Jotirao Phule: Social Structure and Brahmanism
Chapter IV :Jotirao Phule : Social Structure and Brahmanism
• 4.1
Social Struture
• 4.2
Brahmanism
• 4.3
The Incarnation Theory
• 4.4
Life cycle and Exploitation
• 4.5
The Vicious Circle of Religion
• 4.6
Temple : An Emblem of Exploitation
• 4.7
Administrative Exploitation
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4.1 Social Structure
Introduction:
It seems to be a myth that pre-historic society was a casteless
millennium of equality, plenty and piety. Division of society into
Aryans and non-Aryans is the first indications of a stratified society as
mentioned in the Rig-Veda. The Aryan 'Vis' or tribe was further
divided into four groups based on the emergence of different pursuits
such as agriculture, cattle rearing and trade. Those who pursued
activities related to trade and commerce were known as Vaisya. The
surplus wealth was diverted towards the maintenance of the Brahman
and the Kshatriya. These three Varnas (castes) were identified not by
the colour of their skin but by their profession (Sharma, 2007, 33).
The Brahman performed religious and ritual activities for the
welfare of society. He studied the Vedas, and formulated norms
(dharma) for all sections of society. The Kshatriya was assigned the
task of defending the country and maintaining law and order. In course
of time, these three Varnas specialized in their functions, and formed a
social hierarchy in which the Brahmanas were placed at the top, the
Kshatriya ranked below and the Vaishya occupied the third rank. The
fourth rank was of the Shudra or Dasa who served the three higher
groups. The 'Purusasukta' of the Rig-Veda gives a mythological story of
the origin of the four Varnas- from the mouth (Brahmanas), arms
(Kshatriyas), thighs (Vaishyas) and feet (Shudras) of the lord Brahma
(ibid, 33).
4.1.2 Varnas and Caste:
Varnas are different from caste groups. Varnas refer to broad
divisions of Hindu society, whereas castes groups refer to specific
endogamous groups, numbering more than three thousand. Varnas are
an all India general phenomenon, whereas castes are localized groups
(ibid, 33-34).
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A) Caste:
The Hindu society is divided into several groups of Varying size,
small as well as big, based on the consideration of birth. These groups
are known as Jati or Castes. The first characteristic of the caste is the
restriction on inter marriage. In Hindu society, every person is required
to marry within his caste. Not only that, if there are sub-groups within
one's caste a person is required to marry within in his own sub-caste
(MSG, 2009, 169).
The caste system is the hereditary occupation, every cast has one,
but in exceptional castes, two or three occupations are assigned.
Various castes within the society do not enjoy equal rank. Some castes
are considered to be superior while others inferior. Every person
acquires this rank on the basis of his birth within a specific caste and
his personal achievements do not bring about any change in it. It is
related to the religious belief in purity (ibid, 169-70).
The caste is confined to a given linguistic region. In each
linguistic region, there are 50 to 200 castes and 500 to 2000 sub castes.
In Maharashtra, the number of castes could be about a hundred (ibid, 170).
B) Caste and Occupation:
There was close relationship between the caste and occupation.
In the rural areas of Maharashtra, the task of maintaining proper
relationship between the caste and the occupation was performed by a
well known 'Baluta' system. This system specified occupational duties
to be performed by a certain caste and payments to be received by them
for the same in rural society. This system has developed in the entire
Indian society and is known in Maharashtra by the name Bara
Balutedars (ibid, 171).
4.1.3 Baluta System:
In this system, services of twelve castes were considered to be
important and hence the system become known by the name 'Bara
Balutendari'. The Balutendars received from each peasant household
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Baluta or payment for their services, in the form of grain and other farm
produce at the time of harvest, and cooked food on the festival
occasions. Besides this form of payment, some important Balutendars
were given land gift by the village community. This was known as
Vatan. The principle which is at the base of this institution of Vatan is
to provide durability and continuity from one generation to another to
the occupational relationship of the master and servant (ibid, 171).
4.1.4 Varnashrma Dharma:
Among the four Varnas the Brahman Varna is considered to be
the superior and the Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra take the second, the
third and the fourth place respectively. The superiority of the Brahman
Varna is related to the ritual purity of their occupation. The profession
Kshatriya involved killing or violence. The Vaishayas whose interests
were connected with the economic power, greatly valued stability in the
economic sphere and they were not at all inclined to enter the Kshatriya
Varna. The Shudras who were fourth in the Varna hierarchy accepted
their lowest position out of helplessness, but they cherished the desire
to enter the Kshatriya Varna if suitable opportunity was available (ibid,
173-74). In brief, with regard to the ranking in the caste system, we find
that although the Varna system posits definite social rank for each caste
the folk system of ranking which we find in operation in actual social
life has considerable social flexibility and allows within limits
possibility of change in the social rank of a caste. A caste or a sub caste
group can make a successful attempt to bring about, change in its
traditional social rank. In the absence of centralized political power in
historic times, there was considerable flexibility in the social rank and
functioning of various castes and to bring about necessary change in
the, context of changing situation.
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4.2 Brahmanism
The history of the development of economic thought in India can
be traced back to the times since man started recording his ideas.
According to Indian Philosophy, history is defined as a narrative of the
past which exemplifies the fulfillment of four ideals of life : Dharma
(the doctrine of duty); Artha (material prosperity); Kama (wordly
pleasures); and Moksha (Salvation). These ideals have been the
regulator of human life and activities in this country since times
immemorial. The Principle of Dharma leads one to recognize unity in
the diversity of human life, aspiration and values (Hajela, 2014, 878). If
Dharma and Moksha refer to the ethical aspects of human life, Artha
and Kama represent the material side. Dharma, Artha, Kama are to be
pursued for the achievement of Moksha. Artha, which means the
material objects, is indispensable for the proper conduct of life. Kama
helps the propagation of the species. Indian philosophy has always
distinguished between purity and pollution. The Indian sages and seers
have, therefore attached importance to Artha with a sense of purpose.
To them, accumulation of wealth is important only for the fulfillment of
Dharma. Any excess of it would make a man to drift away from the
achievement of Moksha (ibid, 879).
Indian philosophy thus emphasizes rigid discipline and selfcontrol to prevent people from falling into the sought of avarice and
greed and from doing things which are not good for all. It is therefore,
not surprising that under the impact of Indian philosophy, people in
India have not been materialistic in their thought and deeds. It was
owing to the influence of ancient philosophy that economics, as such,
could not be developed in the country (ibid, 880). The ancient
philosophy dragged Indian economy backward and kept it in
stagnation. No one had idea to study the causes of poverty, from the
perspective of religion, caste or disparity. In the economic history of
India, the first time, Phule studied the causes of the backwardness of
India from the perspective of religion, and the first time he used the
new name Brahmanism despite of Hinduism.
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Max Weber says,
'I use the word Brahmanism rather than Hinduism because I
think it better represents the nature of the religion both because of the
centrality of the notion of Brahman and the apex position of the
Brahmins. 'Only in recent literature has the Indians themselves begun
to designate their religious affiliation as Hinduism. It is the official
designation of the English census for the religious complex also
described in Germany as "Brahmanism" (Max, 2007, 4).
Caste is product of the Brahmanism. Existence of caste gives
apex position in society with religious, political and economical
privileges. Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar describes the effects of the caste
and its existence,
'The effect of caste on the ethics of the Hindus is simply
deplorable. Caste has killed public spirit. Caste has destroyed the sense
of public charity. Caste has made public opinion impossible. A Hindu's
public is his caste. His responsibility is only to his caste. His royalty is
restricted only to his caste. Virtue has become caste ridden and
morality has become caste bound. There is no sympathy to the
deserving (Ambedkar, 2004, 46).
According to various Indian and foreign philosopher, the Indian
society is divided into various caste groups, so the casteism or existence
of caste is big hurdle for economic progress.
But Phule sought to create dichotomous conceptions of the Hindu
social structure. A dichotomous conception of social structure,
according to a leading sociologist, -------------------------------------------------- is a generalization for the entire society of a two term
asymmetric relation in which one side is the privileged at the expense
of the other. In this conception, society is divided into two correlative
and diametrically opposed classes in such a way that each of these
classes is characterized by the relation of its members to them members
of the opposed classes (Selected writing, ed. Deshpande, 2010, 6).
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Ossowaski is talking here of class society.
But he also cites the example of the Purusha Sukta in the tenth
Mandal of the Rig Veda as an example of dichotomous conception of
society. Phule's formulation is very similar except that he does not use
the term class. He calls opposed groups by their Varna names:
Brahman and ShudratiShudra (ibid, 6).
It was clear to Phule that Brahmanism was a religious, or more
accurately, dharmik, order which perpetuated, rationalized and made
sacrosanct. The dominance of the Brahmans in this dichotomous
conception Phule's attack on Brahmanism is essentially as ideology of
brahmanical
dominance
varchaswadi) (ibid,
(brahmanache
varchaswa
or
Brahman-
6). For Phule, Brahmanism was historical,
constructed over time, and since it was the ideology of oppression and
dominance, it had to be opposed and ultimately smashed. There was
nothing sacred or divine about it. But because it presented itself as
divinely ordained, it was necessary to oppose this system in its entirety
(ibid 6-7). Phule's was not simply a focus on ideology and culture;
He stressed equally the factors of violence and conquest in
history (those which Marx had relegated to the realm of "primitive
accumulation of capital") and took the peasant community as his centre.
Violence and force were overriding realities in all historical processes;
the "Aryan conquest" was simply the first of a series of invasions and
conquests of the subcontinent, the Muslim and the British being the
other major ones. It was, if anything, worse than others not for racial
reasons but for the fact that the "Irani Arya-bhats" solidified their
power using a hierarchical and in-equalitarian religious ideology.
Brahman rule, or bhatshahi, was regime that used state power and
religious hegemony to maintain exploitation. The key exploited class/
group was the peasantry, the key exploiters were bureaucracy, which
the Brahmans dominated even under colonial rule. Taxes, cesses and
state takeover of peasant lands were the crucial mechanisms of
extracting surplus, supplemented by money lending and extortion for
religious programs. Phule's graphic descriptions of present poverty, his
sensitivity to issues of drought and land use and to what would today be
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called watershed development, and his condemnation of the forest bureaucracy
make him strikingly modern in many ways (Omvedt 2012, 20-21).
For Phule, when he studied the causes of backwardness and
poverty of the ShudratiShudras, he found they were exploited on the
name of religion, karmkand and various myths. They had chained
themselves by the Hindu conventional religion and their myths.
Scriptures, texts and Purans were the main sources of the superstition of
the Brahmin's superiority and their privileges. Being so, the Brahman
was at apex of the religious hierarchy, therefore,
'Kshatriya do not have the right to kill Brahmans', conveys
nothing at all about those two groups; whereas 'Rulers do not have the
right to kill priest', (Doniger & smith, 2000 lxxvi). Therefore, there was
need to reinterpret of the myths and the stories (which were included in
the Purans) and to aware the ShudratiShudras about their indigenous
and prowess. His attempt was not to write history, but to get them
realize about their condition and its causes. According to G.P.
Deshpande,
Phule attacks the avatarakalpna. He heaps utter scorn on the
various godheads. His analysis of the various avataras, however, may
not stand the scrutiny of either history or even plain reason. But that is
perhaps not the issue. His attempt was to subvert the brahmanical
structure of ideas and beliefs so that a new, more equitable order can
emerge. His is a Shudra-atiShudra rewriting of history. It is not
scientific as much as it is subversive. That is its purpose: subversion
and destruction. His writings on the Brahmanical gods and on the
history of the Aryan race have to be understood in terms of their
purpose. Whether the Aryans constitute a race, at all or whether they
came from Iran or anywhere else, is beside the point. Phule was not
writing history. He was rejecting Brahminical history from a
ShudratiShudra perspective (Deshpande, 2010, 7).
The belief, of the ShudratiShudras, which was in history written
by the Brahmin, should be overthrown; therefore, the reinterpretation
was required. Because, according to Dipesh Chakrabarty,
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'The naturalism of historical time, however, lies in the belief that
everything can be historicized (2000, 73). He further points out that, it
is always possible to assign, places and objects to a naturally existing
continuous flow of historical time…
Thus,
irrespective
of
a
society's
own
understanding
of
temporality, a historian will always be able to produce a time line for
the globe, in which for any given span of time, the events in areas x, y
and z can be named…. The historian has the capacity to put them into a
time we are all supposed to have shared, consciously or not. History as
a code thus invokes a natural, homogenous, secular, cylindrical time
without which the story of human evolution/ civilization- a single
human history, that is cannot be told (ibid, 74).
Phule attempts to construct in a similar vein unities, such as,
Brahmins and Shudras moving through history within such a secular
calendrical time, his objective is to show, through the use of history,
that Brahmins have exploited Shudras and atiShudras by fabricating
their holy books and that there is no natural or divine basis for this
exploitation. This, he believed, would open the Shudra's eyes and break
their shackles; hence his effort to historicize popular Hindu legends
which form a part of the everyday world of the Shudras and atiShudras, who constitute the mass of society (Davare, 2011, 55).
For Phule, history functioned as the basis of social critique in the
present, with an ever-present 'I'. He was interested in understanding the
present condition of the Shudras and atiShudras as a historical process,
showing how these relations developed through history. By doing so he
believed he could expose how they come to be what they were in the
present, thereby allowing the possibility for transformation. It was
imperative therefore, to his mind, that Shudras and atiShudras acquire a
historical consciousness (ibid, 55-56).
To make the Shudra – atiShudras aware, Phule constructs a
coherent sequential narrative of one incarnation to the next and
attempts to rationalize them. He delineated incarnation myth in his
incarnation theory. For himself, he tried to reinterpret History of India.
Phule was not agreeing to accept History, which had got by tradition
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and rose on imaginary assumptions. These assumptions go against
prudence.
Descartes decides to become skeptical concerning anything of the
truth of which I had been persuaded merely by example and custom
(Descartes, 1992; 2). Therefore, rejection of history was a main object
of Phule and his aim was to rewrite history, which can give esteem and
freedom to the Shudra-atiShudra.
4.2.1 Brahmanism means Exploitation:
All human beings, in Hindu religion, excluding Brahman, were
exploited on the name of Hindu religion. Being superior, and at the
apex of religious hierarchy, the Brahmin Priests had got right to exploit
and had used various myths, traditions and Karmkand. Therefore,
exploitation was known as Brahmanism.
Phule used the concept of Brahmanism for exploitation, because
commoners were exploited in their entire life at various stages at
various sectors. The Brahmin in nineteenth century, had occupied all
posts in administration, in religion and in society, he was superior to
all. Automatically, he got rights to control and regulate man's life and
his others sectors. Therefore, every stage of life and every sector related
to man was exploited on religion or official authority, therefore
Brahmanism concept transferred into exploitation. To implement the
Brahmanism, according to Phule, they have created various myths,
scriptures, texts etc. and instilled in the Shudratishudras’ mind. For
Phule, invasion of the Aryan has been converted into the deed of
Vishnu (God of Hindu). In addition, the Brahmin developed various
myths regarding invasion of the Aryan. Therefore, Phule felt the need
to reinterpret and develop new ideas concerning incarnation of Vishnu.
