Caste in India: The Facts and the System c8.s7.2

c8.s7.2

In Lacedaemon and elsewhere the Greeks know several instances of hereditary functions and trades. In spite of the uncertainties which obscure their interpretation, the names borne by the four Ionic tribes (*phylai*) of Attica are certainly professional: soldiers, goatherds, artisans,¹ but they are certainly not castes. The example proves at least that Āryan tradition could, under the influence of a favourable situation, incline towards the caste; a lesson which it is well to bear in mind.