Ancient racism, from the guys who invented it.

The Manu Smriti is an old code of India. In today's India, "Manu vaadi" or "followers of Manu" is a catch all term for obscurantist, bigoted and fossilised viewpoints. However, the time of Manu was long ago, and the book gives interesting insights of society then.A brief overview with some extracts by journalist V Ramchandra Rao.

Section 1. Manu knows about the Greeks, Chinese, Persians, etc.

Section 2. Manu's notions of how the various communities formed

Section 3. Aryans , yet not fully aryan- some communities which still survive

Section 4. Emphatically not aryan according to manu. Is your community there?

Section 5. So what do the unfortunates do?

backgrounder

While most of the book is a list of boring ritual do's and dont's for a upper caste person of Manu's times and is not of much interest today, there are sections on geography and peoples of manu's times.

The "aryans" had "settled" in India, wherever they came from and hacked off and burnt down large forest areas with iron tools. However there were many earlier peoples, not all of them forest dwellers. Manu did not wish the Aryans to intermarry with non aryans, of which there were several distinct groups.

Since he could see many tribes and peoples, and large kingdoms too he tried to fit them into his theory as best as he could. The references are clear notices of old tribal names which are now names of regions. Some communities still survive.

Manu further knows of large kingdoms like the Asian Greeks, Chin dynasty, Persia and Scythia and he calls them degraded aryans, who gave up aryan practices.

It seems Manu and other lawmakers of ancient India could see that society never really fitted into their neat and tidy theories of varna ( four castes and the rest). They defensively explained away the diversity as being caused by "Mixture of the four castes". But it would appear even they knew they were on weak ground, because the much earlier vedas treat the various peoples differently ..

In some vedic passages non aryans are praised, while obvious aryans are condemned: the early aryans didn't care too much about these things (and more concerned with plunder), but it would appear, later on with the spread of agriculture and a larger surplus food stock, a sort of class society developed. From a war leader of marauding horsemen, the vedic Indra gradually loses importance and in the Puranas he comes off as a bit of an ass, always getting into hilarious scrapes, chasing women and generally having powerful spells thrown at him by irritated sages.

However primitive it may be, it is worth taking a look at the Manu Smriti. Some passages and explanations. I have relied on Buehler's translation into english but the pronunciations will be dodgy.

Section 1.

What about the warriors and rulers of other places on the earth? Manu shows keen geographical knowledge ....

"But in consequence of the omission of the sacred rites, and of their not consulting Brahmanas, the following tribes of Kshatriyas have gradually sunk in this world to the condition of Sudras;

the Paundrakas, the Kodas, the Dravidas, the Kambhojas, the Yavanas, the Sakas, the Paradas, the Pahlavas, the Chinas, the Kiratas, and the Daradas.

Kodas could be people on the river Godavari. Or choda/chola of south India. Paundrakas somewhere in east India,
Dravidas are probably south indians or central plateau tribals like Oraons.
Kambhojas are anciently mentioned to live in the region of Punjab and there is an echo of a migration to somewhere on the Godavari. Later from there seafarers and adventurers gave the name to a region of southeast asia --kampuchea or Cambodia. Some kaambhojas seem to be residents of central asia too.
Yavanas --- "ionians" are ancestors of greeks living in asia. Sakas are the well known indo-iranian Scythians who roamed all over Asian steppes and ruled parts of India ( in modern Gujarat, Maharashtra, karnataka and Andhra. ) They later overran most of europe.
The Pahlavas are the persians... who were aryans earlier , to be fair to Manu. They were proud of this, although didn't have much use for manu. Incidentally a large branch migrated along with the Sakas and parthians right down to south india. Parada may be parthian, or Pardhi tribe extant today.

The Chinas might be the Chin people of north china, Kirata are hillmen of the east himalayas and beyond. Echoes of kithay / cathay are clear. Possibly south chinese.
Daradas are dardic peoples, who again DO speak a variety of aryan language.
An important point often glossed over by researchers : manu says all these people were originally Aryan, but gradually gave up the aryan ways.
In the next passage manu makes it clear, that all the same --

" . those who don't fit into the category of brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya and sudra -- are all called Dasyu.( even if they speak aryan language)."

The Dasyus are very anciently mentioned in the rig veda as non aryan.

Sec.2

The main focus of manu's theory:-
" Brahmana, the Kshatriya, and the Vaisya castes (varna) are the twice-born ones, but the fourth, the Sudra, has one birth only; there is no fifth (caste)."

