Brahmins
1. Indian Brahmins have been oppressing the lower caste population in India.
2. Brahmins introduced the inhuman "untouchability"
3. Brahmins are cunning, parasitic exploiters and creators of the iniquitous caste system.
4. Indian sub-continent's biggest problem was 5000 years of Brahmin oppression!
5. Brahmins never allowed others to read and write or to learn Sanskrit!
6. Brahmins are arrogant, dis-respective, communal and abusive extremists who whip the dalits (lower caste Hindus) till they die.
7. Brahmins exploited and continue to exploit everyone else.
8. Brahmins authored the Hindu scriptures just to ensure their own highest position in the social hierarchy.
The list is endless! And any educated person believes this as 100% truth. Even those who born in today's Brahmin caste are apologetic about their birth due to these "truths"!
However, these 'truth' arguments clearly lack historical validity and logical consistency. It is merely a case of “repeat a lie a hundred times and it will become the truth”. (Joseph Goebbels' theory). It is amazing to see that how fiction can become truth in course of time!
Let's examine truth based on facts and real history.
To start with, there is no single Brahmin god in Hinduism! All gods are from backward castes, dalits and tribals. Brahmins never created the concept of Gods in Hinduism.
There was no even single Brahmin King that ruled India. To be able to oppress others requires positions of power. The Brahmin’s traditional occupation was that of temple priest (purohit) officiating religious functions. Their sole income was Biksha (alms) given by the land-lords (non-Brahmins). And another section of Brahmins were teachers, that too without salary.
Vedic literature was mostly written by non-Brahmins! The most powerful of the dharma shaastra, that gives Brahmins a high status, is the Manusmriti written by Manu, a non-Brahmin. Brahmin means a profession (Varna) then, not a caste.
If the reading and writing of Sanskrit was confined to Brahmins then how do you have the tribal Valmiki composing Ramayana? Ved Vyas, who classified four vedas and wrote Mahabharata, was born to a fisher-woman. Sanskrit was used mostly by non-Brahmin writers - there are very few scriptures in Sanskrit authored by Brahmins.
We consider the teachings of Ved Vyas, Vashishtha, Valmiki, Krishna, Rama, Agasthya, Vishwamitra, Shrunga, Gowthama, Buddha, Mahavira, Tulsidas, Thiruvalluvar, Kabir, Vivekananda, Gandhi, Narayana guru etc as most valuable. If none of them were Brahmins why cry so much about Brahmin didn't allow you to learn? There are numerous works on bhakti by non-Brahmin bhakti saints. Brahmins never prevented others from learning.
Brahmins were neither rich nor powerful at any point of time in history. Pick up any old Indian story book, you will see ‘Garib Brahmin’ (Poor Brahmin) quoted as a virtue. (Remember Kuchela-Krishna story?) Though their profession was considered as highest stature of the society, the Brahmin ascetics' only way of survival was alms given by people.
The biggest contribution of Brahmins is sustaining the best language ever spoken in the earth - Sanskrit. If you learn English or Arab, you have commercial benefits. Nobody ever promoted Sanskrit. Without any benefits, Brahmins took up voluntary task of learning Sanskrit. Then, now you accuse them of monopoly in Sanskrit!
Dr.B.R. Ambedkar, the father of Indian constitution, stated that “untouchability” began in Indian sub-continent after 400 AD, when beef-eaters shunned as “untouchables.” When people of India were forced to embrace Islam by Muslim invaders, lot of Hindus, including those in the professions of Brahmin and Kshatriya among others decided they would not accept Islam at any cost – even if they die. To destroy their dharmabhiman (religious pride), swabhiman (self-respect) and rashtraabhiman (pride in nationality), they were forced into carrying the night soil and engage in leather-work. This is how Scheduled Castes were created. They were forced to eat cow-meat. Then marked them as lower caste. Peace-loving people were pushed into “unclean occupations” because they refused to bow before invaders and convert to invader's religions during the medieval times, thus making them “untouchables", as per lot of historians.
Whatever, it is obvious that caste system and evil practices like Sati were introduced after around AD 500, thanks to insecurity created among Indians by invaders! Slavery was unheard in India till then.
All ancient literature gives highest position to Brahmins, because of the virtue and ethics they upheld. Can you quote a single incident of violence by those "merciless Brahmins" ever happened anywhere?
Historical evidences show that poor hapless Brahmins were beheaded by Arabian invaders, crucified in Goa by the Portuguese Inquisition, vilified by British missionaries, and morally crucified today by their own brothers and sisters.
