Punjab has a long history of egalitarian beliefs as it nurtured Sikh and Sufi thoughts. However, it also has a very high population of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (30 per cent), while Brahmins constitute a fraction of the population. This issue of caste hierarchy has been highlighted in recent times, with young Dalit Punjabis being drawn to New Age Christian Evangelists. Their songs have gone viral across social media. In trying to make India secular, in trying to tip-toe around caste, other than for votes, academicians have long ignored the lens of caste that forms the foundation of India. We need to approach it dispassionately to understand how the past shapes the present.
Punjab has mountainous areas to its north and rich alluvial plains to its south. It is in the mountainous regions that one finds many Hindu goddess temples, often patronised by kings. Here, Brahmins have historically been invited to serve as courtiers. However, as one moves towards the plains, the presence of trading communities, known as Khatris, increases. The Khatris claim to be Kshatriyas who renounced warfare and took up trade to avoid being slaughtered by Parashuram. It was among these trading communities that Sikhism emerged, with the first 10 Sikh Gurus all belonging to this group. The Bedis and the Sodhis trace their lineage back to Luv and Kush, sons of Ram and Sita, according to some traditions.
Defiance of Mughal authoritarianism, led to Punjab witnessing a resurgence of military traditions that had previously been abandoned by its farming, pastoral, and trading communities. Thus rose the Khalsa warriors under Guru Gobind Singh around 1700. Khalsa means directly under god, an idea that came from khalsa lands of the king, differentiated from jagirs of courtiers. These warriors differentiated themselves by adopting certain practices like never cutting their hair, using a wooden comb, carrying a special dagger, wearing a steel bracelet, special underwear with drawstrings, turban, and not eating food offered to gods or halal meat, a Muslim practice of involving bleeding of animals. They wore blue coloured garments (surmai), differentiating themselves from non-military members who wore yellow (basanti), and Hindus who preferred red.
During this time, pastoral warrior groups, known as Jats, were also drawn to Sikhism and took on the responsibility of defending the faith. To attract them, Sikh leaders began referring to many Hindu deities (saguna) despite Sikhism’s commitment to a formless divine (nirguna). The sword was linked to Bhagavati, Hindu goddess of war. The Jats also considered themselves warriors who had, in keeping with a promise to Parashuram, turned their swords into ploughshares. Some Jats believed they were descendants of Shiva, emerging from his jata (locks).
Despite their military support, Jats were seen inferior by Brahmins, Rajputs and Khatris, as they practiced a form of widow remarriage (chadar chadhana) and refused to indulge in widow burning (Sati) valorised in royal and martial communities. The quest for respect led to widespread adoption of vegetarianism, especially under the influence of the Arya Samaj in the 19th century. This is one of the reasons why Sikh langars have become increasingly vegetarian, even though there was never such a rule originally as it violates the egalitarian principle. Vegetarianism has long been a code in India for caste. Upper castes would shun kitchens and canteens which served meat, eggs or fish.
Like Sikhs, Sufi traditions of Punjab also promoted egalitarian values. The Sufis introduced new agricultural techniques in the 15th and 16th centuries, which contributed to a large number of farmers in eastern Punjab embracing Islam. Sikhism remained dominant in the western part of Punjab. Hinduism persisted in the south, towards Haryana, and in the north, towards Himachal.
Thus, Punjab’s chatur-varna system evolved quite differently from other parts of India. Brahmins played a minimal role. The royalty or Rajput influence was largely confined to the mountainous areas. The Kshatriya military influence remained subdued until resistance against Mughal rule necessitated its revival. Meanwhile, the trading community remained a strong pillar of Sikhism’s origins, and the lines between Kshatriyas and Vaishyas were blurred.
Despite the egalitarian ideals of Sikhism and Sufism, the concept of caste and untouchability persists in Sikh and Hindu Punjabi communities of India as well as Muslim Punjabis of Pakistan. Caste (jaat) is clearly something that never goes (jati nahi).
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