By Anil Raturi
It is said that knowing the “Truth” is easy because it is simple and self-evident. However, in real life it is experienced that culling out the “Truth” can sometimes become quite difficult. In the present times, also, we are a witness to the existence of various contending narratives – each claiming to be the “Truth”. Sifting the chaff from the grain about events relating to an entire people over an experience of centuries is therefore a very complex task. History is not always linear and no single narrative can subsume the totality of any people’s past experience. Who is saying what and from where will always colour the narrative.
Yes, the more viewpoints we receive, the better our appreciation gets about the complexity of understanding!
In India, till the Vedic period, caste was not hereditary and social mobility was possible. It is only around the post Vedic period (around 500 BC) that caste became hereditary leading to constraints on social mobility. This situation continued for centuries thereafter. In today’s Indian population, the caste percentage of the top three Varnas – Brahmins,
Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the forward caste of Kayasthas, amounts to only about 15 percent of the country’s population. (These are only rough estimates in the absence of any official caste census). The remaining 85 percent of the population comprises the so called “Shudras” and other religious sects.
For centuries, the ruling elite of traditional India continued to come from the top three Varnas and the Kayasthas (now about 15% of Indian population).
Some rare instances of individuals or communities improving their social positions may have occurred, but by and large, the stratification as an institution remained quite rigid.
Many intellectual achievements of ancient India, such as the development of Sanskrit language, discovery of zero, numerals, mathematics, early knowledge of planetary motions, classical music, epics, poetry, ayurveda, yoga, philosophy of the Upanishads, etc., were remarkable. However, the regressive caste system restricted education and, therefore, the gains of knowledge went only to the minority of the population i.e. the top three Varnas. The majority of the population (so called Shudras-Scheduled Castes – SCs, Scheduled Tribes-STs and Other Backward Castes – OBCs) for centuries did not have education, ownership of land or capital. The OBCs attained land rights only post-Independence with the implementation of land reforms. The coming of the Constitution of India was revolutionary as it ushered in the concept of socio-economic equality for the first time in history as an ideal backed up by laws like universal adult franchise, fundamental rights, etc. The plight of the community, now termed “Scheduled Castes”, was particularly pitiable during almost two millenniums.
No ruler can protect his regime when the majority of the populace has minimal stakes in the system. Such a system is a strategic nightmare! It paved the way for the fall of the Hindu kingdoms.
Consequently, from 7th century AD onwards, in such a socially divided land, it was easy for the invading armies of Turks, Afghans, Mughals, etc., to subjugate the native population and establish their rule.
Most of the Muslim rulers, too, (except for some rare exceptions) being feudal, were also despotic. They too marginalised the majority Hindu population of the land. In due course, decadence of luxury made them easy prey for the clever Europeans.
It is said that for centuries, till 1500 AD, the combined GDP of China and India was more than 50% of the world’s GDP (Economist Angus Maddison). In the pre-Industrial period (before the advent of the steam engine-1712), the European countries looked towards India and China for wealth. They came here to trade. The Arabs as middlemen were between
Europe and the rich East. The Europeans wanted to find a sea route to the East that avoided the Arabs. Resultant was the coming of Vasco Da Gama to India via the Cape of Good Hope! In this hit and trial, Columbus also discovered America!
The British defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, making them the top Naval power, relegating Spain, which was the top European power then.
It was the British Naval prowess that compelled the Indian rulers to give British trading licences in India, leading to the establishment of the British East India Company; a conglomerate of traders.
Robert Clive was an employee of this company. Even in his wildest dreams he had never imagined that he could defeat the huge army of the Nawab of Bengal. Yet, the communal and caste divide, the corrupt social circumstances, intrigues, etc., made the impossible possible for the British. Clive reluctantly fought the battle of Plassey in 1757. In the battle, the guns used by the British and their rate of fire, played havoc just as Babar’s cannons had once done at Panipat. With just about 3000 men– mostly Indian sepoys– Clive defeated Siraj-ud- Daulah’s army of more than fifty thousand!
With Napoleon’s final defeat in 1815, Britain became the number one power of the world. Post 1857, it took direct control of India.
