Page:The history of caste in India.pdf/108

 to show the error of the doctrine that Hinduism does not admit foreigners to its fold.

One thing which a reader should notice is that in these verses the writer does not supply us with his doctrine regarding the origin of various castes mentioned above, but simply gives the reason why these various jātis fell to the position of Shūdras. Evidently he believed that Kshatriya varna was composed of various jātis, and it really was. Some of these jātis maintained their status, while others lost it for the reason he has given us. How the different jātis or tribal castes originated, our writer does not pretend to explain.

He is simply recording phenomena which he observed in his days. The castes which adopted purer conduct and performed austerities raised their status in the eyes of the world, while the castes neglecting those elevating ceremonies and austerities fell. The writer never meant that these various tribes and nationalities, like the Chinese and the Greeks, were pieces fallen from one standard caste. He was well aware of the fact that there are various tribes in the world who rule and ought to be called Kshatriyas. He only explains why these warlike and ruling tribes are not considered as equals by the standard Kshatriyas of Kuru and Kosala. He never attempted to derive the entirety of mankind from the Indian population.

The Hindus of the period believed that the world is made up of various játis and every one of these jätis belonged to one or the other of the four varnas. They never thought that the system of four varnas was peculiar to their own land.