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{{about|social and cultural criticism of Hinduism|bias and/or prejudice against Hindus|anti-Hindu}} |
{{about|social and cultural criticism of Hinduism|bias and/or prejudice against Hindus|anti-Hindu}} |
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{{Weasel|date=July 2010}} |
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{{Hinduism}} |
{{Hinduism}} |
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Some of the practices and beliefs held by [[Hinduism|Hindus]] have been criticized, both by Hindus and non-Hindus. |
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Early [[Hindu reformer]]s |
Early [[Hindu reformer]]s, such as [[Raja Ram Mohan Roy]], had discrimination based on the [[Caste system]] and Jantu Bali, i.e. animal sacrifice.<ref>Axel Michaels, ''Hinduism: Past and Present'' 188-97 (Princeton 2004) ISBN 0-691-08953-1</ref><ref>{{Cite web |
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|title=Caste prejudice has nothing to do with the Hindu scriptures |
|title=Caste prejudice has nothing to do with the Hindu scriptures |
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|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/india/story/0,,1967446,00.html |
|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/india/story/0,,1967446,00.html |
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|date=2003-11-08 |
|date=2003-11-08 |
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|accessdate=2006-12-08 |
|accessdate=2006-12-08 |
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|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070312101009/http://www.epw.org.in/showArticles.php?root=2003&leaf=11&filename=6474&filetype=html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-03-12}}</ref><ref name="brit">[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=9070518 "suttee." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2004] Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service.</ref><ref name="rf">[http://www.religionfacts.com/euthanasia/hinduism.htm Euthanasia and Hinduism - ReligionFacts]</ref> |
|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070312101009/http://www.epw.org.in/showArticles.php?root=2003&leaf=11&filename=6474&filetype=html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-03-12}}</ref><ref name="brit">[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=9070518 "suttee." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2004] Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service.</ref><ref name="rf">[http://www.religionfacts.com/euthanasia/hinduism.htm Euthanasia and Hinduism - ReligionFacts]</ref> Similarly several critics allege that the stringent caste system evolved over several centuries a by-product of the [[Varna in Hinduism|varna system]] that is mentioned in the ancient [[Hindu scripture]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |
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|title=Face to faith |
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|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1951144,00.html |
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|author=David Haslam |
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|publisher=The Guardian |
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|date=2006-11-18 |
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|accessdate=2006-12-08 |
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}}</ref> |
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==Idol Worship== |
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Hindu reformist movements in the 18th–19th centuries such as the [[Brahmo Samaj]] and [[Arya Samaj]], were highly critical of image worship.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Hindu iconoclasts: Rammohun Roy, Dayananda Sarasvati and nineteenth-century polemics against idolatry|last=Salmond |first=Noel Anthony|authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2004|publisher=Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press|isbn=0-88920-419-5 |page= 65|chapter=3. Dayananda Saraswati|url=http://books.google.com/?id=wxjArixq5hcC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Swami+Dayananda+Saraswati&cd=57#v=onepage&q=Swami%20Dayananda%20Saraswati&f=false |ref= }}</ref> |
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==Varna System== |
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==Social structure in India== |
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Untouchables used to live separately within a separate subcultural context of their own, outside the inhabited limits of villages and townships.No other castes would interfere with their social life since untouchables were lower in social ranking than even those of the shudra varna. As a result, Dalits were commonly banned from fully participating in Hindu religious life (they could not pray with the rest of the social classes or enter the religious establishments). <ref> The [[Untouchables|Untouchable]] by Andrea Hampton http://www.csuchico.edu/~cheinz/syllabi/asst001/fall97/adra-hpn.htm </ref> |
