Indian Caste

John Wilson’s renowned work, published in 1877, focuses on the doctrine and practice of caste in India. The concept of pride in ancestry, family, social status, occupation, and religious preeminence, which characterizes “caste,” is not unique to India. However, it was in India that the caste system manifested its most destructive and harmful development. While initially providing strength and stability to Hindu society, the system eventually deteriorated into a suffocating grip of the worst kind and, according to the author, became “the curse of India and the source of India’s woes.” This two-volume work meticulously examines the origin, evolution, nature, and consequences of the caste system in India. Volume I, titled “What Caste Is,” comprehensively discusses the institution of caste as depicted in ancient Hindu texts from the Vedas to the Puranas, as well as how it was perceived by early Buddhist and Greek writers. Volume II, titled “What the Castes Are,” delves into the Brahmanical or priestly caste, situated at the top of the caste hierarchy, with all its bewildering diversity.