Aurangzeb massacred 150,000 Brahmins and their families in Benares, Ganga gnat, Haridwar, etc... He wouldn't eat his everyday breakfast without seeing a bunch of "janeoos" (holy thread) soaked in the blood of Brahmins after killing them!
The brutal and fanatic barbarians from Portugese mercilessly persecuted and killed lakhs of Konkani Brahmins who refused to get converted, in Konkan-Goa. The brutal barbarian Francis Xavier, who led the massacre, later canonized as Saint.
Sarawat Brahmins were living peacefully in Kashmir and Gandhara desa-regions-(part of today’s Afghan-Pakistan included) area. You can't see them there now. The foreign invaders killed thousands of Saraswats. Pundits, the original inhabitants of Kashmir were tortured and driven out of their dwellings in Kashmir. Genocide of Kashmiri Pundits has reached its climax with terrorism succeeding in ‘CLEANSING’ the valley of this ancient ethno-religious community.
Dr. Ambedkar quoting Muslim historians says the first act of religious zeal by Mohammad bin Qasim, the first Arab invader, was circumcision of Brahmins. “But, after they objected, he put all above the age of seventeen to death.”
In early 19th century, Tipu Sultan's army descended in Melkote on a Deepavali day and massacred 800 citizens, mostly of a sect known as Mandyam Iyengars. He was a fanatic killer.
Brahmins, who historically dedicated their lives for the sake of dharma and the welfare of the society, are still persecuted in modern India for their falsely alleged sins of the past!!!
The anti-Brahmin theory was planned and successfully planted by hostile religious invaders, colonialist and missionaries of conversion and by politicians to keep the public blind and at the same time rob Indians off everything.
This baseless theory was propagated by Leftists, priests and religious leaders from hostile aggressive religions, separatists and casteists, die-hard fans of invaders, the British etc. And modern literate believe in this utter non-sense!
When they attack Brahmins, their target is unmistakably Hinduism!
The prayer of a Brahmin was: “Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavantu” (May all the beings in all the worlds be happy). In turn, the world is trying to crucify them, for no fault of them. Brahmins are never involved in any caste-based violence in India till this day!
People ask me: "Uday, was everything about Brahmin all good?"
"No - Some Brahmins certainly would have manipulated caste system - just as they do in political parties or religious groups. Insecure Brahmin communities may have later developed into closely held groups or castes for survival. There were also few exceptions among Brahmins as a community - like Peshwa Chitpawan Brahmins, Namboodiri chieftains of Kerala, Bhumihar chieftains of Bihar, few short lived minor kingdoms like Anangpal, Jaipal and Bhamini - who were either rich or powerful. There were Brahmins who exploited others using there status in the society making use of situations, just like corrupt Bureaucrats. They are few, not even one percent of the Brahmin. Should we generalize the whole community for the mistakes done by a small section among them?"
During feudal times, the land-owning class (Zamindars) oppressed dalits. Even today, OBCs also oppressed the dalits. But Brahmins became the scapegoat.
There is so much of vicious propaganda against Brahmins that the modern Brahmin always felt apologetic, for the oppression allegedly committed by the Brahmin class on the lower class.
Brahmins have been torch bearers of spiritual knowledge, upheld the spiritual and cultural legacy, kept the sanctified rituals alive and gave a distinct identity to sanatan dharma. Brahmin-bashing is reverse discrimination, another form of discrimination nonetheless! It’s very unfair to marginalize such an important community from Indian political relevance and discourse. Caste was always just a political tool of rulers.
Brahmins were pushed to bottom in level of importance and treated as villains (scape goat) in the caste based politics since elections/democracy meant use of populist methods which was easy to sell.
For many past centuries, mostly Christians and Muslims were ruling India. Do we have to blame Brahmins for everything that went wrong in India? Brahmins have never ruled India. Even after Independence, if Castiesm exists in India, who are to blame other than rulers?
Modern Brahmins having abandoned their traditional way of life and being cut off from their traditions, suffer from an unjustified guilt complex and have swallowed this suppression propaganda uncritically. Caught between the greed of the masses, the unscrupulousness of the politicians and the malice of the real exploiters, they are persecuted mercilessly in modern India.
There have always been deliberate attempts to confuse the concept of Brahmanism with the caste of Brahmins in India. Caste system, introduced during medieval period because of invaders, is absolutely wrong. It’s against Sanatan Dharma.
According to our ancestors, everybody should thrive to become a real Brahmin. For the sake of a beautiful green world, let's support Brahmanism that propagates non-violence and peace. The intended or actual meaning of Brahmin is one who has knowledge about Brahman, the ultimate and impersonal divine reality of the universe from which all being originates and to which it returns.
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