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4.3 The Incarnation Theory
According to Phule, the economic development of the Shudras
atiShudras was stagnated due to the Hindu religious literature. The
literatures were developed to become easy to institute the Brahmins
privilege and to prevent the Shudra and atiShudra from their economic,
political & social rights. Except Brahman, all subjects were exploited
by morally, physically and psychologically. They had lost their energy
of living; therefore, they did not have any impulse to work or to bring
prosperity in their lives. The religion, therefore, Phule named it, as
Brahmanism and it made religious duties of the Brahmin priests to
perform supported exploitation. The revolt would not be arisen against
the philosophy of the Brahmanism by the ShudratiShudras was the aim
of the religious literature. The condition of slaves was destined and
therefore, they had no alternative to suffer and to get salvation from the
destiny. Therefore, there was no other choice in front of Phule, except
to subvert against all these religious materials.
Phule's objectives of theory of incarnation:
1)
To deny the Brahmin's privileges and superiority
2)
To make Shudra-atiShudra aware about their hidden identity of
Kshatriya and to get them realize for their rights.
3)
To reinterpret the important stories, figures and symbols.
Phule considered some assumption to develop the theory these are:
1)
The Brahmans are overseas and the Shudra-atiShudras are
indigenous.
2)
The religious materials are the device of exploitation.
3)
The Brahmins have been delegated authority by the religious
materials to power over the Shudra-atiShudra.
4)
The
Shudra-atiShudras
are
made
slave
by
the
religious
literatures.
5)
The stagnation in the life of the indigenous is occurred by the
religious Karmakand.
The Aryan purposely developed theory of the incarnation to
reject their foreignerness and dethrone to the Shudra-atiShudra forever.
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For Phule, Subversion of Hindu religion was essential for the welfare of
the indigenous. He quoted some portions of Manusmuriti, in his
Cultivator's whipcord, and proved necessity of the dethroning the
existence of the Brahmins. Phule quoted some thoughts of Manu's
If a king even dies of hunger; he must not accept taxes or land
revenue from any Brahmin. However, the king must award annual
grants to Brahmins. If a scholarly Brahmin finds a treasure, he can
enjoy it alone. Because the, Brahmin is the lord of everyone. However,
if a king finds a treasure, he should give half of it to a Brahmin (Jotirao
Phule; tr. Mundlay, 2002, 72).
Brahmins should make the Shudras to serve them. Because god
has created the Shudras to serve the Brahmins if, a Brahmin frees a
Shudra from his bondage, because helped him in some delicate matter,
then any other priest Brahmin can catch hold of him to make him his
slave. For god has created him for this very purpose. (ibid, 72) If a
Brahmin is dying of starvation, he should make use of whatever
belongings his Shudra servant may possess. The original law is that the
king should not take the wealth of even a Brahmin who has no heir. But
if anyone from any other caste dies intestate, the king can take over his
possession, if he so desires (ibid, 72).
Hindu conventional religion and its written materials prove that,
the Brahmins are supreme innately; therefore, duty of king is to take
care of them and the duty of the Shudras to be slaved.
From the perspective of Phule, to reinterpret the theory of the
incarnation of Vishnu god was to explain for the indigenous. He wanted
to prove that the deed of Vishnu god was vicious. The incarnation
theory was developed to honour the Aryans who had massacred the
Indigenous; and immediate aim was to prove a requirement of it. The
aim of it was to protect religion. Next aim was to keep in mind history
of their invasion in symbolic nature and to obliterate their overseas
from the mind of the indigenous. In addition, an important aim was to
establish their power and to consume it without any antagonism, and
the theory of religion did not let indigenous educate for the sake of the
Brahmins welfare.
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Therefore, there was need to reinterpret incarnation theory and to
make the indigenous aware for their being Kshatriya. O’Hanlon pointed
out that,
Moreover, all indigenous inhabitants or non Aryan Shudras were
the original Kshatriyas a novel claim that drew on lower caste,
aspirations towards Kshatriya status, along with challenging the caste
hierarchy in to, never done previously, he pointed out that, idea of an
original Kshatriya identity for the lower castes bears a very obvious
similarity to the myths of a high status, now lost, that are a common
feature of the culture of low and untouchable castes. But Phule's was
an origin myth with a difference. Rather than limiting himself to a
history of a particular caste, his account projected a central historical
and cultural tradition for Maharashtra itself. This tradition was shaped
and given meaning by the struggles of Maharashtra's lower castes, her
warriors and peasant cultivators (O, Hanlon, 1985, 139).
The subversion of the Brahmanism was need for the economical
development of the Shudras and atiShudras. Phule clubbed all nonBrahmins together as Shudras while Mahar and Mangas as atiShudra
and previously 'fallen' Kshatriyas- all united by a common bond of
oppression. By this move, he hoped to create new forms of political
communities that transgressed caste lines a novel and modern claim
(Devare, 2011, 64).
His book 'Gulamgiri' written in 1873 and dedicated to the people
of the United States has an introduction in English and Phule states.
Recent researchers have demonstrated beyond a shadow of doubt
that the Brahmans were not the aborigines of India. At some remote
period of antiquity probably more than 3,000 years ago, the Aryan
progenitors of the present Brahmin Race descended upon the plains of
Hindustan (Phule tr.Patil, 1991 XXIX).
Phule was firm on the Kshatriya identity of the Shudras and
atiShudras and non aborigines of the Brahmans.
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4.3.1 Background of the incarnation theory:
Phule points out the importance of historical research done by
colonial scholars that shows that the Aryans came to India from Iran as
conquerors attracted to the fertile soil of the land. The indigenous
peoples of India, whom they defeated, were the original Kshatriyas (or
people of the region, the world being derived from Kshetra, meaning
region) Once defeated by the marauding Aryans, they were called
'Shudras' indicating that they offered the greatest resistance in their
power to their establishment themselves in the country and hence the
great aversion and hatred in which they are held (Phule, tr.Patil, 1991, XXX).
Phule states that the Kshatriyas fought the Aryans, but Aryans
used many manœuvrer and defeated Kshatriyas. After the victory to
reign, the Aryans instituted their rules and created many customs to
bring disparities among the Kshatriyas. Phule argued that many
customs traditionally handed down to us, as well as from the
mythological legends contained in the sacred books of the Brahmans, it
is evident there has been a hard struggle for ascendancy between the
two race (ibid, XXXI).
In Gulamgiri, Phule beings his historical analysis with Hindu
legends of creation and incarnation as recounted in the Bhagwat
Purana and attempts to analyze these stories and retell them as 'they
really are', as historical stories of power, control and domination
(Devare 2011,65).
The Brahman had to conceal their origin from the indigenous and
their act of usurpation. They had to perpetuate their social privileges
and religious authority. They were able to do this by their invention of
the caste system and the rights and duties that assigned. Brahman
writers gave these invidious social distinctions the force of religious law.
Phule described cause of these writing in his slavery:
In order to fulfill their plan and those people should remain
perpetually in slavery and they should be able to live comfortably on
what the Shudras earned by the sweat of their brow, and Brahmans set
up the fiction of caste divisions, and made up several books on it for
their own selfish ends (Phule, tr.Patil, 1991, XXXIV).
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Creating and telling history, Brahman made the Shudras and
atiShudras lame from their economic activities. The Brahmans deprived
their efficiency:
The Brahmin despoils the Shudra not only in his capacity of a
priest, but does so in a various of other ways. Having by his superior
education
and
cunning
monopolized
all
the
higher
places
of
employments (Phule,tr.Patil, 1991, XXXV).
Phule reinterpreted incarnation theory, and put forward for the
Shudras and atiShudras to prove their true identity and their
enslavement. Phule's theory can be classified into three categories,
Invasion for loot, brutality of the Aryans' to exterminate the Indigenous
and devious policy for establish the rule.
It can be depicted into the model.
4.3.2 "Model of the incarnation theory"
Figure 4.1
The incarnation theory
Ist stage
IInd stage
IIIrd stage
invasions for
Brutality for Warriors'
Devious policy for
loot
extermination
establishing the rule
Matsya
Narsimha
Kurma
Waman
Varah
Parshuram
Brahma
Manu
In Hindu mythology, there were various important stories, which
were showing distorted reflection of the ancient struggle of the
Brahmins and Kshatriyas. The stories of invasions were purposely
distorted, because the Aryan wanted to wipe out inclination of
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Kshatriyatav and prepare the indigenous to accept slavery of the
Brahmin with the help of distorted history written by them. Therefore
the invasions were described by them a deed of God Vishnu. God
Vishnu incarnated in the various shapes (lives) and defeated the foe for
the welfare of the indigenous, was the principle of the theory. However,
Phule reinterpreted the theory and put forward the new theory for the
emancipation of the indigenous from the baseless theory and slavery.
He stated the theory in three stages. The first stage of the story is Invasions.
4.3.3 The first stage:
The first stage was of invasion, Phule depicted it as follows:
The Aryan had first made their attack in small boats that moved
along through the water like fish, masa in Marathi. Hence, the
nickname of their first leader came to be Matsya. These events were
preserved in the popular memory, in a form deliberately garbled by
Brahman writers, in the story, in the Bhagvat purana, of Vishnu having
emerged from a fish (Phule, quoted in, Hanlon, 2002, 144).
The Aryan army mounted its next wave of attack in a larger boat.
It was the real events behind the story of the second incarnation of
Vishnu, given in the Bhagavat purana. After the defeat of the Aryan,
the second group of the Aryans had arrived by a larger boat. It was
large and slow, resembling a tortoise in its movement. These were the
real events behind the story of the second incarnation of Vishnu given
in the Bhagavat purana. According to the Bhagavat purana, Vishnu
appeared in the form of a tortoise to recover things of value lost in the
deluge (ibid, 144).
The third incarnation of Vishnu was varah. Varah means a pig.
Phule depicted a nature of a Varah.
His nature and behavior must have been loathsome, and wherever
he went he must have won his battles by charging furiously like a wild
boar, Therefore the Kshatriyas in the kingdoms of the brave kings, the
brothers Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu called him a wild boar or pig in
contempt, and as a result he must have been wild with anger; so he
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attacked there kingdoms continually, and inflicted much suffering on
all the people living on the kshetras, and in the end he slew Hiranyaksa
in battle (ibid 144).
In the first stage of the classification, the Aryan succeeded to
defeat the indigenous kings, and established their own colonies.
In the first stage, Matsya shows provisional attack, kurma phase
shows powerful assault; and the third phase of attack shows two
tendencies, to assault on the kingdom and simultaneously exploits their
wealth as like varah. The first phase of the Aryan shows the
establishment of their rule and their exploitation nature.
4.3.4 The Second Stage:
In the first stage, the Aryan obtained possession of the land and
started to extend their empire. In their second stage, they used brutality
and cunningness to extend their rule.
Varah was followed as the leader of the Aryans by the fourth
incarnation of Vishnu, Narasinha, the man lion. In the story, the
Brahmin used their cunningness and deceived to Pralhad and made him
defector,
with
his
treacherously
Narsinha
succeeded
to
kill
Hiranyakasipu. In Phule's account Narasinha become the cunning and
voracious leader of the Aryans, who coveted the kingdom of the
Kshatriya Hiranyakasipu and slew him to gain it (ibid, 144). Narsinha
persuaded
to
Pralhad
for
his
assistance
to
kill
his
father
Hiryanyakshyapu. And he was promised of his coronation, dethroning
his father’s rule, on the cost of his assistance. His father was protector
of the peasants and worship of God was considered to work in field
honestly. But the Aryans were against of equality, they gave honour of
Pralhada’s chattering name of God without doing work, day and night.
Puran honoured Pralhad and his sedition, and working culture of India
was replaced by worshiping of God. In addition, idleness made a big
virtue of Indian religious culture.
The next incarnation of Vishnu is Vaman the dwarf who slays
Bali a king, considered a demon in the Puranas, but brave and generous
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according to Phule. For the Bhagvat purana, Vaman asks Bali, the king,
for as much land as he can take three steps with, which the latter readily
grants. Vaman covers the entire sky and earth in two steps and takes the
third step on Bali's head, thereby defeating him. Phule questions the
veracity of these claims, for instance, Vaman's ability to cover the
entire sky and earth in his steps, impossible for a human being, as well
as the destruction of innocent is Vaman must have caused with his
actions. He asks Dhondiba that when Vaman asked Bali where he could
take his third step, how could Bali have heard him if he was up in the
sky. How could the Russians, the French and the English have
understood him, if their languages are different (Phule, quoted in
Devare, 2011, 68).
4.3.5 Third Stage:
Phule then broke with the conventional Hindu accounts of the
incarnations, and described the next leader of the Aryans as Brahma.
The Figure of Brahma had, of course, an absolute central place in the
most popular Hindu accounts of the origins of society, and of the most
sacred Hindu religious texts. The four Varnas were usually described as
issuing from Brahma's body: the Brahman from his head, the Ksatriya
from his arms, the Vaishya from his stomach, and the Shudra, the
servant of the other classes, from his feet. This account reflected both
the roles and the dignity of the four Varnas in Hindu society. The
Vedas, the oldest and most sacred of the Hindu writings, were
conventionally described as having issued from Brahma's mouth.
Access to the Vedas had always been one of the marks by which the
twice-born castes were distinguished from those of the Shudra Varna. It
is likely, therefore, that Phule felt the figure of Brahma had a special
importance in the legitimating of conventional religious hierarchies,
and represented an important target for reinterpretations (O'Hanlon,
2002, 145).
Once Brahma defeated Banasura and became king, for Phule, he
enslaved people. Cause of the defeat the Kshatriyas become Shudras,
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serving the Brahmin and doing all the menial work. Those people,
Phule argues, who had resisted the most, and the maharis (great
warriors) were treated with utter disdain and began to be called Mahars.
Brahmins refused to accept food from them or drink water from their
hand, which explains the origins of the practice of untouchability. Phule
claims that looking down upon all such activities carried out by people
who laboured on the soil, Brahmins refused to do any work with their
hands, such as working in the fields, looking after cattle or carrying
vegetables on their hands, considering all this demeaning and below
their dignity (Devare, 2011, 69).
Indian economy took different turn, and shifted from agriculture
to various Karmakand. After the Aryans' victory, from the perspective
of Hindu religion, the peasants' work was demeaned and dishonoured.
The farmers and the AtiShudra were transferred in slaves. The Aryan's
principle was to destroy the working culture and create religious culture
which impulses to the peasants to waste their energy and time to
perform religious activities, which were unproductive. Baliraja and his
descendents were protectors and stimulators of agriculture, but the
culture was vanished after the defeat of the indigenous. For social
status, a asceticism was made a good character to establish his status in
society. This virtue was thoroughly against the economic affairs,
because it opposes to consumption as well as production. Therefore, the
economic activities started to hang about and production process was
replaced
by
religious
affairs.
