"It is a fact that the word for the ancient Hindu caste system is *varna,* which literally means 'color.'"
Yes, the caste system is arguably the only other major example of this silliness. It's an interesting point of comparison. But it was also quite different to our concepts of "race" today.
"It is a fact that the word for the ancient Hindu caste system is *varna,* which literally means 'color.'"
Yes, the caste system is arguably the only other major example of this silliness. It's an interesting point of comparison. But it was also quite different to our concepts of "race" today.
"Varna," topically enough for modern conversations about race, meant class, tribe, type, *or* colour (https://www.shabdkosh.com/dictionary/hindi-english/वर्ण/वर्ण-meaning-in-english). To say that it simply means "colour" is to misrepresent the nuance in that concept. While we don't do so explicitly, many people subconsciously treat skin colour the same way today.
Just as colour was a proxy for "local"/"foreigner" in the example above, it was a proxy for class in the caste system. The people who worked in the sun all day obviously ended up with darker skin, and nobles lightened their skin and avoided exposing it to the sun to maintain their differentiation. It's similar to the way some cultures view being fat as a sign of high social status.
Also, the caste system as many know it today was an invention of British colonialism that mimicked the strictly enforced class systems of 19th Century England. Originally caste was built around tribalism and later social role. But it wasn't until after the British arrived in India that the modern conception of a "racial" caste system came about.
The British didn't invent skin colour discrimination per se, but they pretty much did invent "racial" discrimination. The article I linked by Robert Baird goes into the topic in detail.
"It is a fact that the word for the ancient Hindu caste system is *varna,* which literally means 'color.'"
Yes, the caste system is arguably the only other major example of this silliness. It's an interesting point of comparison. But it was also quite different to our concepts of "race" today.
"Varna," topically enough for modern conversations about race, meant class, tribe, type, *or* colour (https://www.shabdkosh.com/dictionary/hindi-english/वर्ण/वर्ण-meaning-in-english). To say that it simply means "colour" is to misrepresent the nuance in that concept. While we don't do so explicitly, many people subconsciously treat skin colour the same way today.
Just as colour was a proxy for "local"/"foreigner" in the example above, it was a proxy for class in the caste system. The people who worked in the sun all day obviously ended up with darker skin, and nobles lightened their skin and avoided exposing it to the sun to maintain their differentiation. It's similar to the way some cultures view being fat as a sign of high social status.
Also, the caste system as many know it today was an invention of British colonialism that mimicked the strictly enforced class systems of 19th Century England. Originally caste was built around tribalism and later social role. But it wasn't until after the British arrived in India that the modern conception of a "racial" caste system came about.
The British didn't invent skin colour discrimination per se, but they pretty much did invent "racial" discrimination. The article I linked by Robert Baird goes into the topic in detail.