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The inclusion of lower castes into the mainstream was argued for by [[Mahatma Gandhi]] who called them "[[Harijans]]" (people of God). The term Dalit is used now and the term Harijan has gone out of use. Many recent political leaders consider it offensive as it is synonymous to being the people of [[Brahmin]]. {{citation needed|date=January 2013}}. As per prominent Dalit leader Dr. [[B. R. Ambedkar]]'s wishes, reservation system with percentage quotas for admissions in universities and jobs has been in place for many lower castes since independence of India to bring them to the upper echelons of society{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}. Although a [[caste system among South Asian Muslims]] in India exists<ref name="RG">{{Cite book |
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The [[caste system in India]] has been prevalent for centuries, it is described as a hierarchical system that assigned people different classes in society, similar to the 'middle class', 'upper class' system used in many western societies. Caste-based identification was not unique among Hindus,<ref name="RG">{{Cite book |
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| author = Ganguly, Rajat; Phadnis, Urmila |
| author = Ganguly, Rajat; Phadnis, Urmila |
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| title = Ethnicity and nation-building in South Asia |
| title = Ethnicity and nation-building in South Asia |
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| doi = |
| doi = |
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| page =88 |
| page =88 |
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}}</ref> it is largely of Hindu origin.<ref name="Sikand">{{cite web|last = Singh Sikand|first = Yoginder|title = Caste in Indian Muslim Society|publisher = Hamdard University|url = http://stateless.freehosting.net/Caste%20in%20Indian%20Muslim%20Society.htm|accessdate = 2006-10-18 }}</ref> |
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}}</ref> to this day it is also found among [[Caste system among Muslims|Muslims]], [[Caste system among Christians|Christians]], and others. Neither [[caste]] system is limited with India, [[Songbun]] of [[North Korea]],<ref>Barbara Demick, ''Nothing to Envy: Love, Life and Death in North Korea,'' Fourth Estate, London, 2010, pp 26-27.</ref> [[Hukou system|Hukou]] of [[China]],<ref>"China's New Confucianism: Politics and Everyday Life in a Changing Society" by Daniel A. Bell, p. 186, quote = "From a liberal democratic perspective, in other words, the hukou system is the functional equivalent of a caste system that marks a group of people as second-class citizens just because they were unlucky enough to be born in the countryside."</ref> and others are regarded as the [[caste]] system as well. |
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The true essence of caste system was '''not''' by ones birth or by one's parents inheritance but it was by ones acts or by profession/heredity.<ref>"Caste System in India: A Historical Perspective", Ekta Singh, 2005, p. 25</ref> |
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==Caste System== |
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Later, after the [[British raj|colonization of India, by British]], the caste system was legally established.<ref>"[http://books.google.com/books?id=XAO3i_gS61wC&pg=PA450 Religion, Caste, and Politics in India]", by Christophe Jaffrelot, p. 450</ref> The land policy created new class of landlords, drove millions into the ranks of tenants and agricultural labors.<ref>"Identity and Genesis of Caste System in India", by Ramesh Chandra, p. 77</ref> Even though caste was actually based on one's deeds or works, afterwards it was generalized by birth. |
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{{Main|Caste system in India}} |
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The caste system is a Hindu hierarchical system that assigns people different classes in society, similar to the 'middle class, upper class' system used in many western societies. The relatively unique part of the caste system is that one's caste is inherited from one's parents and acts as a representation of one's ancestry. The system has occasionally been criticized for restricting one's professional capabilities as well as for acting as a reason for discrimination. A controversial effect of the Caste system is the religious belief that people can't 'marry out of their castes'. The caste doctrine is observed most actively by the more rural populations in India and by the older generations.<ref>The Untouchables by Andrea Hampton http://www.csuchico.edu/~cheinz/syllabi/asst001/fall97/adra-hpn.htm |
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</ref> |
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==See also== |
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*[[Sati (practice)|Sati (widow burning)]] |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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*{{Cite book|series= |author=[[John Keay|Keay, John]]|authorlink= |coauthors= |title=India: A History |year=2000 |publisher=Grove Press |location= |isbn=0-8021-3797-0 }} |
*{{Cite book|series= |author=[[John Keay|Keay, John]]|authorlink= |coauthors= |title=India: A History |year=2000 |publisher=Grove Press |location= |isbn=0-8021-3797-0 }} |
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{{cite web|last=Burns|first=John|title=Once Widowed in India, Twice Scorned|url=http://www2.soe.umd.umich.edu/rpkettel/NY_Times_article.pdf|work=NY Times articles|publisher=1998 The New York Times Company|accessdate=10/12/2012}} |
{{cite web|last=Burns|first=John|title=Once Widowed in India, Twice Scorned|url=http://www2.soe.umd.umich.edu/rpkettel/NY_Times_article.pdf|work=NY Times articles|publisher=1998 The New York Times Company|accessdate=10/12/2012}} |