Depriving
the
efficiency
of
the
indigenous, Brahma with his principle lamed the peasants keeping
away them from equality and fraternity. They were kept away true,
innovate education, and made them listen to scriptures and Puranas.
Once they had defeated the original Kshatriyas and made them
into Shudras, in order to legitimize this victory and keep the people
their places' Phule explains to Dhondiba, Brahma came up with the
Varna or caste scheme, thereby ensuring his people would always
remain at the top of the hierarchy; hence the origin of the Varna or
caste system. Furthermore, he argues, these followers of Brahma
continuously filled Shudras' minds with lies to perpetuate their own
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rule, such as instigating them against the British, or by telling them that
Shivaji was a noble king only because he fought the Muslims, while
protecting the Brahmins.
4.3.6 Parshuram’s Extermination:
In the third stage, Brahma and Manu created philosophy to make
slave to the subjugated indigenous. In their formed 'code of conduct',
the indigenous were deprived from their all rights, and they were given
to the Brahmans. But there was a fear in mind of the Aryans about
'revolt'. It would be emerged against the Aryans; therefore, they put
forward theory of 'Extermination of Kshatriyas'. According to this
theory, Parshuram extirpated the Kshatriyas for twenty one times,
therefore, there was no existence of the Kshatriyas. After the
Parshurams victory, only two Varnas were originated by the Aryans'
philosophy. The Brahman and the Shudra were two Varnas were come
into existence. Therefore, no one had right to establish anyone's rule or
create kingdom. Establishing kingdom by anyone would be against of
Hindu religion and God Vishnu. If it happens, God will take
incarnation on the earth and exterminate, who dare to do it.
Manu explains the proposition,
When the ruler was born, the gods became fearful. Being still
within (the womb), they fettered him with a rope. The ruler therefore is
born fettered. If the ruler were to be born unfettered, he would
continually kill his enemies. If one (viz. an officiating priest) desires
regarding a ruler, 'May he be born unfettered; may he continually kill
his enemies', then one should offer for him the boiled offering dedicated
to Indra and Brhaspati. For the ruler has the nature of Indra and
Brhaspati, is the Brahman power. By means of the Brahman power, he
thus liberates him from the ropes that fetter him (Doniger & Smith,
2000, XXIX).
Next incarnation of Vishnu was Parshuram. Phule criticized on
the incarnation according to Bhagwat Puran, Parshuram killed all
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Kshatriyas for twenty-one times and killed his own mother, who was
brought back to life thanks to a boon he won from his father.
This story embodies the horrific crimes perpetrated by the
Brahmins. Parshuram defeated and slaughtered the Kshatriyas, who,
Phule argues fought Valiantly; subsequently, to ensure that they would
be forever subjugated as well as for the purpose of identification, he
made them tie a black string around their necks, calling them names
such as Mahar, Mang, Chandal.
In order that they should never again lift up their hand against
the Brahmans, he had a black thread tied around the neck of each of
them as a sign, and prohibited even their Shudra brothers form
touching them. He introduced the practice of calling these Maha-ari
Kshatriyas by the names of ati-Shudra, Mahar, antyai, Mang and
Chandal. (Phule, quoted in O'Hanlon 2002:146)
The story of Parshuram indicates the brutality of the Brahman by
killing to indigenous and destruction of mother-hood and affection. The
story is itself is devastation of the culture of human beings and honour
of cruelty. It was not indication of the welfare of human beings. On one
hand, the story tells the superiority of the Brahman and other hand, it
tells devaluation of human beings, except the Brahmins. According to
Phule, Manu is the last stage of the incarnation theory. He was not
incarnation of Vishnu, but follower of Brahma. Lastly, he made 'code
of conduct' for the Shudra-atiShudras and deprived all the rights of the
Shudras of living.
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4.4 Life Cycle and Exploitation
The high- caste persons have created all religious institutions, in
India.
In India, these institutions
are
superiority, superstitious,
karmkand, Scriptures, an almanac, the concept of untouchability etc.
These institutions have been created for special purpose. Non-Brahmin
community can be used to serve and can be exploited for the purpose of
the elites.
4.4.1 Motive of Human life
Adam Smith also agrees that man is selfish man, Hajela quoted in,
Adam Smith was chiefly guided by one universal principle, that
of self-interest, i.e. every individual has the desire to better his own lot.
(Smith, quoted in, Hajela, 2014, 130) According to Smith, self-interest
is a device, which brings about development in economy. This principle
gives stimulation to everyone for better his own; therefore, he works for
his own selfish. His working, for his own, brings prosperity in his life
as well as in society also. To fulfill selfish motive, man has created
various economic institutions these are money, price, division of
labour, trade, bank, capital, entrepreneur etc. All these institutions are
beneficial for society. Comparatively studies of the institutions, which
have been created in Indian society as well as in European countries. In
those countries, institutions are established to achieve selfish motive.
But there is fundamental difference between two countries' institutions.
European
institutions
Stimulates
to
work
and
create
industrial
atmosphere in country but Indian institutions stimulates to exploit the
low-caste persons and degrades the working culture. It was based on
this belief that,
Smith regarded the entire economic world as a vast workshop
created by division of labour. He believed that this principle created
unity amidst diversity and consequently political economy was to be
based not on the interest of any individual or class but upon a
consideration of the general interest of the entire community (Hajela,
2014, 130).
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For, Adam Smith, Division of labour is an economic institution is
established to bring innovation in economy. The institution creates
speed in economy and help to progress. According to this institution,
when worker works on same work, his proficiency of work increases.
His mastery of the work stimulates him to bring innovations in his
work. Division of labour brings down the cost of production and
increases quality of product. Production process takes velocity and
produce vast output. For India, 'division of labour' is not for to create
motion in production process, or not for innovation. In India 'division
of labour' is not due to proficiency of a worker about his work but his
cast. Because division of labour in India is not economic, process but
related to religion. So it is not appraised on the base of his ability or
quality of work. He has to do the nominated work on his caste base. He
has no right to convert himself into other work, which is suitable for his
ability. In the industrial countries, division of labour impulses to
labourers’ to increase their efficiency and skill, due to this fundamental
difference in both countries, the division of labour institution is used to
bring about progress in economy of Western Countries and in India it is
used to exploit.
4.4.2 Dharmasanstha:
Every institution is established for welfare of society. Religion is
moral and sacred institution; and is set up to institute harmony, peace,
equality, happiness etc. in society. Religion cannot be made a device of
exploitation; or society is not differentiated on the name of caste, clan,
colour, race etc.
But Phule is not agree with this motive of religion, according to
him, religion is utilized to create unproductive affair in society and
favourable environment for exploitation. In western countries economic
institutions dominated in 19th century, but in Maharashtra, according to
Phule, Religion was dominant and it was used to make a man lame.
With the help of religion, in Maharashtra, elite persons created a
vicious circle. Man was centre-point of the vicious circle. Various
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barriers were created to keep him in stable position. He was stimulated
to move by various ritual ceremonies. He could not come out from the
circle and create his own identity. He could not spend his energy for
innovation or new creation. His life span and related activities of his
life were decided by an almanac. In his whole life, he was controlled
and guided for the benefit of the Brahmin. Phule studied a man and his
life, and he developed 'A model of five stages of life'. According to
him, for every stage, there was code of conduct and it was mandatory to
implement in the life of the Shudra atiShudras.
4.4.3 Stages of Life:
Phule explains the five stages of life of human being.
1) The first stage (Puberty)
2) The second stage (Birth)
3) The third stage (Youth)
4) The fourth stage (Death)
5) And the fifth stage (After Death)
For Phule, the exploitation of human being starts from before his
birth and is kept in continuous after his death.
Model of five stages:
The model of five stages of life, of exploitation can be depicted
with the help of a diagram.
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Figure 4.2
Y
C
E.C.
A
B
D
L.L.
E
Exploitation
O
X
Stages of life
In this diagram, E.C. is exploitation curve, and LL is lifeline. On
OY axis exploitation is measured and on OX axis stages of life are
measured. E.C. curve starts from A point. A to B is stage of puberty.
This stage shows that, exploitation occurs before birth. At B point, his
second stage starts at his birth time he is exploited. From B to C is his
youth stage of life. It shows increasing age also increases exploitation.
After C point to D exploitation of person starts to decline, At D point is
a person's death point. At that point, a person is exploited and after his
death, his name is used to exploit.
4.4.5 Deprivation of Man's energy:
On the significance a labour, the opening paragraph of the
'Wealth of Nations' contains the key note of the book,
"The annual labour of every nation is the fund which originally
supplies it with all the necessaries and conveniences of life which it
annually consumes and which consists either in the immediate produce
of that labour, or in what is purchased with that produce from other
nations" (Adam, Smith; 2003, 1).
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Adam Smith quotes the significance of the labour. Development
of any nation depends upon the labour. So it is important in the eye of
progress
the
labours'
efficiency,
their
satisfaction,
respect
and
unexploited atmosphere. 'Source of nations' wealth is labour so they
should be looked after by nation or society.
In accordance with Hindu religion, Brahman is privileged caste
and by birth, he is priest. His work is not productive, but he is honoured
by society. For his livelihood, he creates unproductive affairs and
makes society be honored. Every activity of religious discourages to the
Shudra atiShudra. For exploitation, the Brahman creates atmosphere
and compels to the Shudra to perform religious Karmakand. These
Karmakand exploits the Shudra, and reaches benefit to the Brahman. Being
illiterate, the Shudra cannot understand truth and let the Brahman exploits.
Jotirao Phule described incident in a polemical tract, a play
entitled The Third eye.
In this play, he rejected decisively the view that the suffering and
exploitation of the lower castes was the product of a social system
supported by all except untouchable castes. The subject of the play was
the exploitation of an ignorant and superstitious peasant couple by a
cunning Brahman priest and their subsequent enlightenment by a
Christian missionary. It clearly set out the argument that Hindu
religion represented both an ideological imposition upon the lower
castes and, in its insistence on ritual and ceremony, a cause of their
material impoverishment (O'Hanlon, 2002, 122).
The Brahman can exploit with the use of education and the skills
of literacy as a vital social resource that conferred great power on
Brahman social groups. Hereditary being literate, they occupied the
new vernacular schools, government English schools, and ease of
access to get jobs in the new administrative, educational, and judicial
and revenue institution of the Raj. The result was a virtual monopoly by
Brahmans of the strategic position of administrative intermediaries
between the British government and the masses of Hindu society.
Occupying the position of intermediary between the British government
and society the Brahman gets a formidable extension of traditional
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Brahman prerogatives over certain occupations, which occupation was
dependent upon the exploitation of the Shudra atiShudra. So the
Brahman prerogative is supported by, religious, political and social
authorities.
The play is written to elaborate the exploitation of the farmer,
who is illiterate and credulous. Phule quoted it,
The earlier cunning Aryan Brahmin authors have so cleverly
attached the ball and chain obstruction of their clever religion to the
farmer that even before his birth, when his mother attains puberty, he is
looted by various things like the sacrament of garbdhan (ceremonial
deflowering of married women) (Phule tr. Mundlay, 2002, 35).
Phule examines the effects of the farmer's exploitation on puberty
of the farmer's wife. Phule studies the effects from the perspective of
social, economical, psychological and physical, degradation of the farmers.
All the life of his is exploited on every stage. Phule classified
these stages.
4.4.6 The First stage of Exploitation:
The first stage of exploitation on puberty of the farmer's wife is
described in this play.
The plot is fairly simple. The Brahmin priest visits the pregnant
wife of the cultivator as she sits alone at home. He tells her that on
unfortunate conjunction of the zodiac threatens the life of her unborn
child. In order to avert the danger, she and her husband will have to
perform certain ceremonies of propitiation, as well as give a feast to a
large number of Brahmans (O'Hanlon, 2002, 124).
4.4.7 Psychologically Exploitation:
The Brahmin priest uses all devices to deceive the cultivators.
Firstly, he makes her psychologically weak. He threats the cultivator's
wife that the life of unborn child is in danger of conjunction of the zodiac.
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He says her; the neighbor's child was died due to ignorance of his
advice. If she had paid attention to my advice, I would not let him die
(Phule, ed. Keer, 2006, 6).
4.4.8 Physically Exploitation:
Telling the story of the neighbour's child, he intimidates the
cultivator's wife and suggest her to propitiate the zodiac, there is
necessary to perform certain ceremonies. He advices her, to avert the
danger, to keep fasts and offer a garland to Maroti (God of Hindu) of
the flowers of Rui (Rui is poisonous bush). To bring up the unborn
child, the mother's diet should be for nourishment. However, the
Brahmin priest advices her for keeping fast, the fast makes her weak
and deteriorates her health, so the possibility arises of threaten of life
on the occasion of delivery (ibid, 6).
Luckily, delivery is taken place; there is possibility of arising
problem of the child. For a healthy personality of the child suckling at
the mother's breast is essential.
Breast-feeding is nutritionally superior. Breast-feeding promotes
a hormone-mediated bonding between mother and child. Breast-feeding
also sedates the body and propels it to relaxing sleep by increasing the
levels of cholecystokinin and decreasing those of somatostatin in its
blood stream. Suckling also influences the behavior of the mother.
Impulses passing through the vagus nerves from stimulation of
receptors around the nipple relaxes the woman and makes her feel
sleepy as well, ensuring rest (Pandya, Sunil, 2006, 128).
Fasting to propitiate, the health of woman's deteriorates and her
deteriorated health effects on the health of the baby its personalities and
efficiency of work in future.
Theories of personality attempt to describe now people behave in
satisfying their physical and psychological needs. An inability to satisfy
these needs creates a personal conflict (Pandya, sunil, 2006, 131).
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Phule strongly opposes to the ceremonies and tries to save from
this exploitation, which affects physically and psychologically on the
woman's health.
The Brahmin priest, very systematically decreases the moral of
the farmer's wife and her energy is shifted to propitiate to god.
4.4.9 Economical exploitation:
Physically, the farmer's wife is become weak by keeping fast.
The Brahman exploits the farmer on the name of the Karmkand to
perform the ritual ceremonies he has to borrow the loan from the
moneylender. His income of a year according to Phule, is forty eight
rupees. For the ceremony, he has to spend Ten rupees, but when he
borrows, he has to give a written bond of twelve and fifty rupees. His
wife is guarantor of the loan. Approximately, he has to spend income of
more than three months on the ritual function. It is huge amount to have
to spend. In the situation only one earner, he is, and his wife has to be
cared by him. To get illusory security, he has to spend 14 rupees on the
Brahmans' feast and their dakshina. Phule assumed Rs.48 per capita
income of the farmer.
However, Dadabhai Naoroji calculated Rs.20 per head per annum
in the British India (Hajela, T.N.2014, 908).
