B.R. Ambedkar
B.R. Ambedkar is a well known figure in India whose legend can only be compared to M.K.Gandhi but he rarely comes up in Western media. He was a student of American scholar/philospoher John Dewey. Even to this day, no Indian political party(with their eye on vote bank politics) can dare to touch him, though they can dare to criticize Gandhi.
But, he fought with Gandhi big time, leader of the Dalits (Untouchables /Scheduled castes/Harijans as Gandhi called), first law minister(though he is anti-congress), was father of Indian Constitution, considered father of Indian financial system. He is famous(or infamous depending on observer) for reservations for the underprivileged/backward classes in education, govt. jobs and so on. This is very well known part. But, what is NOT widely known is his work on Hinduism. It is mind blowing though it can only produce Shame rather than pride.
In the end, he said 'He was born as Hindu, but will not die as a Hindu' and searched all religions and decided to convert it to Buddhism with his Half million followers in 1956. Here is a short summary of the man
Here is his theory (and others in this line of research) on the origins of Hinduism as I understand it as of now.
This region is never been one united front though there are periods it is united land - Mauryan period 250 BC , Mgohul period (1600 AD) and British period (1900 AD) and after. Ambedkar's books hints at the control mechanism following:
I created a small site to put quotes of books I was reading for further research. One can search and see the actual contents of the themes mentioned above.
B.R. Ambedkar is a well known figure in India whose legend can only be compared to M.K.Gandhi but he rarely comes up in Western media. He was a student of American scholar/philospoher John Dewey. Even to this day, no Indian political party(with their eye on vote bank politics) can dare to touch him, though they can dare to criticize Gandhi.
But, he fought with Gandhi big time, leader of the Dalits (Untouchables /Scheduled castes/Harijans as Gandhi called), first law minister(though he is anti-congress), was father of Indian Constitution, considered father of Indian financial system. He is famous(or infamous depending on observer) for reservations for the underprivileged/backward classes in education, govt. jobs and so on. This is very well known part. But, what is NOT widely known is his work on Hinduism. It is mind blowing though it can only produce Shame rather than pride.
In the end, he said 'He was born as Hindu, but will not die as a Hindu' and searched all religions and decided to convert it to Buddhism with his Half million followers in 1956. Here is a short summary of the man
Dr. B.R Ambedkar: The conscience keeper of modern India
Nation pays homage to Baba Saheb Dr. B. R Ambedkar on his 132th Birth Anniversary. Read here to know more about his life.
www.clearias.com
Here is his theory (and others in this line of research) on the origins of Hinduism as I understand it as of now.
- Varna system is Brahmin's imagination of the cosmic event called Purusha Sukhta mention in Rigveda.( 1500 BC). - from "WHO WERE THE SHUDRAS?: How they came to be the Fourth Varna in the Indo-Aryan Society"
A study of the Chaturvarnya must in its turn start with a study of the ninetieth Hymn of the Tenth Mandala of the Rig Veda— a Hymn, which is known by the famous name of Purusha Sukta.What does the Hymn say? It says[2]:
1. Purusha has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet. On every side enveloping the earth he overpassed (it) by a space of ten fingers.
2. Purusha himself is this whole (universe), Whatever has been and whatever shall be. He is
the Lord of immortality, since (or when) by food he expands.
3. Such is his greatness, and Purusha is superior to this. All existences are a quarter to him; and three-fourths of him are that which is immortal in the sky.
4. With three-quarters, Purusha mounted upwards. A quarter of him was again produced here. He was then diffused everywhere over things which eat and things which do not eat.
5. From him was born Viraj, and from Viraj, Purusha. When born, he extended beyond the earth, both behind and before.
6. When the gods performed a sacrifice with Purusha as the oblation, the spring was its butter, the summer its fuel, and the autumn its (accompanying) offering.
