History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c3.11

v1.c3.11

What then is the message we have to give to our Hindu country-men through the pages of this history? It is this:— first and foremost conscious efforts must be made to develop the sentiment of nationality among the people of this country, overriding all the jealousies and differences created by provincial or linguistic separation and even by religion. Secondly, we must recognise more acutely our worldly duties and responsibilities and systematic efforts must be made, especially by those of us who do not eat flesh, to develop our physical and mental capacities for fighting. And thirdly all subcastes must be obliterated by free intercourse in food and gradually even in marriage, though of course it must be admitted that the division of the Hindu society into the four main castes or Varṇas is in-effaceable and its obliteration should not be attempted. Every religious revolution in India attempted it and failed. Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Aryanism successively tried to destroy varṇas and so did even Christianity. Each and all not only failed, but eventually succumbed to the influence of caste. Subcastes, however, have no sanction in the Hindu Śāstras and systematic efforts to obliterate them will be successful, especially because they are the growth of recent times only.