If the exploitation ratio is calculated with the help of Jotirao
Phule's per capita income, it gets
Exploited income
Proportion of exploitation
=
x 100
Per capita income
14
=
x 100 = 29.16 (30%)
48
Dadabhai Naoroji's per capita income
14
=
20
x 100 = 70%
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Taking into consideration
per capita income
counted by
Dadabhai Naoroji, the proportion of exploitation with per capita income
is 70 percent. It is huge proportion of exploitation.
4.4.10 Self esteem:
According to Maslow, self esteem is a basic need, and it creates
confidence, self respect and gets impulses to work hard to creates own
existence in society. After hard working, if any individual is not
honored for his work, stimulation of work vanishes. His earnings
should be utilized for his own sake. If it is exploited by various causes,
he loses his efficiency and cannot create any new or not any innovation.
It brings hurdles in progress of economy.
Phule describes how, the income of the farmers and the Brahman
deprives his self-esteem.
The farmer carries load to the Brahman's house on his head,
when he asks to the Brahman for help to take down it. However, the
Brahman is puritanical position. Therefore, he hesitates to help the
farmer in consideration of pollution. The incident is shown by Phule
and
proved
that
the
cultivator
is
exploited
economically,
psychologically and physically and humiliated (Phule, ed. Keer, 2006, 20).
Conclusion:
Unproductive affairs are respected in society due to caste. To
perform ceremony is wastage of resources and time. Illiteracy is cause
of all these evils, but downtrodden are prohibited to take education on
the name of caste. Their being illiterate is useful for the Brahman and
easy of accesses of exploitation. Exploitation degrades the farmers and
humiliates. The farmer's wife is intimidated and humiliated by telling
her that her Capricorn a sign of the zodiac is dangerous to unborn child.
The Brahmans conspiracy makes inferiority affects on the personality
of the baby. The baby is wealth of nation for future, according to Adam
Smith, but the wealth is deteriorated on the name of Brahmanism.
Phule strongly oppose these ceremonies and insists to educate the
Shudra-atiShudra.
Education
will
create
awareness
and
gives
stimulation to oppose exploitation and degradation.
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4.4.11 Exploitation in the second stage:
Exploitation was a main aim of Hindu conventional religion and
Karmakand. Man's whole life was regulated and controlled by religion
in 19th century. According to Phule, for one ritual ceremony, the farmer
has to spend his 64 percent income. Phule gives its account in his book
named 'Tirtiya Ratna'.
In his play, the Brahman priest goes to the farmer's house in his
absentee. His wife is pregnant for the first time. He begs alms. When
she gives him alms in little amount, he becomes disgruntled, and asks
her for more. She tells him, that her husband earns only four rupees for
per month.
It shows that, the farmer's earning for a month is four rupees; and
if it calculated for a year, it will be forty-eight rupees. If the income is
divided between two, per capita income will set twenty-two rupees per
head for a year (Phule 2006, 5).
In his play the farmer has to spend fourteen rupees (with interest)
to perform a rituals, which is told him by the priest. For only one ritual,
he has to spend 64 percent his income of a year. It elucidates that he
and his unborn child should be in poverty, is aim of the priest.
4.4.12 Way of Exploitation:
Priest, telling her the sign of zodiac, intimidates the farmer’s
wife. According to him, the sign of zodiac is hazardous for unborn
child. Because the mother is, the sign of zodiac is inauspicious for the
baby. The baby's life is in dangerous due to its mother's destiny. There
is only one measure to save the unborn child by propitiating the sign of
zodiac by giving feasts and Dakshina to the priests.
4.4.13 Second Stage:
In this stage, the woman is intimidated to prepare her to be exploited.
The priest helps her to feel cause aversion for herself. Her proposition for
herself effects on the baby's birth and its nourishment. It effects on infant
mortality, short life expectancy and in the prison population.
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Before birth of baby, its parents' are exploited emotionally and
economically. Every time they feel that the baby's life is dependent on
the appeasement of the priests; therefore they devote themselves as
server of the priest. Each stage of life was planned for extortion.
Therefore, there was not any possibility of the economic progress of the
people. The productive factors were kept under the pressure of various
fears and its related Karmakand. They had to spend their energy and
money to appease God and his priests. In addition, the Almanac did not
live them peaceful.
Extortion was a way to earn; it was the priest's privilege. In
Manusmriti, Manu explains, but a priest who cannot make a living by
his own innate activity just described may make his living by fulfilling
the duty of a ruler, for he is the next lower class (Doniger & Smith,
2000, 245).
A livelihood of the priests is completely dependent on the
extortion of money, time, energy and status of the ShudratiShudras.
4.4.14 Brahmin's Livelihood:
Phule quoted and gave an incidence in his play. The farmer's wife
asks a question to the Brahman, "How many days has your stomach
been being nourished by us?" "Why do not you look for a job for your
livelihood?" He gives answer her, "there is no ordained for us to work
for our livelihood."
Manu also put forward his proposition,
But a priest or ruler who makes a living by the livelihood of a
commoner should try hard to avoid farming, which generally causes
violence and it is dependent on others (Doniger & Smith, 2000, 245).
God has ordained that the priest should not work for his own
livelihood. So automatically, responsibility of their nourishment comes
on the ruler or the farmers. Therefore, in economy, productive sector
was humiliated and unproductive things were honored in 19th century.
At birth occasion of the baby the priest attends the farmer's home
to tell his future and to prepare its horoscope. Phule describes this
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incident. Phule indicated that, the Brahmin’s living is completely
dependent on exploitation and shrewdness.
4.4.15 Exploitation Process:
When farmers’ wives beget sons, the line of wealth on the plans
of the priests Brahmins manifests itself (turns up). It is thus first the
chief priests visit the homes of farmers and ask the correct time of birth
to the ignorant women who measure time by the length of the extended
firearm or by whipcords. Then they assign the Zodiac signs keeping in
mind those with the most inauspicious planetary combinations, and
then cast the horoscopes of those infants in such a manner that the
ignorant farmers' joy at the birth of their sons turns to ashes and (the
priests) make them terrified and the next day, they cause them to
engage the priest Brahmins who are relatives, in-laws or friends of the
chief priests to sit for a fee to take the name of god ritually in front of
the phallus of stone, and they cause them to pay some of these
Brahmins money to buy fruit using fasting as an excuse. If it is summer
time, they are made to offer fans. In the monsoon umbrellas and in
winter white warm blankets are offered. Besides this the priest grab
from the farmers oil, rice, coconut, dried dates, areca nuts, ghee, sugar
and various fruits under the heading of requirements for worship
(Phule, tr. Mundlay, 2002, 6).
The made horoscope by the priest decides the future of the born
baby, so his bring up how to be done is regulated by the horoscope. The
horoscope tells him ordained and there is not anyone authority to bring
about any changes in his destiny. The horoscope is a profile of his
future. The priest decides his future and it is always behind a plough.
No ambitions are created or not any opportunity to be cashed for their
future. The horoscope gives details about his life history; it depicts the
causes of death of the child. According to the horoscope, his death can
be occurring due to get a contact with water, or in travel etc. So he is
prohibited to do any different. So he has to live his life tediously and
courageously.
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According to Adam Smith, labor is wealth of nation, when the
efficiency of worker is brought in utilization the production expenditure
decreases and qualitative production is taken place. The qualitative
production can expand sell. Developing countries do not have capital to
invest, so the labour force is very important source of investment.
Skilled and efficient labors help to develop the economy of backward nations.
However, Hindu religion imposes many hurdles upon the youth
by their various weapons as like horoscope one of them. This device
makes lame and inefficient to the labour force. Because their destiny
does not let them do any other which is not mentioned in his horoscope.
So automatically, they become the Brahman's scapegoat.
The slavery styled society is capital of Brahmans for exploitation
for future. Rulers and educated peoples' role was to keep the Shudra
atiShudra inefficient. It made adverse effect on society. So Phule for
future strongly opposed to exploitation.
4.4.16 Exploitation: In the middle stage:
Introduction:
The caste ideology was founded on the twin religious doctrines
of karma and dharma. The doctrine of karma expounded that one's
present caste status was the consequence of deeds done in previous
existence; thus, birth in a high caste was a reward, birth in a low caste a
punishment. This implied that a person born in a high caste was
intrinsically superior in intellect, ability and morality to a low-caste
person. The karma theory reconciled the lowly person to his degraded
condition. The related concept of dharma was to reinforce one's casteduty. It is to be noted that dharma is now generally used to embody the
religion of the highest moral order; it is often used as a suffix after the
world 'Hindu' to show the humane, compassionate face of Hinduism.
However, the brahmanical masters who coined it (Mani 2011, 56) did
not use it in the same sense.
According to Hindu philosophy, low caste is a result of past
deeds, and to make free from that deed, there is only one way to serve
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the high caste and follow all rules, which are mentioned in scriptures
texts and Manusmiriti. A life of low-caste person is, therefore
completely decided by the priest. It means that various rule,
regulations, rituals etc chain him. The high-caste person cannot work in
agriculture due to his prestige. Working in agriculture degrades,
therefore, his responsibility of his livelihood goes to a ruler means
subject, low caste person.
4.4.17 Exploitation is religion:
Exploitation was supported by religion, so the activity was
transformed into religious deed. Exploited did not feel worse when he
was exploited. Because, the religion doctrine of karma and Dharma
gave authority to the high caste to exploit and all these deeds were
guided and supported by scriptures. Mani quoted it,
The Brahmanical texts we have edited were authored by men who
were morally afraid of the antagonistic multitude. They presented their
philosophies in an obscure and ambiguous way so as to hide their real
intentions. They were afraid of the common people, and had to contend
with the subversive heterodoxies of many shades that were out to
expose them. They couched their social views in religious terms in such
a bewildering and self-contradictory manner that it was difficult to
expose
their
intellectual
vacuity.
They
kept
their
metaphysics
sufficiently vague and open to multiple interpretations by referring to
contradictory sources and authorities, one after the other. They
composed their tracts in Sanskrit, a language that was understood only
by the gods above and themselves, calling it the devabhasa 'the
language of the gods.' Commoners Shudras and women were debarred
from learning it (2011, 59).
Illiteracy of the farmers let the priest exploit. Phule elaborated it,
From all this account, some might wonder how the farmers
remained so ignorant as to be looted by the priest Brahmins for such of
length of time. To this, my answer is that formerly as soon as the
original Arya Brahmins established their political rule here, they
immediately banned the giving of knowledge to the Shudra farmers
subjugated by them. Then for thousands of years, harassed them at will,
and looted them to fill their own bellies (Jotirao Phule, (tr) Asha
Mundlay 2002, 47).
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Man is engaged in work in his whole life. He has to perform
various duties as well as to nourish his family. His duties are nonstop
here, he get his house built for his family and their happiness.
Simultaneously he arranges marriage ceremonies of his children. These
activities make him a debtor. By Hindu religion law, these ceremonies
have to be performed. Phule elaborated every stage of exploitation in
detail. When the farmer got his house built, he has to perform
'Vastushanti'. Without this ritual ceremony he cannot step his foot in
the house. Phule depicted,
4.4.18 Vastushanti:
Vastushanti is a ritual, has to perform with the help of the
Brahmin priest. The farmer has his house built, for the shelter of his
family, it is a basic need of human being, but it is also used to exploit
by the Brahmin priest. Phule describes this,
When the farmer's children build their new houses, the Shudra
laborers carry loaded baskets of building material on their chest and
bellies, in the heat of the midday sun. Masons and carpenters climb like
monkeys on sky-kissing high scaffoldings and construct walls, Join
wooden rafters and build houses. Hence taking pity on them, the
owners of the houses, promise the poor, laborers feasts of ghee and
sweet rotis at the time of entering the new houses. But before these
feasts are given the priest Brahmins visit frequently the farmers' houses
day and night after them with many falsehoods about religions, get
recommendations of many Brahmins administrative officials, perform
sacrificial rituals in their homes, erect flags of rags under the eaves of
houses, first gobble up elaborate meals of Ghee and roties along with
wives and children and then leave only the left over’s and state food
seasoned by jiggery water. They themselves eat the betel; leaves and
immediately leave for their homes, patting their bellies, accepting cash
gifts from the farmers and giving blessings like the honest fox in a field
of sugarcane (Jotirao Phule (tr.) Asha Mundlay 2002, 39).
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Jotirao Phule sarcastically commented on this ceremony, the
workers, who were waiting for this ceremony, were kept away from this
feast, served them left, and steals food. Who works honestly for the
farmers being Shudras ignore the farmers.
According to Phule, every evident of the farmer's life is selected
to exploit, and he is deprived from enjoy every of his life. On his child's
birth, he is deceived by telling inauspicious thing about his antenatal
child. After birth of his baby, he is wrested from his enjoy by telling
Shani in his zodiac is wandering, and his being the baby's horoscope is
inauspicious for his future. According to Phule, the code of conduct of
religion is prepared to exploit from the cradle to the grave.
4.4.19 Marriage:
In Hindu religion, marriage is religious ritual, and it brings two
families close. However, this ceremony does not take place without
Brahmin priest. In this sacred ceremony, the Brahman priest tells something
inauspicious and loots to the farmer. Phule described it as follows:
At the time of the wedding of the farmer's sons, the Brahmin
astrologers go to their houses, carrying an almanac in their hands. They
delineate the zodiac circles in front of themselves and ask for the names
of sons and daughters. Then, having in mind the plan to benefit their
own selves, they make the tips of their thumbs dance on the phalanx of
their fingers sign and take some money from the farmers in order to
appease that planet through the establishment of the Japa ritual and for
its ceremonial completion (Jorirao Phule (tr.) Asha Mundlay 2002, 37).
Before the engagement of the marriage, the Brahmin priest tells
something inauspicious about bride or groom, and sows some seeds of
fear in their mind. Starting of their life starts from fear, which is created
by the Brahmin priest for his benefit? If Japa ritual is not performed to
propitiate the planet, there is a possibility to be happened amangal or
ominous. In addition, the Brahmin priest loots to the farmers, destroy
their happiness, and keep them under fear permanently. Exploitation of
the farmer starts from the engagement, and every stage of marriage,
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there is an involvement of the Brahmin priest. The involvement of the
Brahman priest is for the exploitation of the farmers Phule describes it.
At the time of fixing the date of marriage, in the bridge's home,
they make the bride's and groom's father sit on a cloth folded fourfold
on which auspicious squares of rangoli are made with rice grains. In
front of them, they place little mounds of kopra, dried dates and
turmeric roots. Then they ask for turmeric powder, kumkum and rice
grains and place the life breath of Ganpati in adequate number of areca
nuts in the haste of singing 'I' offer' they extract mounds of money from
the farmers and without paying and heed to the respective age, colour
and qualities of the boy and girl make a note of the date on a piece of
paper and sprinkiling haldi and kumkum on it, hand it over to both of
them. Then tie up the rangoli rice along with other things and cash in
their upper end cloth and even tie the Ganpati to their dhotee waist fold
with a view to break and eat it and then they go home (Jotirao Phule,
(tr.) Asha Mundlay, 2002, 37-38).