Note: up to and including the sudras, all are aryan. Only after an initiation rite they beome "twice born". Same as baptism in born again christians. The others don't figure in the caste hierarchy. Correctly, the scheduled caste/"dalits" and some others are termed "outcaste" in english.

Manu explains away the tribes and communities of his day as being formed by " mixing" i.e. intermarriage . He gives examples.

Males	Females	Offspring	Occupation Remarks
Brahmana	Vaisya	The Ambashtha	healers
kshatriya	Sudra	The Ugra	ferocious and cruelty/snaring
Brahmana	Sudra	The Nishada, Parasava	famed tribe/fishing
Vaishya	Kshatriya	The Magadha	trade/a region
Kshatriya	Brahmana	Suta	charioteers
Vaishya	Brahmana	Vaideha	service of women/a region
Sudra	Vaishya	Ayogava	carpentry
Sudra	kshatriya	Kshattri	khatri ? hunting
Sudra	Brahman	Chandala	very low status
Brahmana	Ugra	Avrita
brahman	Ambashtha	Abhira	famous clan
Nishada	Sudra	Pukkasa.	snaring
Sudra	Nishada	Kukkutuka
Kshattri	Ugra	Svapaka	cleaners
Vaidehaka	Ambashtha	Vena	drumming

The Nishada are a very ancient tribe, described elsewhere as being short statured, very dark coloured and basically hunters. In one book nishada is said to have red hair and sharp teeth. We can guess this could be a tribe living by hunting in tropical forests.
Nishadas later are considered degraded --the forests were burnt down and brought under the plough --but retained their archery skills, it would appear. Some feel the Nishadas are africans.

The Parsava may be old persians or "wielders of axes".

Sutas are charioteers as a community in the Mahabharata epic. Magadha and Videha are names of regions -- today's Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh. Much later than manu's time, they became the seats of large empires.

Kshattri could possibly be Hittite, who called themselves Khatti. There is a large community called Khattri in Punjab but this name seems to be derived from Khaata, books of accounts. Khattris are traditional accountants to businessmen from afghanistan besides other places. (Most of them say no, it is derived from Kshatriya, just as manu says.)

Chandalas seem to be originally a primitive tribe who came rather late into the orbit of the developing village society. They were supposed to do the most messiest jobs, like hauling off the dead who died in epidemics and the like.
As a matter of fact the Chandala managed to survive till today, but because of the associations of the name , they've changed it. Unlike some other scheduled castes who are quite proud of their community, the ex-chandalas have yet to gather courage. They are a fairly large group in Bengal. Incidentally there was a powerful clan of Chandella rajputs in the eastern region of madhya pradesh, who built the Khajuraho temples. They might be the upper crust of the old Chandala tribe, under new status as Rajputs.

Abhira is another large community, also called Aheer or Ahir. Some ahirs were shepherds or cattlemen. Ahir kings ruled at various times. There is a well known hindustani raga of this name also.

There were many people who didn't bother about the rules.

".Those (sons) whom the twice-born beget on wives of equal caste, but who, not fulfilling their sacred duties, are excluded from the Savitri, one must designate by the appellation Vratyas.

.....These Vratyas are aryans, but who don't follow the elaborate rituals. A list of various vratyas follows ---

A glance shows Avanti is a region , as is Dravida. Note: according to manu dravidas are aryans who don't follow aryan rituals.They may have a connection with the druids.
Ghalla may survive today as golla, gowla, gowda, goud -- some of them cattlemen, or may be the ancestors of the Gauls or Hun or even celts.. (there is some evidence for this connection).
Bhrigakantaka may have connections with Phyrgia, or bharuch in south gujarat.
Nata - Karana could possibly be karnataka ? Mallas are well known in legend as wrestlers.
There is a mallah river ferryman (boatman) community, and a Mala one in south India. Licchivi is Licchavi, Buddha's mother's tribe.
The Karushas were tough fighters in legend. Satvata is a name of a large tribe / region. Could be Satavahana or Jatav. Maitraka also is a large tribe since ancient times.
As if this wasn't classification enough, manu goes on to enumerate people still further down the hierarchy and specifically non aryan.

Section 4. Not aryans at all, according to manu.

The Andhra and Meda "dwell outside the village." i.e. they are despised outcastes.

Kunku, Madgu are two other similar peoples mentioned by Manu.

....Andhra is a big state in south india, and this passage invariably brings chuckles there and is greatly treasured. Traditionally, manu's laws were not follwed here: Apastamba's and Baudhayana's were the smritis followed here. There is still an Andh tribe in the north of andhra pradesh. The Andhras, or their servants the Satavahanas were rulers of most of the Deccan after the Maurya empire collapsed. The Romans and South east Asians traded briskly with the Andhras. The Andhras must have given old Manu a lot of trouble, maybe.

