History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c8.31

v1.c8.31

We cannot close this chapter without noticing the existence, even then, of the “untouchables,” or what are now called in the south the Panchamas or the fifth class. They are described by Hiuen Tsang as follows:— “Butchers, fishermen, public performers, executioners and scavengers have their habitations marked by a distinguishing sign. They are forced to live outside the city and they sneak along on the left when going about in the hamlets.” (Watters Vol 1 p. 147). The practice of compelling these untouchables to live outside the towns and villages must of course be traced back to even the Vedic times for the Brāhmaṇas speak of the Chāṇḍālas living beyond the skirts of towns and villages and of their habitations as not fit to be visited by the Aryans. The professions too of the Chāṇḍālas were from Vedic times much the same as above described with the exception of butchers and fishermen who perhaps were now added to the list of the untouchables in consequence of their profession of taking life, in response to the prevailing Buddhist sentiment. These depressed classes were probably composed of the lowest dregs of the Dravidian races having filthy habits and living on carrion. But in the Panjab and Rajputana a mixture of the Aryan race even among these was prominently discovered at the Census of 1901 when anthropometric meaurements were taken by Sir H. Risley. The Chamars and the Chaurahas of the Panjab are found to be distinctly Aryan in type and possibly these have been degraded solely in consequence of their profession in Buddhistic times before the period of which we are treating. Or, as the Smritis declare, the progeny of pratiloma marriages especially of Brahmin women with Śūdra husbands though they must have been rare must have joined the ranks of the Chāṇḍālas and thus infused Aryan blood even in their veins.