In absentee of the Brahman priest, any stage of the marriage
ceremony cannot be taken place. Because the privilege of the Brahman
does not let anyone to perform the marriage ritual having special
religious right, he utilizes him or her to exploit and push the farmers in debt.
The incorporation of the Brahmin priest was for their dakshina.
For marriage, Rs.20 was charged as the marriage fees, approximately
close to his year's income. When the Brahman priest was not
incorporated and due to not incorporation dakshina did not pay them;
therefore they had made complaint. The complaint was for dakshina not
their involvement.
Dhananjay keer described incidents about dakshina.
Balaji Kesaji Patil, (under the Jotirao's flag) performed the
marriage ceremony of his son in conformity with the rites prescribed by
the Satya–Shodhak Samaj. The Brahmins took objections to it. Without
a Brahmin priest, they said, a marriage could not be solemnized. Every
party now threw a challenge to the other. The Brahmins from far and
near held a meeting at Otur and protested against the encroachment
upon their rights. A marriage could not be performed without the
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officiating priest. So they urged the village priests, Waman Jagannath
and Shankar Bapuji, to proceed legally against Balaji Keshavji for
damages. Accordingly, they did (Keer, 2013, 205).
A similar case had been fought out in 1878 in the high court of
Bombay. Dinanath Abaji and other priests had filed a suit against
Sadashiv Hari Madhave and others. It was the contention of the village
priest
that
Madhave
had
employed
another
priest
to
perform
ceremonies at his residence sidetracking the priest's right to perform
them. He claimed the fee which would probably be payable to him if he
had been employed to perform such ceremonies.
The first class subordinate Judge at Poona M.G.Ranade, decided
the case in favor of the plaintiffs. His verdict was that the plaintiffs
were entitled to perform the ceremonies irrespective of the host's
wishes, as well as to receive the fees. Although such rights were denied
by the courts of Bengal and the North-West frontier Province, Ranade
the social reformer and judge, meant that according to the law he
interpreted a village or city priest alone was entitled to perform the
ceremonies irrespective of the host's wishes, and the plaintiffs should
be paid their dues even if they had not acted as priests (Dhananjay
Keer, 2013, 205-206).
Phule was aware, about the Brahmin tact. He had known that, the
administrative officials supported religious rite and they make farmers
to perform the rituals. Religion or their scriptures or texts but also law
and administrative officials did not only support the exploitation. There
was no other alternative in front of the farmers, being a scapegoat of the
exploitation. The Brahmin officials coerced to the farmers to pay the
Brahmin priests and they helped to the moneylenders, so the farmers
were exploited on various ways. There are various steps in marriage
ceremony, and every step is made for the Brahmin priest's exploitation.
Taking marriage Dakshina after marriage next steps is taken to extort
the farmers. Phule described,
The priests who marry the bride and the groom make them sit
down in front of each other, perform various rituals in front of them,
from time to time and say "I offer", finally they collect some thin sticks
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and set fire to them, put ghee etc. in the flames, give (to inhale) pungent
vapors to the bride and groom under the excuse of 1 ajjahom and
collect from their ignorant fathers the final. Very big portions of food
grains and cash gifts and then go home (Jotirao Phule (tr.) Asha
Mundlay 2002, 38).
After performing marriage, next stage of marriage is performed is
known 'Sada'. Phule explains the ceremony, According to him, On the
day of 'Sada' (i.e. the fourth day after marriage when the ceremony of
giving new clothes to the bride and groom is performed), they get hold
of some obstinate farmers and grab as their fancy dictates, amounts
from the bride and groom's fathers, and also extract some money for the
ceremonial uprooting of the pandal. Then further, they compare certain
wealthy farmers with known generous persons like Karna and excite
them so much with their various wiles that at the conclusion of the
wedding ceremony, big conference are held in their homes to celebrate.
All the Vaidik, Shastri Puranik Kathekari and priestly Brahmins
without discrimination amongst the Brahmins, extract cash gifts from
them and while returned to their houses (Phule tr.Asha Mundlay 2002, 39).
For the poor condition of the farmer, for Phule, the religious
activities are responsible; he elaborates the incident, which was
happened in a farmer's house. The farmer's mother says him.
"O Bhagwantraya, open your eyes and look at me. Advised by the
priest Rambhat I fed lines of Brahmins and their wives so that Saturn in
your horoscope should not trouble you during its seven and half years
reign. I did this without your knowledge by selling measures of grain
from the bin to the snub-nosed trader. Many times, I organized Japa by
Brahmins in front of Maruti! My dear son, many times I spent money to
appease the Brahmin on the occasion of Satyanarayana Puja in the
house of Ganabhat" (Jotirao Phule (tr.) Asha Mundlay 2002, 91).
The farmer has to perform the Pooja of Satynarayan. His duties
are not stopped here; he has to perform other many duties, as like
Shardha. For every year, he has to give feasts to the Brahmin priests to
propitiate his ancestor. The Brahmin has made a circle of rituals, the
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farmer cannot break it, and he makes a part of this circle and thinks
that, doing exploitation is privilege of the Brahman priests.
4.4.20 Exploitation in fourth and fifth stage:
In 19th century, Maharashtra's economy was centralized at
agriculture sector. In this period society was divided into two groups,
one was of elite persons' group and second class was of non-elites
means class of the Shudra-atiShudra.
The Brahmins' class, by religion was prohibited to work on
agriculture. Their device of livelihood was giving education to the
farmers' children. But later, the ShudrtiShudras were forbidden to take
education, therefore, the hereditary business of teaching was collapsed.
Instead of teaching, the farmers' life work was used as source of
exploitation and knowledge of reading of their used as capital to exploit
the illiterate farmers.
4.4.21 Fourth Stage:
According to Phule, at the fourth stage, means, after death of the
farmer, the exploitation is not stopped. After death, he is exploited on
the name of various functions,
At last after farmer's death, the priest Brahmin take the grab of
funeral priests and make his son perform all sorts of rituals every day.
In his house, they read the Garudpuran every day (Phule, tr.Mundlay,
2002, 46).
After the farmer's last funeral, he is not released from the grasp
of the priest. His soul is kept at his home for ten days. After ten days,
Pinda is performed at the bank of the river, and the son of farmer is
looted there, at this occasion a big amount is accepted and the farmer's
son is made him donate a ladder of gold. It is used by death's soul to
climb-up the heaven. Phule described Pindadan ceremony, after ending
ten days, another ritual ceremony has to perform is called Pindadan
(Pinda-offering). As per Phule's description,
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On the tenth day, they give homage to the hereditary crow-priests
from places like Dhankavadi etc. who say 'kav' and are given the
honour of Pinda offering. From him (the son) they take along with the
wages for (reading) Garudapurana also at least copper water jars, brass
plates, umbrellas, walking sticks, mattresses and shoes as ceremonial
gifts. Further until all the children of that farmer die, they have kept the
custom of taking yearly gifts of cash and grain according to their
financial position at the time of the Pinda a offering for the 'Shraddha'
and Paksha of the descendants (ibid, 46).
4.4.22 Fifth State:
After the farmer's death, the priest does not let his son from his
grasp. Every year, according to Puran, the soul of died person comes
down to meet his family, to appease the soul of the descendant is duty
of the farmer's son; therefore he has to give feast and dakshina to
priests. This ceremony is known as 'Shradha'. For every year, this ritual
ceremony has to be performed by the farmer's family. On this occasion,
the priest’s feet are washed by the hands of son and worshipped by
offering flowers, rice, kum-kum etc. Hereafter, for every year to
appease the soul of the descendants and the 'Shradha' has to be
performed; and on this occasion, the farmer's son has to appease the
Brahmin priest by giving sweat feast and dakshina. Until his death, and
after his death, his son has to perform this ritual ceremony.
Conclusion:
The started extortion before birth is not end after his death, it is
hereditarily transfer from one generation to second; and the vicious
circle of extortion works continuously.
According to Rousses, "Man is born free, but everywhere he is
found in chains." However, in Hindu convention religion, the Shudra
and atiShudra not be taken birth freely, they are chained before their
birth and after their death. No economic activities take place or any
motivation to get to the owner or labour. They are exploited in their
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whole life. They take birth in the world with the help of the almanac
and go to the heaven with the help of the Garudpurana. Therefore, there
is no question to create any theory for the welfare of man. According to
Robert L. Heilbroner,
for countless centuries man dealt with the problem these
solutions. And as long as the problem was handled by tradition or
command, it never gave rise to that special field of study called
"economics". Although the societies of history have shown the most
astonishing economic diversity, although they have exalted kings and
commissars, used dried codfish and immovable stones for money,
distributed their goods in the simplest communistic patterns on in the
most highly ritualistic fashion, so long as they ran by custom or
command, they needed no economists to make them comprehensible.
Theologians, political theorists, statesmen, philosophers, historians, yes
but strange as it may seem economists, no (Rebort L. Heilbroner, 1999, 20).
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4.5 "The Vicious Circle of Religion"
Society is not founded upon the law; this is a legal fiction. On the
contrary, the law must be founded upon society; it must express the
common interests and need of society as distinct from the caprice of the
individuals, which arise from the material mode of production
prevailing at the given time (David Mclellan, 1984, 274).
For the economic development, the law must be founded upon
society. When society is founded upon the law, oppressors make
powerful and law is made for their benefit. For every society and its
welfare, the common interest of the common person’s should be taken
into consideration, without it, no economic development or the welfare
is taken place.
4.5.1 Reality in Hindu religion:
About the Hindu society, society is founded upon the law, and
the Brahman priests have been offered all powers to rule for their own
sake. Mythological, at least, the ruler's power is allowed expression
only through the medium of priestly interests: In Hindu myth, all
powers, politically, socially and economically were vested with the
Brahmins. 'Brahman cannot commit mistake' was the principle in
existence, simultaneously 'King cannot punish to Brahman for his
crime' was the principle of Hindu myth. The Brahmins had not any
responsibility for the nation or king, but king should take their
responsibility was law of Manu. Manu expresses his laws,
And when a learned priest finds a treasure that was previously
hidden, he may take it even without leaving anything, for he is the
overlord of everything. But when the king finds ancient treasure hidden
in the earth, he should give half to the twice-born and put half in his
treasury. The king gets half of ancient treasures and minerals in the
ground because he protects (it) and because he is the overlord of the
earth (Dongier & Smith, 2000, 155).
By inheritance the Brahman priests got the rights to rule, to get
easiness to rule, the Veda depicted power and violence. The Hindu
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Metaphor of the 'law of the fishes', whereby bigger fish eat smallerones in an uncontrolled universe, is a direct continuation of Vedic
assumptions. For example, the paean in the Mahabharata to danda or
the king's duty to instill the fear of punishment in his subjects:
All the limits established in the world, O King, are marked by
danda--- no man will sacrifice if he is not afraid, nor will he give gifts
or hold to his promise--- I see no being, which lives in the world
without violence. Creatures exist at one another's expense; the stronger
consume the weaker. The mongoose eats mice, Just as the cat eats the
mongoose; the dog devours the cat, O King, and wild beasts eat the
dog. Man eats them all see dharma for what it is! Everything that
moves and is still is food for life, (David Shaulman, 1985, 29).
In the Hindu myth, Human life is ruled by repressive power
(danda) and dharma. By dharma, the rule is supported by 'the law of the
fishes'. 'Law of the fishes' is the guideline to rule. Because of the rule,
danda is made powerful weapon to rule; and danda is supported by
dharma. Danda and dharma are made main origin of powers. Because
of it, only one group was come in existence i.e. oppressors.
4.5.2 Class Struggle for Development:
According to Marx, The history of all hitherto existing society is
the history of class struggles. Freeman and slave, patrician and
plebeian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman- in a word,
oppressor and oppressed stood in constant opposition to one another,
carried on an interrupted, now hidden, now open fight a fight that each
time ended either in a revolutionary re-constitution of society at large
or in the common ruin of the contending classes (David McLellan;
1984, 222).
Class struggle for freedom is existed in the entire world, except
India. India was divided into two groups; one was the Brahmans, who
took benefit of the ruler, but not directly ruled and second group of the
Shudra atiShudra. The rulers were the representatives of the Shudra and
atiShudra, but were guided by the Brahman priests, with their
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scriptures, texts etc. So class conflicts did not occur or not
psychologically the Shudra and atiShudra prepared them to revolt
against the Brahmins. It was hard to fight against the Brahmins,
because, they had always hidden behind the Kings (danda) and religion.
Therefore, the Shudra atiShudra did not know themselves, whom were
their enemies. So, class struggle did not find in Maharashtra frequently.
Second thing, that the Shudras and atiShudras are fettered by the
religion. All stages of their life are fettered and they have no choice to
adopt a new code of life. His daily routine is conducted by the religion.
In addition, do not let them escape from the religious chain; every day
is made a medium of exploitation. A calendar is made, but not for to
count days of work or year; but for extortion of the peasants.
Jotirao Phule depicted a vicious circle, which is made for the
Shudra-atiShudra. Almanac is a main source of the vicious circle, it
regulate the life of the peasants thoroughly. The farmer does his every
activity by taking the help of the almanac. Being illiterate, he cannot
read or understand the book, so he takes help of the Brahmin priests by
paying fees. The almanac has created a religious calendar and the
farmers have been compelled to use it for their daily life.
In Hindu calendar, everyday is ritual and bears special
importance. To keep purity of the day the ShudraatiShudra has to keep
fast or attend Yatras, or Dhamas or perform various religious
ceremonies. Each religious function cannot be performed without the
help of the Brahmin priest. To prove his Hindutav, he has to observe
the calendar of almanac. Therefore, naturally the Shudratishura are
trapped in the vicious circle of religion, because they have known to
enter, but do not known to break.
4.5.3 "The Vicious circle of religion":
In society, the cycle of religion is the factors or events by which
religious fanaticism once started is likely to continue unless there is
outside intervention. 'The cycle of religion has been defined as
phenomenon where the Shudras atiShudras families have either limited
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or no sources. There are many disadvantages collectively work in a
circular process making it virtually impossible for individuals to break
the cycle. This occurs when the Shudras-atiShudras do not have the
resources necessary to get out of the circle of superstitions, such as
education, religious authorities etc.
The cycle has also been referred to as a "pattern" of behaviors
and situations, which cannot easily be changed. Phule had known that,
it is very hard to break down the religious cycle, and take them out.
Phule's vicious circle of religion can be shown with a diagram.
Figure 4.2 The Vicious Circle of Religion
The vicious circle of exploitation, for Phule, is started from
Chaitra month. According to the Indian calendar, it is the first month of
a year.
In every Chaitra month, on the first day of the moon, the priest
Brahmins read the predictions for the New Year in the houses of
farmers and accept cash gift from them. This day is celebrated as a
festival called 'Gudhi Padva'. Welcome of the New Year and it is
celebrated giving dakshina to the Brahmin priests. In this month,
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Ramnavmi and Hanuman Jayanti (Birthdays of Ram and Hanuman) are
celebrated by observing fast and giving dakshina to the Brahmin
priests. The feast is given of ghee and sweat rotis from a single farmer
in their alley, if he is well to do; or if not; they are made to contribute
turn by turn for the feasts.
