CAST

CAST or Caste, in speaking of the eastern affairs, denotes a tribe, or number of families, of the same rank or profession. The division of a nation into casts chiefly obtains in the dominions of the Great Mogul, kingdom of Bengal, island of Ceylon, and the great peninsula opposite thereto. In each of these there are, according to Father Martin, four principal casts, viz. the cast of the bramins, which is the first and most noble; the cast of the rajahs, or princes, who pretend to be descended from divers royal families; the cast of the choutres, which comprehends all the artificers; and that of the parias, the lowest and most contemptible of all; though Henry Lord, it must be observed, divides the Indians about Surat into four casts, somewhat differently from Martin, viz. into bramins, or priests; cuttery, or soldiers; shuddery, which we call banians, or merchants; and wyse, the mechanics or artificers. Every art and trade is confined to its proper cast, nor is allowed to be exercised by any but those whose fathers professed the same. So that a tailor's son can never rise to be a painter, nor a painter's son fall to be a tailor; though there are some employments that are proper to all the casts, e. g. every body may be a soldier or a merchant. There are also divers casts which are allowed to till the ground, but not all. The cast of parias is held infamous, insomuch that it is a disgrace to have any dealings or conversation with them; and there are some trades in the cast of choutres, which debase their professors almost to the same rank. Thus shoemakers, and all artificers in leather, as also fishermen, and even shepherds, are reputed no better than parias. See CASTE, SUPPLEMENT.