‘Varnashramachar’ Strengthened National Integrity, ensuring Real Welfare

H.H. (Dr) Shibnarayan Sen is a great scholar of Dharmashastras. He is also the General Secretary of ‘Shastra Dharma Prachar Sabha’ in Bengal and the Editor of Fortnightly Periodical ‘Truth’. His ‘Kshatratej’ is evident when he talks about atheists. He attained the spiritual level of 71% and became a Saint on 1^st June 2019.

In Part 1 of this Article, we read what various authorities have said Varna – about Varnashram Dharma, that love and hatred are innate in man, that Varna Vyavastha and colour discrimination are poles asunder, that the aim of the British was to wedge a Caste divide, a brief on Casteism in history, the Hindu Educational System and Caste, and that Caste is not a doctrine of hate. Now, read Part 2.

According to Sir John Woodroffe, Caste System defends Hindu Society from disintegration under European influence, and for this reason, foreigners advocate the abolition of the Caste System to break up the Hindu Social structure and with it, the Hindu religion. Indian weakness and degeneration set in about the beginning of the Christian era when the onslaught of Buddhism had loosened the bonds of religion and Caste. Western Punjab and Eastern Bengal were the strongholds of Buddhism.

The protecting influence of Caste being absent, the people fell an easy prey to Moslems and were converted en masse, while in the rest of India, e.g. UP and Bihar, conversions were comparatively few.

Sir W Lawrence says (The Indian Thinker of 15-11-1945) : We are to cry out on Caste, to denounce its hereditary exclusiveness, its rigid obligations. The seeming evil of it is proclaimed, its actual merits ignored… Caste is the one Union to which the Hindu can look for strength – his one refuge and his anchor. We may be hard on its drawbacks; but it gives cohesion to large communities. It saves Government from poor laws and doles and it has retained for over 200 years the support and approval of Hindu millions who, when all is said, are best entitled to judge.

Annie Besant says : It is not well to destroy the stately edifice built by the Rishis which has weathered many a storm and given safe shelter to a myriad generations. Chaldea, Persia, Egypt, Greece and Rome have perished, mighty as once they were, far reaching in empire, splendid in achievement; India which was their contemporary has outlived them all. And this marvellous endurance which is primarily due to her profound Spirituality is partly due also to the stability given by her Caste System.

LJ Sedgwick, in his Report on the Census of Bombay Presidency, says : The Indian Caste System with endogamy Caste and its exogamous Gotras is perfect method of preserving what is called in Genetics the ‘Pure line.’ The endogamy prevents external hybridisation, while the internal exogamy prevents the possibility of a fresh pure line arising within the old one by the isolation of any character not common to the whole line. With the preservation of the pure line, the perpetuation of all characters common to it necessarily follows.

8. Caste, Parent of Solidarity

Sir George Campbell says : In India I have the experience of how communities of people varying in culture, rank and racial qualifications have lived for centuries amicably side by side, and this has been poss-ible in India only through the organisation of Caste.

9. Caste and Prowess

The cry that India was conquered by Sakas, Huns and later, Moslems, because Hindus were and are unwarlike cowards, was palpably false. Again and again, even their enemies (who alone have left records) have been compelled to admit the extraordinary bravery and fighting qualities of the Hindus they defeated. We all know what Alexander the great thought of Porus. But the records are scanty about the principal cause of Alexander turning from the glittering prize – the conquest of rich plains of Hindusthan that had been his life’s ambition. His return was due to the glamour of his troops who were tired of fighting their Hindu enemies who often gave more punishment than they took.

The defeat of the Hindus was never due to cowardice, it was nearly always due to the use of stratagems by their enemies which Hindus rightly despised and in later days to the use of gun powder, a thing unknown in India. As we shall see later the tables were turned when the Hindus adopted these weapons of their enemies (stratagems and artillery), as was the case with Marhattas. We shall give a few examples here.

1. The great Bahadur Shah compared the battle at Panipat between the Mughals under Babar with the Pathans as one between stone and glass, so decisive was Moghul superiority. Yet, shortly after this in the fight with the Rajputs under Sangram Singh, Babar and the Moghul had the fright of their lives. With stark defeat staring him in the face, Babar had to swear before God to give up wine, and prayed incessantly. He used stratagems and devices, sanctioned by modern usage, but despised as treacherous and cowardly by Hindus. He was victorious but had to admit that this battle was the most desperate battle in his life.

