群体，如果他们团结起来，采取措施废除种姓制度，那是轻而易举的事。

种姓制度不仅仅是歧视，如果你仅仅因为出身于某个特定的种姓而感到优越(或骄傲)，那么你就有效地助长了这个制度。这是种姓制度仍然盛行的唯一原因。不同阶层的人之间充斥着虚幻的优越感和自卑情结。

我们要终结这个制度，面临的最大障碍是婚姻。不管怎样，仍然有很大比例的婚姻是基于种姓的。除非种姓制度从基本制度中废除，否则我们永远无法结束这一切。除非来自不同社会阶层的人在家庭关系在内的生活各个层面内开始相互交往，这种根深蒂固的制度是不可能消失的。当我所有的朋友都说不相信种姓，每个人都生来平等，但却对自己未来的新郎、新娘只能在同一种姓类别中物色时毫无怨言，我感到非常失望。据我所知，到目前为止还没有人提出异议。这需要在全国范围内更大规模爆发，才能产生效果。

Anbu Venkat, toy-tiger

Its very unfortunate that this system outlived its need/purpose and caused a section of people to be discriminated based on their caste which is a real evil.

In my personal opinion abolishing the caste system just from the paper doesn't do any good. It has had an adverse effect on a particular section of people in the society, they have been ignored and denied the basic rights for centuries while the other sections of the society thrived. So in order to balance the inequality the reservation system was brought into effect and is hel in fetching the much needed justice to those people who has suffered for ages.

Announcing "No Caste" now will be a hard hit on the present reservation system in India and will leave these people with no compensation for the loss they suffered. The social inequality will still exst because they will be left far behind the rest of the society.

很不幸，这种制度超越了需要/目的，导致一部分人因自己的种姓而受到歧视，这是一种真正的恶习。

在我个人看来，单纯在报纸上废除种姓制度没有任何作用。它对社会中某一部分人产生了不利的影响，几个世纪以来，他们一直被人忽视，被剥夺了基本权利，而社会的其他群体却蓬勃发展。因此，为了平衡这种不平等，预留制度得以实施，以期帮助那些长期遭受苦难的人们获得急需的公平。

现在宣布“废除种姓制度”将对印度现有的预留制度造成沉重打击，并将使这些人无法获得对他们所遭受损失的补偿。社会不平等仍然存在，因为他们将远远落后于社会的其他群体。

Many would differ with my views(because i would argue against my current views few months back) on the reservation system but i feel that is a much needed one. I understands how hard it feels when you are the most eligible person for a job and is grabbed by someone just because he is given undue advantage. Keep in mind this is the same advantage that our ancestor enjoyed and that has played a vital role in bringing us where we are. So if you plan to inherit their assets you must also inherit the debts and consider this as pay back time to set things straight.

Most important thing among all is there are millions in rural India(which is really where India is) who are striving hard to be the first graduate in their lineage. While few sections enjoy 4 or 5 generations of educated people.

So till this thing gets straight to make a balanced society there should be reservation and if abolishing caste system would hit that it can wait!

And i sincerely hope this happens sooner than later.

很多人会不同意我对预留制的看法(因为几个月前我也会反对我目前的看法)，但我觉得这是非常必要的。我能理解，当你自认最适合某个工作，却仅仅因为某人获得了不适当的优势而抓住机遇，你会有多难过。请记住，这是我们的祖先享受过的同样优势，这种优势在把我们带到了今天的位置上起了至关重要的作用。因此，如果你打算继承他们的资产，你也必须继承他们的债务，把这视为还债，坦然接受。

最重要的是，在印度的农村地区有数百万人正在努力成为他们家族中第一个毕业生。而少数一部分人已经有4到5代人受过教育。

因此，在社会平衡之前，预留制应该继续存在，如果废除种姓制度会受到打击，那么可以等等再实施!

我衷心地希望这一切尽快发生。