Yatras and fairs are held of every deity and the people who are
around at the deity attend the yatra or fair. Phule described the Jejuri
fair, when farmers along with their children take bath in the tank etc,
the priest Brahmins accept a cash gift of one Shivrai (small coin) each
from them as a holy row gift. Approximately 75000 people are at the
fair. Not only exploitation is stopped by giving a cash gift to the
Brahmin priest, but also there is another source of exploitation that is
murali. (A dedicated girls to Khndoba) The murali while dancing sit in
the laps of farmer, the priest Brahmins extort money from the farmer
who let her sit, in the name of God and feast. Besides when farmers
purchase turmeric and dried coconut to shower the God Khandoba, the
priest Brahmin arrange a secret commission with grocers and thus cheat
them a lot.
In every month of Ashadha on the eleventh day of moon, the
priest Brahmins accepts cash gift of at least one piece even from the
very poor farmers who cannot afford to make a gift of grains and cash.
Phule also described of the Pandharpur yatra, and he depicted
that, if dakshina is not offered to the Brahmin priest, he does not let
farmers or devotees take darshan from near. By extorting the devotees,
hundreds of Badwe Brahmin priests in Pandharpur have become rich.
In Shravan the Brahman priests go home to home for alms on the
name of cobra. Ignorant farmers are deceived by performing puja of
Cobra. On the full moon day, the priests make farmers wear the sacred
threads and black to Maharas and Swoop down on grains and cash
gifts. They tie rakhis on the wrists of all farmers and collect one paisa
each as cash gift from them. In the end on the last Monday of the month
of Shravan, the priest Brahmins accept gift of grain and materials on
the excuse of feeding at least one Brahmin couple a meal of ghee and
rotis from god fearing ignorant farmers. His and his family's feast he
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gives the farmers one or two polis and mound rice on some leaf plate
dropped from a distance into their upper garment.
In Bhadrapada, Ganeschaturthi is celebrated and for clapping the
priest, Brahmin accepts gifts. On Rushipanchimi the priest Brahmins
cause the widowed farming woman to dip in ponds of dirty water and
themselves eat by day geests of modaks, ghee and rotis in the name of
Ganpati at the farmer's expense. For the Aarti of the goddess Gauri, the
priest come home and loots the farmer when he praises for Laxmi (Dhan).
On the Akshaytritiya, according to the priest Brahmin, ancestors
are given feast and for it the Brahmins make everyone to pay him.
Poor, windowed landless labours amongst the farming women have to
give in the name of their Ganpati, some grains Cash and slices of
pumpkin at least. Until they bow down to their feet, these women are
not left alone.
On Pola festival, on the name of the worship of bullocks farmers
are looted. On Dasara festival, horses and Apta trees are worshiped for
them charges are extorted. On the Kojagiri day, milk is collected.
On Kartik, on the Bali Partipada day the priest Brahmins perform
arati to farmers, they take shawl on their arms, gifts and contribution
from house to house of farmers. On the twelfth day of the dark
fortnight, the priest Brahmins performs the marriage of Tulsi plant at
the Angan of the farmers' house and in consideration of performing
marriage he collects some materials and cash from the peasants.
In the month of Pausha, on the Makarsankranti day, the priest
Brahmin reads the Sankrati prediction in the house of farmers and
accepts cash gifts from them and they tempt several illiterate god
fearing farmers with the possibility of gaining endless merit and loot
their sugarcane fields with great enthusiasm.
On Magh month, Shivalilamruta pothi is read in the temples in
the alleys of farmers on Mahashivratri, and before finishing at sunrise
grain and gifts are extorted on the name of holy book.
The last month of the year, Phalgun, in this month Holi festival is
celebrated and in the evening holi (fire) is worshipped by the priest
Brahmin. On this occasion, dakshina is extorted, and for everyone who
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has to put dust on the forehead to be paid. It is last month of the
exploitation but the first month starts of the year ending the last month;
and cycle of exploitation exists in continues (Phule tr.Mundlay, 2002,
41 to 45).
Conclusion:
Religion is instituted to bring about substantial development,
which is related to the economic progress, equality, education for all, an
equal opportunity and peace in society. However, Hindu religion is
used to exploit and to be enjoyed by the Brahmin priests. In Hindu
religion productive class (viz, farmers and artisans) are degraded and
extorted for whole year. Calendar is prepared to get easiness to exploit,
every day is important in the view of religion, so opportunity is created
to the Brahmin priests to exploit.
Only, exploitation is not taken place, but some degraded
traditions are established as like Vaghya Murali, Devdasi, these women
are offered to God on the name of a vow (Navas). These offered
women are treated as prostitution, and social pleasantness deteriorated.
The vicious circle does not let the Shudras and atiShudras work and
make any innovation. The vicious circle is prepared to keep the
Shudras-atiShudras in slavery and not to let them think consciously.
Jotirao Phule depicted in very technically and for emancipation of the
Shudras-atiShudra expected, the circle should be broken down.
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4.6 Temple: an emblem of exploitation
Man is social animal. He does not live without society. To fulfill
his needs, he established society. Various social institutions are formed
to regulate society. Religion is one of them, which are formed for social
welfare. Religion is a need of human beings, it teaches humanity. Man's
humanness is gift of religion. In front of religion each man is
considered equal, religion does not let anyone to make discrimination
on the name of caste or gender.
Fraternity, equality and equal opportunity for everyone was the
characteristics of the indigenous religion. Hindu was not the name of
religion. After the arrival of the Aryans, the indigenous' religion was
vanished by the Aryans; and new religion was established and named Hindu.
4.6.1 Religion interference in Politics:
The Aryan established their rule and they took the help of Hindu
religion to rule. In India the first time, religion was made a part of the
politics. Religion and ruler came together to rule on the subjugated.
And in the history of India the first time religion made a device to rule
and to exploit. According to Phule before the Aryan, there was rule of
Baliraja. Work was culture of his kingdom. Equality was present and
everyone was treated equal in front of religion. However, Aryans'
religion made discrimination in society; and two groups were created,
one was of the Brahmin and other was of the Shudra-atiShudra. Being
ruler and founder of religion, they took themselves religious privileges
and rejected religious rights of the Shudra and atiShudra. For Phule,
when the Aryan succeeded to make everyone observe Hindu religion,
Brahmin used religion as a weapon to exploit.
Damodar Kosambi described the social system before arrival of Aryan,
With the end of the great-centralized personal empires in sight
Harsa's being the last-the new state had to be feudal from top to bottom.
The essence of fully developed feudalism is the chain of personal
loyalty, which binds retainer to chief, tenant to lord, and baron to king
or emperor. Not loyalty in the abstract but with a secure foundation in
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the means and relations of production land ownership, military service,
tax collection and the conversion of local produce into commodities
through the magnates. This system was certainly not possible before the
end of the 6th century AD. The key word is 'samanta' which till 532 at
last meant 'neighboring ruler' and by 592 AD had come to mean feudal
baron. The new barons were personally responsible to the king, and
part of a tax-gathering mechanism. The Manusmrti king, for example,
had no 'samantas'; he had to administer everything himself, directly or
through agents without independent status. The further development of
feudalism 'from below' meant a class of people at the village level who
had special rights over the land (whether of cultivation, occupation, or
hereditary ownership) and performed special armed service as well as
service in tax collection. To hold this type of society and its state
together, the best religion is one, which emphasizes the role of Bhakti,
personal faith, even through the object of devotion may have clearly
visible flaws (D.D.Kosambi, 2008, 31, 32).
Being equality and rule of Bali, in India, according to Phule,
there was huge prosperity. The fertility of land and richness of country
attracted various aliens. Frequently the aliens attacked on India and
looted. Among them the Aryans and Muslims preferred to stay in India,
and established their kingdom. The Aryan established their realm and
to reign they used Manusmriti as a guide. The Aryan Hindu religion
was mingled with politics. Being kings' religion the subject had to
observe it. Hindu religion was a symbol of discrimination. The
philosophy of Hindu religion was created to prove superiority of the
Brahmins, and this philosophy destroyed the 'Samantha', and degraded
the indigenous. With the help of religion, Aryan proved and instilled
that the indigenous are born to serve of the Brahmins. To prove the
slavery of the indigenous the Brahmins wrote scriptures, texts etc. with myths.
Phule explains that, each myth is created based on the Aryans'
history of invasion. The myth was created to deceive the indigenous.
The myth describes, that each defeat of the indigenous is a curse of God
and for welfare of the indigenous. And the myths were used to engrave
on the subjugated to make their mind to accept the Aryan as the
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omnipotent king. The Brahmin developed an ideology to exploit the
Shudras for their survival, being king or not. The device of exploitation
was embodied in the form of temple. Temple is used as capital to survival.
4.6.2 Temple:
The village scene underwent a sea change in the medieval period.
The temple and the village council (Panchayat) emerged as the most
effective institutions. Medieval Hindu rulers neglected their obligations
to their subjects. The people were left with no choice except to search
for their own means of improving their lot. The temple and the
Panchayat emerged as the means to a happy, healthy and productive
life. The Panchayat protected people from exploitation by the
government. The temples maintained a good number of employees,
patronized scholars, and served as seminaries of higher knowledge and
the fine arts. They also served as bankers and farmers, daily feeding
thousands of people, besides carrying on a variety of religious,
educational and cultural activities. Many mosques also served as
seminaries
and
they
had
government
patronage.
Temples
and
panchayats no doubt filled up the socio-cultural vacuum created by the
rulers, but they also created a static culture in India. The economy
becomes stagnant. No new changes, innovations and devices for
advancement of society were introduced (Sharma, 2008, 109-110).
Stagnation was created in economy due to various causes; one of
them was temple and its use. Temple was used to fill vacuum,
simultaneously they were used as 'capital' to exploit of ShudratiShudra.
Probodhankar Thakre explained an ideology behind of temple,
In India, there was no temple in Buddha religion. (N.D.: 5) As
long as Buddha religion was powerful in society, temples were not
come into exist. However, when the Aryan overcame on Buddha
religion, they created the temples to embody Hindu philosophy, and it
made emblems of exploitation. According to Thakre,
'Before on establishment of temple, god' was not come into
existence. The temples were created and god was created to install in
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the temple and utilized to deceive the people. The Brahmin priests used
the temple as an instrument to extract the common people on the name
of god's worship. Worship is necessary to perpetuate God and to
perform the worship there is essential to give the Brahmin priests
feasts, money and gold. An appeasement of God is dependent upon
given bribe (in various forms) to the Brahmin priests (Thakre K.C.
1990, 07).
The temples are not come into existence only to faith in religion
but to get easiness to loot the common people on the name of religion,
for Thakre, the temples are capital, which is used for livelihood secretly
by the Brahmin priests for themselves.
According to Marx, capital-intensive technique is used in
production process to enable the bourgeoisies to exploit to the
proletariats. For Phule, temple enables the Brahmin priest to exploit the
Shudra and atiShudra. In the economic view, bourgeoisie’s exploitation
of the proletariats produce output, but in exploitation of Hindu religion,
production is not taken place, and there is no question of innovation, in
capital system, on quality base, there is an opportunity for everyone to
move upward, and can change his class. But in Hindu convention
religion everyone's status is fixed by their birth. No one can change his
social status based on his quality. Phule describes, how the temples are
used to exploit. According to him, the places of temples are used to
hold the fairs, and people are made gather at the fair place to worship
God. There are various places i.e. Jejuri, Pandharpur, Alandi, Nashik etc.
Phule explains,
In Pandharpur, when all farmers along with their wives and
children are bathing in the river Chandrabhaga, the priest Brahmins
stands on the banks of the river: and take cash gift of one Shivari each
from them as a holy vow. This fair is never less than a lakh of people
approximately and there from some farmers they collect enough to feed
ghee and rotis to ten Brahmin couple and from some others at least to
feed one couple and then in the middle room of their house his own
family members are eating. There they separately take each farmer and
say to them "see here your (assigned) couple is sitting down to eat. So
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if you feel like it, give some cash gift to them. Otherwise Just make
namaskar to them from a distance and come out, then they will send the
offering to God Vithoba and will being eating". By following such
Honest practices, hundreds of badave Brahmin priests in Pandharpur
have become rich (Jotirao Phule (tr.) Asha Mundlay, 2002, 41).
The places of temples are started to recognize as places of
pilgrimages. By the stimulation of the Brahmin priests, at the places of
temples the fairs are started to hold at various dates and months in year.
At each place of pilgrimage, there is the Brahmin priest and he is
connected to each priest to all the places of pilgrimages.
4.6.3 Chardham:
Four temples of Gods have been erected at the south and north of
India. These temples are known as the Chardham. Being, Hindu, these
four places should be visited by the Hindu people. The Brahmin priests
entice the farmers to visit these places.
Phule describes,
if the pride / might of farmers is still not vanquished the priest
Brahmins entice them to go for the holy pilgrimage of Badrikedar etc.
and in the end take them to Kashi and Prayag. There they loot them for
thousand of rupees, shave off their beards and mustaches and bring
them back to their homes. Later they accept from them real big feasts
for Brahmins on the excuse of Mavande (ibid 2002, 44).
In Maharashtra, in the contemporary period of Phule, the
farmers’ economic condition was very worse. They had no earning to
meet their daily needs. But the Brahmin priests entice them and
suggested that the condition would be improved, if Chardham would be
visited. The farmers took loans from the moneylender and visited all
these places. They were looted at every pilgrimage. The farmers had to
spend their energy, time and money to attend all these pilgrimages.
Performing four Dhams had to push the farmers in the trap of loan, and
after few days, they had to wash their hand for their land.
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The Brahmin priests do not let the farmers be silent. After performing
various religious rituals, He entices to the farmers to perform 'the Saptaha'.
4.6.4 Saptaha:
It is celebrated for a week, the week is called holy week. In this
week, all villagers have to participate in this ceremony and the
expenditure for this ceremony is collected from the all villagers. Whole
week the men and women have to gather at the mandir. Day and night
all villagers chatter the name of god. Especially the Saptaha is arranged
in harvesting days. Being so, the efficient workers have to stay at the
pandal to appease the Brahmin priests. If there is rain, the possibility
will arise to destroy the crops. However, on the name of god,
everything is endured. Phule expounded the incident.
On the first day of the dark fortnight, the priest Brahmins entice
most of all the well to do farmers, to celebrate saptaha and surround
their necks with Vina and give cymbals in the hands of their friends and
make them sing songs like parrots for days and nights and dance and
Jump around to the beat of the mrudanga and all the while themselves
sitting with grace reclining against bolsters and observing their fun for
a while, and everyday collecting money for snacks. Then on the night
of Gokullashtami cash gifts from the farmers without giving the excuse
of new glass bangles for Yashoda on her delivery. In the morning at the
time of breaking of the fast (i.e. parane) they first gobble up meals of
ghee and rotis prepared at the cost of the farmers and leave the left over
stale food for the farmer themselves and to the drummer and cymbal
clappers and themselves leave for home (Jotirao Phule, (tr.) Asha
Mundlay 2002, 41).