2. The victories of Pratap Singh were always against superior Moghul forces better provided with artillery.

3. Within a century of Prophet’s death, the Moslems conquered the whole of Arabia, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Turkey, the whole of North Africa, Spain and Portugal, Persia, Afganisthan and Turkistan. But they took 500 years to conquer India. (They did enter Sindh, but were driven out shortly after.)

Ultimately in Europe – Spain, Portugal, areas in the Balkan Peninsula, corresponding to Greece, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Austria, up to gates of Vienna, Rumania, Bulgaria, Turkey in Europe, Bessrrabia and Crimea; areas not much smaller than the area of India, under Moslem occupation, were overrun and held under subjection for periods varying from 5 to 6 centuries.

4. After Moslem conquest of Northern India, they invaded Assam. The Assamese, unlike Hindus elsewhere, did not put up an open fight, but altered the course of rivers and flooded out the Moslems. They also made night attacks. Their leader Mir Jumla died of a broken heart and ever since Assam has never been conquered by the Moslems.

5. The Marhattas are a small Nation, who even today number not more than 20 million, and yet they conquered India, beat down the Moslems by using stratagems and devices, like the Moslems.

6. The Moslems conquered Casteless Europe and held it down for the same number of years as they held India. The area of Europe under Moslem sway is little less than the area of India under the Moslems. The Moors were 800 years in Spain. The Turks had been 500 years in Europe and within living memory occupied a large area in Europe. Spain, Portugal, parts of Southern Italy, Balearic Isles, the Balkan Peninsula, Hungary, almost up to the walls of Vienna, Wallachia, Roumania, Bessarabia, Crimea and parts of Southern Russia acknowledged Moslem sway for varying periods from 200 to 500 years.

7. The Sakas and the Huns, if they overran large parts of North Western India, also overran Europe and we read how Attila’s legions sacked cities, ravished maidens and watered their horses in every river up to the Rhine. They were expelled from India and have left no trace behind. While in Europe, the kingdom of Hungary (kingdom of Huns) still exists as reminder of the Hun conquest.

8. The Tartars overran and held Russia in subjection for 200 years. At the coronation of the Russian Princes, they had to kiss the stirrup of their Tartar overlord. Such degradation had been unthinkable in India.

9. After centuries of Moslem rule, the Caste-ridden Hindus, instead of being demoralised, became so bold resolute and warlike that they actually held the greater part of India in subjection, while Casteless Moslems were only too glad to purchase peace from the Hindu by paying chouth and sirdeshmukhi for the territories still remaining under their sway.

10. If history is to be believed, the march of the East India Company in India was from victory to victory of Hindu rulers (e.g. the Holkar in the passes of Rajputana and the Jat Raja of Bharatpur). All their most terrific battles – Assaye, Argaon, Drug and Laswari were fought against the Marhattas. Buxar and Plassey against Moslems were child’s play in comparison. The only Moslem power which gave trouble to the English was Mysore. But Mysore was signally defeated by the Marhattas, who exacted tribute from Hyder Ali, then at the zenith of his power.

11. The Gurkhas (and according to competent authorities Sarjupari and Gour Brahmans) observe Caste and yet they are considered by many as the finest troops in the British Indian Army.

12. The Japanese are riddled with Caste; specially untouchability, yet they are considered unequalled as fighters.

13. In the second battle of Panipat, the Pathan army put themselves under Himu, a Hindu.

14. In the battle of Plassey, most of the fighting on the Moslem side was done by Mohanlal, a Hindu.

15. The victory of Bahadur Shah over Chitore and similar victories were due to the possession of cannons which were still unknown in India.

16. The powerful Hindu Kingdom of Vijaynagar defied a combination of five Moslem neighbouring States for 2 centuries, and when finally defeated at Talikot, it was the artillery of Ahmadnagar, imported from Turkey which decided the battle.

(To be continued)

Foreigners advocate abolition of the Caste System to break up the Hindu Social structure and with it, the Hindu religion !