7. This victim, Purusha, born in the beginning, they immolated on the sacrificial grass. With him the gods, the Sadhyas, and the rishis sacrificed.
8. From that universal sacrifice were provided curds and butter. It formed those aerial (creatures) and animals both wild and tame.
9. From that universal sacrifice sprang the rik and saman verses, the metres and the yajus.
10. From it sprang horses, and all animals with two rows of teeth; kine sprang from it; from it goats and sheep.
11. When (the gods) divided Purusha, into how many parts did they cut him up? What was his mouth? What arms (had he)? What (two objects) are said (to have been) his thighs and feet?
12. The Brahmana was his mouth, the Rajanya was made his arms; the being called the Vaishya, he was his thighs; the Shudra sprang from his feet.
13. The moon sprang from his soul (manas), the sun from the eye, Indra and Agni from his mouth and Vayu from his breath.
14. From his navel arose the air, from his head the sky, from his feet the earth, from his ear the (four) quarters; in this manner (the gods) formed the worlds.
15. When the gods, performing sacrifices, bound Purusha as a victim, there were seven sticks (stuck up) for it (around the fire), and thrice seven pieces of fuel were made.
16. With sacrifices the gods performed the sacrifice. These were the earliest rites. These great powers have sought the sky, where are the former Sadhyas, gods.
The Purusha Sukta is a theory of the origin of the Universe. In other words, it is a cosmogony. No nation which has reached an advanced degree of thought has failed to develop some sort of cosmogony. The Egyptians had a cosmogony somewhat analogous with that set out in the Purusha Sukta. According to it[3], it was god Khnumu, ' the shaper,' who shaped living things on the potter's wheel, "created all that is, he formed all that exists, he is the
father of fathers, the mother of mothers... he fashioned men, he made the gods, he was the father from the beginning... he is the creator of the heaven, the earth, the underworld, the water, the mountains... he formed a male and a female of all birds, fishes, wild beasts, cattle and of all worms." A very similar cosmogony is found in Chapter I of the Genesis in the Old Testament. Cosmogonies have never been more than matters of academic interest and have served no other purpose than to satisfy the curiosity of the student and to help to amuse children. This may be true of some parts of the Purusha Sukta. But it certainly cannot be true of the whole of it. That is because all verse of the Purusha Sukta are not of the same importance and do not have the same significance. Verses 11 and 12 fall in one category and the rest of the verses fall in another category. Verses other than II and 12 may be regarded as of academic interest. Nobody relies upon them. No Hindu even remembers them. But it is quite different with regard to verses 11 and 12.
- Initially there is only 3 Varna ( Warrior( Kshatriya), Priest(Brahmin) and Merchant(Vysya or Bania). But the struggle for dominance won by brahmins relegated Warrior class to Shudra's as lowest class. But they are NOT untouchables. It happened during vedic period-( before 500 BC) - written in 'Who were Shudra' book.
- Brahmin rituals during Vedic period demanded sacrifice of something to ward off evil and blessing of gods. It varies from Humans( yes, it is humans), animals and agricultural products. There is insane amount of ritual process in this.
- Buddha was social reformer ( 550 BC- 450 BC) who opposed this brahmin sacrifices that is crippling common man, came up with Buddhism, converted many victims(including brahmins) and it's peak reached Mauryan empire (322 BCE-184BCE) when Emperor Ashoka (272 -232 BC) converted to Buddhism . He called it Revolution in his book "Revolution and Counter Revolution in Ancient India".
- According to D.N. Jha, Counter revolution started after Mauryan empire ( 200 BC)and around this time social hierarchies started popping up (Brahmins at the top) in the form of Manusmriti.
- By Gupta period 300-500 A.D, Hinduism is in serious decline and people are not willing to do costly sacrifices (like cow, bufallo etc.). This is when Brahmin's took 180 turn became Cow worshippers and Vegetarians. As a intellectual class they have influenced on the Gupta Kings to severely punish people who kill cow. The meaning of 'Killing of Cow is equivalent of Brahmin' takes political meaning. Gupta's are only northern part empire. - From "THE UNTOUCHABLES WHO WERE THEY AND WHY THEY BECAME UNTOUCHABLES ?"