4.6.5 Vari:
In Maharashtra, Vari is a religious path to go to the pilgrimage.
In the villages, it is well-known way to meet god. In Maharashtra,
Pandharpur, Alandi, Jejuri etc. Pilgrimages are famous and the farmers
go to take darshan of this god in Vari. Vari means to go to the
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pilgrimage on foot, in-group of people. The Vari is taken place for each
fortnight. It consumes minimum four days to visit the decided place.
Pandharpur Vari takes one month to attend the Ashadi Ekadashi.
Phule describes, besides they entice the farmers from the neighboring
villages to perform the fortnightly Vari to Alandi and from them accept
all the twelve months on the twelfth day of the moon feast for
Brahmins turn by turn of ghee and rotis. That they not only flatter the
well-to-do farmers of other districts and make them, give 'feast for a
thousand people' of ghee and sweet rotis (ibid-43).
4.6.6 Puran:
The Brahmin priests use various devices to exploit the farmers.
Puran is one device, which is used to deceive and loot the farmers. The
farmers every step is regulated by the Brahmin priests and their
scriptures. In spare time, the Brahmin priests entice to the farmer to
listen the Puran and waste their time. Being illiterate the farmer always
become under the pressure of the Brahmins. Therefore, the farmers
have to compel to listen the Puran by paying its charge.
Phule explains, Even after all this, if some weak (i.e. poor) farming
men and women are still left, the priest sermon givers collect them all
in some insignificant temple every night and entice them to listen to the
Puranas describing the amorous exploits of Radha, Krishna etc. At the
conclusion, they keep them all the fierce competition and collect from
them great cash gift in the tray of Arati and then sitting in palanquins
with great pomp they go home in a procession with all their audience
walking in front and behind them. The cost of all this is collected from
the farmers in the form of various contributions (Jotirao Phule (tr.)
Asha Mundlay 2002, 45).
Exploitation was done by the elites to live lavish life used the
main aim of the elites’ Religion; therefore, they did not like to give an
opportunity to the farmers of taking education. Various rules and
traditions were formed and made the farmers observe them. Psychologically
the farmers accepted the slavery and let them rule and exploit.
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For Phule temple is a cause of impoverishment of the farmers.
The aim of the establishment of the temple was not establish peace
moral or truth in society. With the help of the temple, the Brahmins
could create various traditions and rituals and they made the farmers
observe them. Temple was not made only sign of extortion, but it was
made an emblem of casteism.
Phule did an attack on the temple theory and God Maruti in his
Tratiya Ratna, because, He saw Brahmanism as the ideological and
institutional system of monopolizing knowledge and power by a
particular class which uses these to exclude, divide and dominate other
groups in society. He argued that 'even before trying to overturn the
material power of the upper castes over the lower castes, and over their
own women, it was necessary to step out of the ideologies of
Brahmanism for which access to knowledge was an essential
prerequisite, that is one had to understand a system before one could
dismantle it (Chakravarti, quoted in, Mani, 2011, 251-52).
Essentiality of smashing the idol of God Maruti indicates to
throw the Brahmanism and accept the theory of equality. Phule's
proposition is that, 'Religion is a weapon of mass destruction. Keep in
people unproductive is more expensive than making them productive.'
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4.7 Administrative Exploitation
Brahmanism had created various devices to exploit the farmers.
Any part of the life of the farmer was not escaped from the
Brahmanism. The farmer was looted on religious, political, social and
cultural grounds. Arrival of British, created another source of
exploitation was the administration. In the British rule, administration
had god importance in large proportion. The British officials were in
small amount; therefore, they recruited various posts through Indians to rule.
These new opportunities for administrative and political power
required very similar skills from those who wished to exploit either of
them. Above all, these skills consisted of a high degree of literacy; a
command of fluent English; a familiarity with new administrative
procedures; experience of urban as well as rural, British as well as
Indian society; and, for preference, some kind of professional
qualification. It was here that older attitudes about education
influenced the ability of different groups to respond to these
opportunities. The old association of the higher castes with the skills of
literacy gave them a much greater flexibility and readiness to exploit
these new possibilities than was possessed by any of western India's
agricultural or urban lower castes. The result of this disparity was that
the higher castes and Brahmans in particular, came to occupy a
proportion of clerical and professional positions at all levels of the
British administration that was far in excess of their numerical
proportions in the population as a whole (Rosalind O'Hanlon, 2002, 7).
Being favorable situation the educated Brahman took benefit and
occupied various posts in administration. The Brahmans hereditary
were educated, therefore they procured the government Jobs very
easily. The farmers had already accepted the Brahmins’ privilege.
Being superiority of the Brahmins in society the British government
gave preference to them in the administrative process.
Religiously, the Brahmin got an inheritance of exploitation of the
Shudras and Atishudras. Having a vice of exploitation, the Brahmin
abused his post to exploit and to help to the British ruler. So far, the
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exploitation naturally made an important part of the administration.
And the Brahmins, according to Phule, got an extra opportunity to
extract the peasants.
Phule studied the administrative process in micro level and he
concluded the characteristics of the British administration.
(1) Influence of the Brahmin clerk:
The British officials, according to Phule, were completely
ignorant about the peasants' problems. They had no time to pay their
attention at the peasants' problems, for it; they had thoroughly
depended on the Brahmin clerks' decision.
Phule put forward his observation about the British officers.
When reassign such ignorant farmers after every thirty years, the
European officials who belong to out pious government and who pray
with their eyes closed do not loosen their belts until they have increased
the tax at least a little bit on the heads of the farmers and then say
'amen' at the end. But when the routine work is going on the European
officials found of hunting are busy in luxurious living and that time,
their subordinates, shrewd Brahmins, do not they exploit considerably
the ignorant farmers? And do the European officials keep an eye on
them? (Phule, tr. Mundlay, 2002, 55). The British officers were
ignorant about the problems of the peasants, as well as they had no time
to solve the problems, due to luxurious life. Therefore, the British
officer was dependent on the Brahmin clerks for the decision.
Phule quoted that, the Tahsildar is under the influence of the
clerk alone (ibid, 55).
(2) Misguidance for corruption:
An official position should be utilized for the welfare of society.
It is virtue of the administration. The good governance object is to
create friendliness in society and maintains peace. Economic progress
is dependent upon the transparency of the administrative system. If
corruption is main object of the officials, there is no possibility to bring
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about development. Ideologically the Brahmanism made the farmers
degraded. And since arrival of Aryans in India, the indigenous had been
trying to move upward by appeasing the Brahmins giving dakshina.
Due to dakshina system bribe, giving was made a habit. Therefore to
observe Hindu religion, there should be given bribe to the Brahmin was
made a moral principle of Hindu religion. To get chance to do
corruption, the Brahmin bureaucrats create tense in village and
misguide the farmers. For Phule, it was very dangerous deed was done
by the bureaucrat. Phule explains the bureaucrat's deed,
When the ignorant and foolish farmers fight amongst themselves
and come to blows after having an altercation with their kin about the
common borderline of adjoining fields or about the water shift on the
common well the trouble mongering Naradas, the Brahmin revenue
officials go to the neighborhood of farmers of both the opposing groups
and give them each a different advice. The officer meets complainant
and respondent at different places at different time; and asks them for
bribe. The officer accept bribe from both, but he uses his weight at the
side of the party who gives satisfactory bribe.
And Judgment is manipulated and is favored of the party who
gave enough bribes (ibid, 55). This deed is done for some bribe, but it
proves that justice can be sold, if anyone has sufficient money to buy.
Due to this the poor farmer has not right, to get justice for his being
poor. The Judgment stirs the friendliness of village and village divides
into two groups forever.
(3) Degradation of Judiciary:
If Judgment can be bought with the help of money, it means,
rejection of the rights of poor man has to live. In the British rule the
Brahmanism, stimulate to create disparity among the people, based on
income. Disparity was established on caste base, before arrival of the
British. But in global era, man is discriminated on the basis of income.
And the Brahmin bureaucrat did it. The Brahmin priest discriminated a
man on the caste base and the Brahmin bureaucrat on income base.
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Phule pointed the issue of the Judgment and he shows that the
Judgment is not given on legal basis but manipulated it on the money basis.
He describes, The Brahmin officials in the tahasildars office,
taking statements from the illiterate complainant defendant and the
witnesses, prepare favorable statements from those who have bribed
them well, by asking some leading questions on the other hand, from
those who have not given a satisfactory bribe, they arrange their
statements in such a way by manipulating and rearranging their points,
that the reader or listener will not understand the facts of the matter and
will develop an unfavorable impression of their case. Many Brahmin
clerks while writing down the statements of ignorant farmers omit
altogether some of their points. If this is case, then even if the officer is
non-partisan he is liable to commit an injustice (ibid, 56).
(4) Violation of law:
Law is made to observe and to be observed. Bureaucracy has
been existed to keep law and to be kept. But in the British rule, the
British officer had no interest to implement law for social welfare or to
maintain peace. They had kept them away from society, their tradition
etc. Kumar R. quoted in his book that,
Queen Victoria's proclamation of 1858 had stated the policy of
crown rule to be one of non-interference in the customs and traditions.
This assurance also contained the promise that the state would protect
such traditions from interference (1968, 31).
Therefore, their neutrality made favorable to the Brahmin
officials, and they used the farmer's traditions for their sake. Phule was
very conscious about judgment, when it was manipulated and be given
against one party, who could not be bribed, the village was divided into
two groups, and their division becomes effects on the various traditions
of villages. Phule describes, on the Pola festival day,
there are great fights between the two camps as to whose bull
should have the right of way or on the Holi festival day for who is to
offer half a roti to the fire. Then when many heads are broken and there
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are wounds, the Brahmin revenue of officials outwardly praise both
factions and secretly with the help of the ineffectual Police Patil
awaken the main police authorities, a group of ghouls, at the Tahsil
place (Phule, tr. Mundlay, 2002, 57). It indicates that the officials used
their office to deceive the farmers and exploit them.
They used their administrative knowledge to push the farmers
into the trap of law and guided him to do as he wanted, Phule explains,
"Give a complaint as suggested by me with two or three false witnesses
to support it, then I wll inform the clerk of the tahsildar and would not
let even a hair on your head come to harm. (ibid: 56) 'Divide and rule'
was principal of the British government and 'Divide and exploit' was
the principle of the Brahmanism was proposition of Phule.
(5) Loan for bribe:
The Indian farmer always tries to keep his prestige on any cost.
He does not like to be arrested or prisoner; to avoid them he pays an
exaggerated amount to the bureaucrat. The Brahmin bureaucrat had
known the psychology of the farmers, and to cash it, he misguides the
farmers and to the both parties is suggested to complain against each other.
After complains the Brahmin employees do not leave any chance
to take bribe or to degrade the farmers.
Phule describes, A revenue officer comes to village with the polices
and with the help of the Mahar and the Police Patil they arrest all
people of both parties from the village and bring them to the Chaudi.
Then except for their guard all other Sepoys and officers assisted by the
ignorant headman, take from the Marwari grocery shop whatever goods
they fancy at whatever prices and measure they choose and return to the
Chaudi. If someone gives them a party in the liquor shop they eat in a
state of high intoxication and then make some of enquiry and bring all
the prisoners to the main Chowki of sub-Inspector; Then they are kept
in police custody while full investigation is going on. Further I will
show you some specimens here of how the family members of the
arrested farmer henceforth pay the sums brought by selling the
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everyday jewelry of their womenfolk, towards the appeasement of the
officials in the Sub-Inspectors office (ibid, 58).
The officers do not guide the farmers properly. The officers
frighten the farmers. For their prestige, they have to give bribe to the
officers beyond his capacity, to give bribe he has to borrow from their
friends and relatives cash sums to pay the fine and return home.
Afterwards, having returned the borrowed money to whom it
belongs, they try asking the moneylender for some loan to start appeals
to free the remaining people who are imposed (ibid, 58).
(6) Time consuming system:
Economic stability brings prosperity and increases status of the
farmers in society. For economic stability, peace in society is the first
condition. But the bureaucrats do not like to maintain peace in society,
because peace is not allowed them to exploit of society. On
administrative level an attempt is done to disturb social atmosphere,
and therefore, various traditions are created. Hindu religion gives honor
some special men honor of worship or any other deed. To get honor or
claim for it the village is divided into two groups and fight against to
each other.
The law is implemented through the administrative chain. Aim of
the law is to keep friendliness atmosphere in society, and creates peace.
But in the British rule the Brahmin bureaucrats did not adopt the
principle of the administration. In India, there is a proverb.
'A wise man should not climb the step of the court'. It indicates
there is not surety to get justice in time, or fair justice will be got.
Red tape system is a curse for the economic development, but it
gives incentives for corruption. It prolongs administrative work and
deprives a common person from his rights; and time is consumed. For
malpractice, time-consuming system is used.
Jotirao Phule quotes it, if there are their clerks cannot sway some
hot-tempered collectors. They arrange for the hearing of cases of some
recalcitrant illiterate farmers not in the main town but take them from
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place to place after the touring collectors. The farmer has to eat stale
food and ties leaves on his feet and by such walking his bones rattle and
thus he is made to lose his sprit (ibid, 57).
To get favourable decision for that had paid the bribe, the
bureaucrat's used various tactics and consume time. Prolonged Justice
indicates its rejection. Poor farmer could not keep him in constant
position to run the suit. He, for his poor condition, forwent to attend the
dates of the court the clerk persuaded the Judge for the favourable
judgment who had paid bribe.
Time consuming does not only deny the rights of the farmers but
also make them waste their time and money.
(7) Donation for Puranik:
In the British rule, law was very complicated; and the farmers
were fully unknown about the law. Being illiterate, they could not
understand the law. Therefore, the farmers had dependent on for the
guidance on the Brahmin officers. Some officers' relatives did not have
work, therefore, they had problem of their livelihood. In this situation,
the officers gave them help through various modes. One was to force
the farmers to give dakshina to the Puranik on the name of religious
duty. Phule described the system, which made the farmers to give
dakshina, in his 'Shetkaryancha Asud'.
Many ritualistic Brahmin officials make the ignorant well-to-do
farmers give donation to the Puranik and storytellers of the Brahmin
caste. Many shrewd and diplomatic persons cause the ignorant, simple,
well-to-do farmers to build new temples of Radha and Krishna in
villages, some are made to renovate the old temples and cause them to
give huge feasts to Brahmin on the occasions of the opening ceremony
(ibid, 61, 62).
Using officials post, the Brahmin official force to the farmers to
donate money for the temple building and feasts to the Brahmins.