Karvara may be Chamara, traditional skilled leather workers. Tanning being a messy and unhygenic craft, the upper castes with a horror of soiling ( mainly their hands with work ) made sure this occupation was considered very degraded. Or Karvar could possibly be referring to the region Karvar (west coast) or Karvir, near Kolhapur- Karad in the Maratha Deccan.

A Medar community flourishes, traditionally engaged in basketry. Kunku sounds like Konkan, a region on the west coast: Madgu is the well known Madiga /Matanga community.

Where do the andhra, meda, karvara etc live according to manu?

These peoples may live ( or maybe prefer to live)
". Near well-known trees and burial-grounds, on mountains and in groves, let these (tribes) dwell, known (by certain marks), and subsisting by their peculiar occupations.

". But the dwellings of Chandalas and Svapakas (scavengers -cleaners) shall be outside the village, ..., and their wealth (shall be) dogs and donkeys.

It is clear the Chandalas made the mistake of joining the agricultural society at the bottom--

". Their dress (shall be) the garments of the dead, (they shall eat) their food from broken dishes, black iron (shall be) their ornaments, and they must always wander from place to place.

". A man who fulfils a religious duty, shall not seek intercourse with them; their transactions (shall be) among themselves, and their marriages with their equals.

". Their food shall be given to them by others (than an Aryan giver) in a broken dish; at night they shall not walk about in villages and in towns.

". By day they may go about for the purpose of their work, distinguished by marks at the king's command, and they shall carry out the corpses (of persons) who have no relatives; that is a settled rule.

". By the king's order they shall always execute the criminals, in accordance with the law, and they shall take for themselves the clothes, the beds, and the ornaments of (such) criminals.

". Dying, without the expectation of a reward, for the sake of Brahmanas and of cows, or in the defence of women and children, secures beatitude to those excluded.

how's that for incentive.

All the same, accordng to Manu , they have a chance--

". By the power of austerities and of the seed (from which they sprang), these (races) obtain here among men more exalted or lower rank in successive births.

.......all is not lost. These peoples can come up as a people, if not as individuals. Further, manu allows hypergamy grudgingly--

" . If (a female of the caste), sprung from a Brahmana and a Sudra female, bear (children) to one of the highest caste, the inferior (tribe) attains the highest caste within the seventh generation.

This view is held by most people in India (regardless of their status etc.) By the way the chinese have a similar notion -"clinging to the hairs of a dragon". You can't come up as an individual according to manu's scheme. But the community can rise as a corporate, right up to the status of brahmins. As a matter of fact this has happened all along in various degrees. (But they hush it up).

". (Thus) a Sudra attains the rank of a Brahmana, and (in a similar manner) a Brahmana sinks to the level of a Sudra; but know that it is the same with the offspring of a Kshatriya or of a Vaisya.

The move can be downwards too, so better watch out !

". Having considered (the case of) a non-Aryan who acts like an Aryan, and (that of) an Aryan who acts like a non-Aryan, the creator declared, 'Those two are neither equal nor unequal.'

It can be seen that Manu steps aside and does not answer the question.

After all the stuff about sudras not allowed to learn the veda and dire threats, Manu does a U-turn ! maybe this part comes from the older versions. The smritis were revised periodically it would appear, for instance in the Gupta times, and it is possible there was a hardening of the state attitudes towards the poorer people. Otherwise it is difficult to reconcile these statements with the generally accepted notions about the manu smriti.

"He who possesses faith may receive pure learning even from a man of lower caste, the highest law even from the lowest, and an excellent wife even from a base family."

" It is prescribed that in times of distress may learn (the Veda) from one who is not a Brahmana; and that he shall walk behind and serve the teacher, as long as the instruction lasts.

" He who habitually salutes and constantly pays reverence to the aged obtains an increase of four (things), (viz.) length of life, knowledge, fame, (and) strength.

". Excellent wives, learning, (the knowledge of) the law, (the rules of) purity, good advice, and various arts may be acquired from anybody.

" Wealth, kindred, age, rites, and sacred learning are titles to respect; but each later-named is more weighty (than the preceding ones).

" Whatever man of the three (highest) castes possesses most of those five, both in number and degree, that man is worthy of honour among them; and (so is) also a Sudra who has entered the tenth (decade of his life).

Megaliths of south India --who were these people?

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Please email to me your opinions and suggestions. There is a widely prevalent imaginary "idea" of India, derived from books mainly.