The British Bengal Army was mainly comprised of Hindu upper castes. After the 1857 rebellion, the British distrusted the upper castes and, therefore, created a “Martial Races” theory for recruitment in the British Indian Army. They raised the so called “class” regiments of Sikh, Gurkha, Garhwal, Dogra, etc., cleverly fostering regimental loyalty (rather than National) for warriors who were mercenaries fighting their own fellow natives! They brought in modern discipline and training. They put in place a modern governing system replete with laws, rules, army, administration, railways and communications. Many individual British ICS and Military officers exhibited qualities of high character, making it possible for just about fifty thousand white men (the peak number) to rule a land of 350 million (Greater India’s population then).
The objective of their macro system, however, was never altruistic, rather it was Colonial, to partake off the rich natural resources of India.
Eventually, they fleeced India of its wealth to become the first modern Industrial nation of the world, leaving India in a poorer condition than it was when they first came here.
They considered Indians an inferior people who due to their social differences and propensity for corruption were incapable of self-rule. One of the most glorified Britishers, Churchill a thoroughbred imperialist and a racist, said so openly! He unabashedly sent Indian rice for his white army leaving behind the famine of Bengal.
Some incidental benefits of their rule for India came in the form of Modern Armed Forces, All India Administrative System, Railway network, the English Language, etc.
They considered themselves a superior ruling class vis a vis the natives. Just as, at first, the ancient traditional Hindu ruling elite and later the medieval Muslim rulers had considered themselves.
Despite this, they were relatively less prejudiced than the traditional Indian ruling elites towards the “Depressed Classes” (now Scheduled Castes). For instance, they recruited the Mahars (then an untouchable caste whom generally the traditional elite did not consider warrior material) into their army. This paved the way for many young Mahars to get “pukka rupiah” as salary for serving in what became the illustrious “Mahar Regiment”!
The Scheduled Castes of India as a class over millenniums did not have education, land or money. With their recruitment in the British Indian Army, the salaried Mahars could dream of improving their lot. Dr BR Ambedkar’s father was one such lucky Mahar who rose to the rank of Subedar! It gave Dr Ambedkar an opportunity to study.
Ambedkar was a brilliant student, who despite regularly suffering caste discrimination rose to become a formidable and erudite man. Perhaps, he was the first man in millenniums from the depressed classes to get so educated! This became possible primarily because of the British system. It is, therefore, logical for the depressed classes to consider the British better rulers than all previous ones.
For the first time in history, Ambedkar took irrevocable steps for the upliftment of the Scheduled Castes in an institutional manner. He provided admirable leadership to them by ensuring reservations for them in education, employment and legislatures, etc., through Constitutional measures.
These measures have improved the lot of some SCs. It was due to his work that the 1980s and 90s could throw up prominent SC political leaders.
One of the most important flaws of the subcontinental people has been their perennial social divisions and their deep entrenched non-egalitarianism. This continuously made them prey to conquests leading to an absence of self-rule for a very long time.
It was only in 1947 that India finally gained its political Independence.
However, even today, some of the poorest sections of India are still comprised of SCs in whom caste and class, i.e., depressed social and economic status seem to merge. Whatever the reasons may be – it is a fact, that despite reservations, the lot of SCs and STs is still far from ideal.
The SCs and STs together comprise about 25% of the country’s population, which is about 350 million people today. (Almost equal to the population of USA or Western Europe!)
Therefore, it should be clear to any enlightened Indian that India can achieve its destiny of becoming a great nation only when the lot of SCs and STs, as a class, attains a certain level of dignified existence. As long as such a huge mass of human beings continue to remain socially and economically marginalised, the Indian society will not achieve the ideal harmony.
It is in this context that the Indian ruling elite should pay heed to the maxim which says, “those who do not learn their lesson from history will only be condemned to repeat it”.
India seems to be again, slowly growing towards becoming one of the top three economies of the world. However, it is desirable that Socio-Economic inequality should be reduced to manageable thresholds for harmony.
Until then, conflict and discussions ad nauseam!!!
(Anil Raturi is a retired IPS officer)
