สำนักราชบัณฑิตยสภา

«“√ “√ √“™∫— ≥±‘ µ¬ ∂“π ªï ∑’Ë Û ©∫— ∫∑’Ë Û °.§.-°.¬. ÚıÙ¯ 763 «‘ ÿ ∑∏å ∫ÿ …¬°ÿ ≈ Abstract From Complexion and Lineage to Caste System Visudh Busyakul Fellow of the Academy of Arts, The Royal Institute, Thailand The excavation in India from AD 1921 and later has shown that the Indus Valley was one of the world’s earliest civilizations. It came to the end after attacks by raiders who left the dead lying where they fell in the streets. Some are inclined to identify the raiders with the Aryan nomads from the Eurasian steppes. These Aryan conquerors were functionally divided into three classes among themselves, namely, the warriors, the priests, and the common people. They became the absolute master of the aborigines who were reduced to menial workers under strict supervision, giving rise to two distinct strata in a community characterized by complexion called Aryan Varn ⁄ a and Dasa Varn ⁄ a. Later, the entire population became divided into four Varn ⁄ as (or castes, here meaning social classes), three belonging to the Aryan : the Brahman ⁄ a, the Ks ⁄ atriya, and the Vaisya, while the remaining Sudra belonging to the aborigines. The three Aryan varn ⁄ as keep close contact together against the aboriginal Sudras who continued to be despicable in the eye of the Aryans. Inter-caste marriage was prohibited, the violation of which resulted in the lowering of the sub-caste (called jati) of children, who unknowingly might sink down to the rank of the untouchable or the Harijan or the officially termed the Scheduled Caste. The government of India is trying to erase the caste system, but has not been very successful. Key words : Aryan, aborigine, caste, Tamil, Untouchable Harijan ´ ´ ´