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> Can't say I ever ran across that in any serious context It exists. Invaders do not necessarily invent things out of whole cloth. You widen existing fissures

by sieve 1y ago

> Can't say I ever ran across that in any serious context It exists. Invaders do not necessarily invent things out of whole cloth. You widen existing fissures in society in order to control it. The gotra-jaati-varna system has a complex history but the caste system in place for the past century or so in Indian society and politics is a gift of the British. They were the ones who started recording it during the census. A 2011 census found that people claim to belong to 4,673,034 different castes/sub-castes/gotras/clans.[1] Which is absolute insanity. Castes that are considered to be "upper" in one district/state move down the ladder in other districts/states. But all this complexity is thrown out of the window in ideological discussions. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Socio_Economic_and_Caste_Census https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Socio_Economic_and_Caste_...

defrost 1y ago
> It exists. Sure, no disagreement from me on that. Flat Earth, Young Earth, Lysenkoism, Vaccines causing Autism, Alien Lizard People wearing Human Skin, et al are all examples of other beliefs that exist, have had books devoted to them, have true believers, etc. These are also things that I don't come across in serious contexts. > Invaders do not necessarily invent things out of whole cloth. You widen existing fissures in society in order to control it. Sure, something seen in history often enough. This supports the notion of a caste system existing prior to the British. > They were the ones who started recording it during the census. If it didn't exist prior to the British "recording it during census" then what was it they were recording? Something they made up whole that never existed prior? > A 2011 census found that people claim to belong to 4,673,034 different castes/sub-castes/gotras/clans. .. and this was the gift of the British? Sounds more like a home grown Indian expansion.
- netcan 1y ago
  Not like flat earth. Something that would be discussed in academic contexts and the intellectual mainstream. Articles of the last decade or two tend to be weaker in their claim, salvaging parts of the stronger version from the mid-century. The debate has since subsided.

by sieve 1y ago

defrost 1y ago

> It exists. Sure, no disagreement from me on that. Flat Earth, Young Earth, Lysenkoism, Vaccines causing Autism, Alien Lizard People wearing Human Skin, et al are all examples of other beliefs that exist, have had books devoted to them, have true believers, etc. These are also things that I don't come across in serious contexts. > Invaders do not necessarily invent things out of whole cloth. You widen existing fissures in society in order to control it. Sure, something seen in history often enough. This supports the notion of a caste system existing prior to the British. > They were the ones who started recording it during the census. If it didn't exist prior to the British "recording it during census" then what was it they were recording? Something they made up whole that never existed prior? > A 2011 census found that people claim to belong to 4,673,034 different castes/sub-castes/gotras/clans. .. and this was the gift of the British? Sounds more like a home grown Indian expansion.

netcan 1y ago
Not like flat earth. Something that would be discussed in academic contexts and the intellectual mainstream. Articles of the last decade or two tend to be weaker in their claim, salvaging parts of the stronger version from the mid-century. The debate has since subsided.