- According to Chinese visitors, India is divided into 5 parts at that time ( south, east, west, north, central) and 50 kings ruled these areas. So not all are united empire like in Mauryan empire.
- Brahmanical Hinduism Destroyed all the educational universities of Buddhism and made themselves sole custodians of education.
- Then came, Muhammadans and destroyed any thing and every thing what they called belongs to 'Infidels'. Though M.K.Gandhi tried normalized it with 'Hindus and Musalman as brothers', that animosity never went away and reflected in Hindu, Muslim rivalry( irrespective of residence - Pakistan or India). Ambedkar wrote Chilling account of how Muslim rulers treated Hindu's in the book "Partition of India" arguing for separate Pakistan nation.
This region is never been one united front though there are periods it is united land - Mauryan period 250 BC , Mgohul period (1600 AD) and British period (1900 AD) and after. Ambedkar's books hints at the control mechanism following:
- Before Indo-Aryan entry ( 1200-1700 BC), there are Dravidian kingdoms speaking pre-Tamil languages. But, Brahmanical writers monopolized it with Sanskrit and purged all the traces of it. written in Ancient Indian commerce.
- After Indo-Aryan entry (call it cultural invasion), they forced their Sanskrit on the population, who ever doesn't speak Sanskrit called them Dravidians and they are the people of South India.
- Brahmin used their services (called Upanayana or thread ceremony) as a marker for people's eligibility to the jobs and finance. - Sort of modern day certifications/degrees etc.
- They monopolized who can read Veda's. Only Brahmins can read Veda's, Vaisya's can read it ONLY under the guidance of Brahmin's. Sudra's can't even read. They made insane laws like Sudra's can't accumulate the wealth. Punishments are severe. Worst of all, it is ONLY HEREDITARY. No redemption.
- Slavery does exist different part of world like in Rome and other places, But India is the only place in the world, it is hereditary.
- Though numerous Hindu Kings exist ( 200 BC to 1000 AD), Most of them shuttled between different different religions between Buddhism, Hinduism or Jainism. There is no clear evidence of Brahmanical allegiance during this period. But being intellectuals, every rulers needs them, while others are made to depend on them. Being educated people they can travel different places for employment and influence the politics of that place. Probably like Jews of today.
- How did they influence kings? Well, it is simple. Each king needs publicity that takes format of Vedic or Puranic rituals with all sorts of pomp , sacrifices, chants and so on. They get all sorts of donations for temples, lands to support temples. All sorts of people with all sorts of backgrounds conquered lands though they were NOT Kshatriya ( list is too long). Kings bribe them to branded as Kashitriya race with all the pomp ceremonies. Before 500 BC, these ceremonies includes ritual slaying of 1000's of animals and humans in some cases. In terms, it is like our modern day media.
- According genetic analysis 70 generations passed with endogamy became part of tribal structure , whether one followed Hinduism or Buddhism or Jainism or Islam. It is 1500 years ( 23 years/generation) or 2000 years ( with 29 years). Some how it became of core structure. '70 generations ago, caste stopped people inter-mixing' | India News - Times of India
- The first temples with complex architecture is built by Buddhists ( Ajanta ) not Hindu's. Hindu's later copied it from Buddhists over the ruins of it or materials from it or simply copied some where else.
- Around and Post Gupta period,( 500 BC) Hinduism proponents destroyed Lot of Budhist universities Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha The current Hindu, Muslim shrine destructions only talk about Muslims, but they don't talk about Hindu destruction of Buddhist shrines and ultimate removal of it from India.
I created a small site to put quotes of books I was reading for further research. One can search and see the actual contents of the themes mentioned above.