Being ignorant, the farmers did not feel that they had to be made
give bribe. They felt that, they got chance to perform religious work.
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They had to pay the bribe even though they felt so. The farmers' were
mentally prepared to be slave on the name of religion forever.
(8) Promotion:
Promotion is reward of the high quality and transparent work.
The reward gives stimulation to the employees to work honestly,
efficiently and speedily in administration. But in the British rule these
administrative principles were not adopted. The British rule had
brought about some reformation in social and economical sectors, but
they were made for their convenience, therefore, they had no
expectation of transparency in the administration from their employees.
Administrative principles were not utilized to give promotion, for
Phule,
Many shrewd officials without letting the European officials
know, harass in many ways the ignorant farmers, and as a result the
farmers are amongst themselves blaming them, even so when they
flatter the European officials day and night, they on the other hand
recommend them to the government and arrange for their promotion.
(ibid, 62).
The Brahmin officials did not use only the way of (flattering) of
the British officials to get promotion; but some time they used various
ways to influence the British officials. With the help of the Brahmin
priest, (who was given donation from the embattled farmers), the club
of elite people were formed; who were fodder grass merchant, timber
merchant, pensioners and well off gentlemen. The club was used to do
recommendation of the Brahmin officials for the promotion. Phule
explains,
If certain Brahmin clerks of the court are helpful in the delicate
private
family
matters
of
some
European
officials
then
they
recommended to the government for the Brahmin official to arrange the
title of 'Raosahib' for them when the side European officials are
transferred to another district, and then they award these flatterers by
the reward of 'Raosaheb'. For this occasion, the award taker prepares
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Jotirao Phule: Social Structure and Brahmanism
the speech for the British officers. In the speech, he makes big
comments for himself and to be honored in society on the money of the
farmers. The Brahmin official conducts the ceremony with the help of
the farmers to be honored himself (ibid, 62). Very critically, Phule
studied the administration process and commented it.
(9) Ineligible employees:
Being perfect knowledge of concerning office is important to get
an appointment for the office. An official or an employee, who is going
to be selected, he should have knowledge of the post. In the British
rule, the British officers had no interest in the problems of the farmers,
they, endlessly, had linked to their own country. Therefore, their
dependencies were enormously on the Brahmin employees. They had
problem of language knowing, so they did not like to take interest to
know the problems of farmers. Second thing was about the Brahmin
officials’ technical knowledge, because, the British education system
did not impart knowledge to the Indians. They had been given
knowledge of English language and culture of the British people. For
Phule, they had not good knowledge of technique Phule delineated the
situation, even if the crops of farmers were destroyed by the lack of
timely water supply from the canals, the irrigation department would
not be held responsible. Behold, should the white and black engineers
who swallowed thousands of rupees, as their pay every month, not had
enough educative judgment to know that calculation how many gallons
of water were in the dam. Phule described it,
The water availability should be taken into account before giving
permission to the landowners to draw the water from the canal. For
want of technical knowledge, the officials' do not get idea about water
availability and permission as given by taking bribe, to draw the water
from the canal. Therefore, when no water is available for the land, if the
farmers ask about it to the officials, they are only attacked (ibid, 77-78).
Being ignorant about the technical knowledge, the officials had
not known how much water was needed for variant crops. Ignorantly
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Jotirao Phule: Social Structure and Brahmanism
the administrative system was handled; therefore, the farmers were
destroyed by doing administration arbitrary.
(10) Exaggerated Expenditure:
Phule was very conscious about the economic affairs. He
compares work and its remuneration. He thinks that the officials' work
is unproductive, but the officers are paid more than their work. In
Maharashtrian economy, according to Phule, the farmer is only
productive factor, but his residues only three rupees for a month, due to
have to pay taxes of the government. But the government officials
spend exaggerated money on their luxurious life. For Phule the
administrative system is utilized to serve the farmers, but instead of
serving, they exploit and degrade the farmers.
Phule explains, the farmers do not get an average even three
rupees per month per-person in their families, after paying the
agricultural tax and the contribution to the local fund. On the other
hand, even an average European and native government officials do not
find fifteen rupees per month adequate for his sundry expenses for his
drinking. Then who will listen to us if we mention the unlimited Sundry
expenses of officials like the collector etc. Who are like Nawabs? (ibid, 81).
Phule described the exaggerated expenditure, which is done, on
the government employees. The government purchased from Vilayat
costly clothes, Valvet Jackets, Kerchiets, socks and boots for the
dressing of white soldiers. For their food and drink, the government
hired Christian cooks to prepare fresh meals three times a day and they
are fed on time without doing any work for it. For this high grade
wheat, rice pulses, meat of healthy young cow, goats and sheep, port
and such other intoxicating wines, unadulterated oil, ghee, milk, sugar
tea, salt, chilies, spices, knives and forks etc. are purchased here. For
their living quarters, the governments had spent lakhs of rupees to build
massive two storied barracks. In them, they are provided with iron
bedstead, bedding and pillows, bed sheet, blankets and hanging lamps
with glass shades for illumination. In the barrack courtyard, there is a
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Jotirao Phule: Social Structure and Brahmanism
filtered water tap in a bathroom. Similarly clean and comfortable toilets
are built. If they suffer a slight cough or fever through overeating and
indigestion, a dispensary is built to save their lives. For this purpose,
there are medicines and medical instruments worth hundreds of rupees.
Doctors drawing thousands of rupees as pay are appointed there in and
coolies with a dooly are provided for their attendance. Similarly, they
have no worries about milk payment. They pay nothing for houses,
toilets, brooms, water roads, field and local fund (ibid, 82).
Phule described the expenditure, which was made on the
government servants, but not counted. Only payment of them was taken
into account, but other facilities, which were supplied, were not taken
into account, for Phule, actually, they work non-productive, but exploit
all benefits.
Conclusion:
Phule studied administrative system very closely and he found
that, the Brahmanism was playing an important role in administration.
Various traditions were made, and were utilized by the bureaucrats to
deceive the farmers. In Hindu religion, there are some traditions, which
are related to honor of 'Man', in festivals some are these Pola, Holi,
Dasara etc. To get honor of these festivals makes causes of conflicts.
On other hand Phule criticized the farmers' attitude about the
boundaries (bandhs) of agriculture, due to this cause the farmers fight
among themselves and they were supported by the administration is
made adverse effect on the farmers' progress, Phule concludes.
Other facilities, for Phule, should be measured in income of the
officials was historical approach of Phule, today Income Tax
Department think about this aspect to charge income tax on the income
of officials.
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Summary:
Causes of the penury, for Phule, of the Shudra-atishudra were
hidden in the myths of Hindu religion, therefore, there was need to
reinterpret history of myths and aware to the Shudra-atishudra. An
important theory regarding invasion was developed by the Aryan
incarnation theory of Vishnu (God of Hindu). And tried to instill in the
Shudra-atishudra that, invasions were made by the Aryan for welfare of
the
indigenous.
The
indigenous,
psychologically
accepted
submissiveness and lost their prowess. There was necessity, for Phule,
to get them realize about their ‘Kshytiryatv’. Therefore, Phule
reinterpret history of incarnation and put forward. In his theory, he
rejected the existence of God as like Vishnu, and elaborated the new
ideas about the incarnation. According to him, all myths, or stories,
which are included in Purans, have been made deceive the Shudrasatishudras. These stories are imaginary, therefore, he put forward his
ideas concerning the incarnation and he developed his theory from the
perspective of scientific method. Aim of his was to impulse the
exploited and aware them for their existence and their rights. Baliraja
was a real representative of the peasants, and the Aryan killed him
deceitfully. All these deceitful deeds are incorporated in the Purans and
are honoured, and with the help of the myths, the Brahmins made
various devices to extract. They used their literacy as ‘capital’ and they
made an almanac to regulate the life of the Shudra-atishudra, with the
help of the almanac they prepared a vicious circle of religion around the
indigenous and made him scapegoat. He was exploited before his birth
until his death, and after his death, his name was used to exploit. For
Phule, temple is an embodiment of all these myths and used as device
for
exploitation.
Exploitive
activities
were
supported
by
the
administration and developed various ways to exploit.
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References and Notes:
1) Sharma, K.L. 2007, rpt.2008. Indian Social Structure and change.
New Delhi: Rawat Publications.
2) Ibid.
3) Ibid.
4) Maharashtra State Gazetteer. 2009. Maharashtra: Land and its
People. Mumbai: Gazetteer Dept. Govt. of Mha.
5) Ibid.
6) Ibid.
7) Ibid.
8) Ibid.
9) Ibid.
10) Hajela, T.N. 1967, rpt.2014. History of Economic Thought. New
Delhi: Ane Books Pvt. Ltd.
11) Ibid.
12) Ibid.
13) Weber, Max. 1958, rpt.2007. The Religion of India: The
Sociology of Hinduism and Buddhism, translated and edited by
Hans Gerth and Don Martindale. New Delhi: Manshiram
Manoharlal.
14) Ambedkar, B.R. 1944, rpt.2004. Annihilation of Caste, with
Mahtma Gandhi’s Criticism and reply to it. Nagpur: Sampata
Prakashan.
15) Deshpande, G.P. 2002, rpt.2010 (edi.) Selected Writings of
Jotirao Phule, with Introduction. Delhi: Leftword Book.
16) Ibid.
17) Ibid.
18) Ibid.
19) Omvedt, Gail. 1995, rpt.2012. Dalit Visions, Tracts for the
Times. Delhi: Orient Blackswan Private Limited.
20) Doniger, Wendy and Smith. 1991, rpt.2000. The Law of Manu.
New Delhi: Pengin Books.
21) Deshpande, G.P. op.cit.
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Jotirao Phule: Social Structure and Brahmanism
22) Chakrabarty, Dipesh. 2000. Provincializing Europe. Princeton:
Princeton University Press.
23) Ibid.
24) Devare, Aparna. 2011. History & the Making of a Modern
Hindu Self. New Delhi: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
25) Ibid.
26) Descartes. 1992. Gellaen Earnest, Reason and Culture.
Blackwell: Oxford.
27) Phule, Jotirao. Translated by Mundlay Asha. 2002. Cultivator’s
Whipcord. Mumbai: Mahatma Phule Source Material Publication
Committee, Govt. of Maharashtra.
28) Ibid.
29) Ibid.
30) O’Hanlon,
Rosalind.
1985,
rpt.2002.
Caste,
conflict
and
Ideology, Mahatma Jotirao Phule and low caste protest in
nineteenth
century
western
India.
Cambridge:
Cambridge
University Press.
31) Devare, Arpana. op.cit.
32) Phule, Jotirao. Translated by Patil, P.G. 1991. Slavery, collected
Works
of
Mahatma
Jotirao
Phule
Vol.-I.
Bombay:
The
Educational Department Government of Maharashtra.
33) Phule, Jotirao (tr.) by Patil. P.G. Vol.-I op.cit.
34) Ibid.
35) Devare, Aparna. op.cit.
36) Phule, Jotirao, translated by Patil. P.G. Vol.-II op.cit.
37) Ibid.
38) O’Hanlon, Rosalind. op.cit.
39) Ibid.
40) Ibid.
41) Ibid.
42) Devare, Aparna. op.cit.
43) O’Hanlon, Rosalind. op.cit.
44) Devare, Aparna. op.cit.
45) Doniger, and Smith. op.cit.
185 | P a g e
Jotirao Phule: Social Structure and Brahmanism
46) O’Hanlon, Rosalind. op.cit.
47) Hajela, H.L. op.cit.
48) Ibid.
49) Smith, Adam. 1776, rpt.2003. The Wealth of Nations.
New York: Bantam Book
50) O’Hanlon, Rosalind. op.cit.
51) Phule, Jotirao. Translated by Mundlay Asha. op.cit.
52) O’Hanlon, Rosalind. op.cit.
53) Phule, Jotirao. 1969, rpt.2006. edited by Keer, Malshe &
Phadke. Mahatma Phule Samgr Vanmay. Mumbai: Maharashtra
Rajya Sahity Ani Sanskruti Mandal.
54) Ibid.
55) Pandya, Sunil. 2006. Human Behaviour. Delhi: National Book
Trust, India.
56) Ibid.
57) Hajela, T.N. op.cit.
58) Phule, Jotirao. edited by Keer, Malshe & Phadke. op.cit.
59) Phule, Jotirao. edited by Keer, Malshe & Phadke. op.cit.
60) Doniger & Smith. op.cit.
61) Ibid.
62) Phule, Jotirao. translated by Mundlay, Asha. op.cit.
63) Mani, Braj, Ranja. 2005, rpt.2011. Debrahmanising History.
New Delhi: Manohar.
64) Ibid.
65) Phule, Jotirao. translated by Mundlay Asha. op.cit.
66) Ibid.
67) Ibid.
68) Ibid.
69) Keer, Dhananjay. 1964. rpt.2013. Mahatma Jotirao Phooley,
Father of the Indian Social Revolution. Mumbai: Popular Prakashan.
70) Ibid.
71) Phule, Jotirao. translated by Mundlay, Asha. op.cit.
72) Ibid.
73) Ibid.
186 | P a g e
Jotirao Phule: Social Structure and Brahmanism
74) Ibid.
75) Ibid.
76) Heilbroner, Robert, L. 1953, rpt.1999. The Wordly Philosophers
The Lives, times and ideas of the great economic thinkers. New
Delhi: A Touchstone Book Published.
77) David McLellan. 1984. Karl Marx Selected Writings, Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
78) Doniger & Smith. op.cit.
79) Shulman, David. 1985. Mahabharata (Southern Recension), The
King and the Clown in South Asian Myth and Poetry. Princeton:
Princeton University Press.
80) McLellan, David. op.cit.
81) Phule, Jotirao. translated by Mundlay Asha op.cit.
82) Kosambi, D.D. 2008. Myth and Reality. Bombay: Popular
Prakashan.
83) Sharma, K.L. 2008. Indian Social Structure and Change. New
Delhi: Rawat Publications.
84) Thakre K.C. N.D. Devlancha Dharma Ani Dharmachi Devle.
Aurangabad: Anand Prakashan.
85) Ibid.
86) Phule, Jotirao. translated by Mundlay, Asha. op.cit.
87) Ibid.
88) Ibid.
89) Ibid.
90) Ibid.
91) Mani, Braj, Ranjan. op.cit.
92) O’Hanlon, Rosalind. op.cit.
93) Phule, Jotirao. translated by Mundlay, Asha. op.cit.
94) Ibid.
95) Ibid.
96) Ibid.
97) Kumar, R. 1968. Western India in the nineteenth century (A
Study in the Social History of Maharashtra). London: Routledge
and Kegan Paul.
187 | P a g e
Jotirao Phule: Social Structure and Brahmanism
98) Phule, Jotirao. translated by Mundlay, Asha. op.cit.
99) Ibid.
100) Ibid.
101) Ibid.
102) Ibid.
103) Ibid.
104) Ibid.
105) Ibid.
106) Ibid.
107) Ibid.
108) Ibid.
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