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==External links== |
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*[http://www.ambedkar.org/Babasaheb/Why.htm Why Dr. Ambedkar renounced Hinduism?] by [[Ramendra Nath|Dr. Ramendra Nath]] |
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*[http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/ramendra_nath/hindu.html Why I Am Not a Hindu] by Ramendra Nath |
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*[http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4397889?uid=3738256&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101668358431 Ambedkar's Opinion on the Bhagavad Gita] |
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{{Criticism of religion}} |
{{Criticism of religion}} |
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Revision as of 18:15, 31 August 2014
| Part of a series on |
| Hinduism |
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Some of the practices and beliefs held by Hindus have been criticized, both by Hindus and non-Hindus. Early Hindu reformers, such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, had discrimination based on the Caste system and Jantu Bali, i.e. animal sacrifice.[1][2][3][4][5] Similarly several critics allege that the stringent caste system evolved over several centuries a by-product of the varna system that is mentioned in the ancient Hindu scriptures.[6]
Idol Worship
Hindu reformist movements in the 18th–19th centuries such as the Brahmo Samaj and Arya Samaj, were highly critical of image worship.[7]
Varna System
Untouchables used to live separately within a separate subcultural context of their own, outside the inhabited limits of villages and townships.No other castes would interfere with their social life since untouchables were lower in social ranking than even those of the shudra varna. As a result, Dalits were commonly banned from fully participating in Hindu religious life (they could not pray with the rest of the social classes or enter the religious establishments). [8]
The inclusion of lower castes into the mainstream was argued for by Mahatma Gandhi who called them "Harijans" (people of God). The term Dalit is used now and the term Harijan has gone out of use. Many recent political leaders consider it offensive as it is synonymous to being the people of Brahmin. [citation needed]. As per prominent Dalit leader Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's wishes, reservation system with percentage quotas for admissions in universities and jobs has been in place for many lower castes since independence of India to bring them to the upper echelons of society[citation needed]. Although a caste system among South Asian Muslims in India exists[9] it is largely of Hindu origin.[10]
Caste System
The caste system is a Hindu hierarchical system that assigns people different classes in society, similar to the 'middle class, upper class' system used in many western societies. The relatively unique part of the caste system is that one's caste is inherited from one's parents and acts as a representation of one's ancestry. The system has occasionally been criticized for restricting one's professional capabilities as well as for acting as a reason for discrimination. A controversial effect of the Caste system is the religious belief that people can't 'marry out of their castes'. The caste doctrine is observed most actively by the more rural populations in India and by the older generations.[11]
See also
Notes
- ^ Axel Michaels, Hinduism: Past and Present 188-97 (Princeton 2004) ISBN 0-691-08953-1
- ^ Nitin Mehta (2006-12-08). "Caste prejudice has nothing to do with the Hindu scriptures". The Guardian. Retrieved 2006-12-08.
- ^ M V Nadkarni (2003-11-08). "Is Caste System Intrinsic to Hinduism? Demolishing a Myth". Economic and Political Weekly. Archived from the original on 2007-03-12. Retrieved 2006-12-08.
- ^ "suttee." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2004 Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service.
- ^ Euthanasia and Hinduism - ReligionFacts
- ^ David Haslam (2006-11-18). "Face to faith". The Guardian. Retrieved 2006-12-08.
- ^ Salmond, Noel Anthony (2004). "3. Dayananda Saraswati". Hindu iconoclasts: Rammohun Roy, Dayananda Sarasvati and nineteenth-century polemics against idolatry. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press. p. 65. ISBN 0-88920-419-5.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ The Untouchable by Andrea Hampton http://www.csuchico.edu/~cheinz/syllabi/asst001/fall97/adra-hpn.htm
- ^ Ganguly, Rajat; Phadnis, Urmila (2001). Ethnicity and nation-building in South Asia. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. p. 88. ISBN 0-7619-9439-4.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Singh Sikand, Yoginder. "Caste in Indian Muslim Society". Hamdard University. Retrieved 2006-10-18.
- ^ The Untouchables by Andrea Hampton http://www.csuchico.edu/~cheinz/syllabi/asst001/fall97/adra-hpn.htm
References
- Apte, Vaman Shivram. The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - Flood, Gavin (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-43878-0.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - Keay, John (2000). India: A History. Grove Press. ISBN 0-8021-3797-0.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help)
Burns, John. "Once Widowed in India, Twice Scorned" (PDF). NY Times articles. 1998 The New York Times Company. Retrieved 10/12/2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)