Caste System in Islam

By Colonel Krityanand Das

Islam claims to be an egalitarian group and therefore denies any thing like caste system. Caste system has its exclusive presence in the Indian Subcontinent and is generally believed to be a thing Subcontinental. Even partition of the country and creation of an Islamic Pakistan could not part
with the non Islamic caste system.

Some sort of social divisions exist in every human group based on socio economic conditions, professions , tribal peculiarities, racial features and colour of skin.
As Islam evolved in Arabia , the Arabs retained upper hand and set clear distinction between Arab and non Arabs. Mawali, a derogatory epithet was used for non Arab converts. Persian were called Ajam that is dum as their language was soft vis a vis Arabic which is very guttural. Within Arabs, the descendents of the holy Prophet were called Ahl al bayt, that is the people from the house of the holy Prophet , who added Saiyyad to their names and have exclusive prevelege to wear black turban.
The early converts prided themselves by calling themselves Khadim al Islam vis a vis recent convert, Jadim al Islam. People of African descent who were brought as slave and are still in lower economic state, are treated in same way as were the lower castes in the subcontinent in the past.
In Yemen it is most pronounced and practiced, they are called Akhadam.
In subcontinent local converts took caste with them, upper castes converts wore it on their sleeves and prided their caste even as Muslim and on lower caste converts it remained like spots on the leopard skin, however they must have wished that it went away with conversion!
In subcontinent caste is very much there in Islam live and kicking. Like Hindus it is divided into two classes Uchijat and Nichijat, that is upper castes and lower castes. Hindus have the Dwij, that is Brahmin, Kshtriyas and the Vaishyas.Only these three Varnas have the exclusive prevelege of Yagyopawit and are initiated into the religion. Shudras and women of all varnas donot have the prevelege of going through the ceremony of Yagyopawit. May be technically Shudras and women of all varnas are non Hindus !

Similarly the Muslims have their Asharafs, consisting of Saiyyads, the descendents of the holy prophet, Saikh non Saiyyad Arabs , Iranians,Turks and upper caste Hindu converts, Pathans and various business communities. Then as Hindus have Shudra, consisting the lower castes OBC, SC and ST.The Shudra converts are called Pasmanda consisting of Ajlaf, the OBC equivalent and Arzal, the SC,ST equivalent.
Muslim of foreign ancestry were preferred over the local converts in higher government jobs in both Sultanate and Mughal administration. As higher beaurocracy was exclusively filled by persons of foreign descents, scholars considered Muslim rule in India to be a foreign rule and not an Indian rule. As was that of the British.
Both groups that is Asharaf and Pasmanda do not enter marry. And are endogamous like the other castes in Hindus.Both have separate grave yards.Though unlike Hindus enter dinning is not banned as such by scriptures but is best avoided.
The socio – economic conditions of Pasmanda Muslmans are bad and it is far below the OBC,SC ,ST. Things have greatly changed for the OBC, SC and ST after independence. OBC stock enjoys political power in almost every state and region in the country.
Even SC community has been CM in a large state like UP.
Only in two states, West Bengal and Orrisa, the upper castes have been the chief ministers almost uninterrupted. In Bengal the Bhadralok dominates the government. And in Bengal lower caste Hindu refugees were prevented from settling in Kolkata and were generally pushed out to areas like Dandakaranya.
BJP is taking lot of interest in Matua community so as to gain some foot hold in Bengal.
Similarly, BJP has gained some foothold amongst the Pasmandas. Mr Modi has often spoken about the plight of the Pasmandas and urgent need of the upliftment of this community and BJP cadres have been told to work among them.
Exclusive hold of Asharafia elites both in religious, political and socio economic affairs still remains rocksolid and this has made Pasmandas, the prisoners of both faith and fate! That make them a solid vote bank and non BJP political parties or the so called secular political parties use it by little investments into Asharafia elites. Some dents have been made now by BJP on Asharafia hold on the Pasmanda community.
Pasamanda community had by and large not supported the partition movement led by the Asharafias.
Caste in subcontinent is like leopard spots.It does not change, even with change of religion. There are caste based mosques, churches and gurudras and grave yards.
ln Pakistan caste vanity is so valued that SC community is not permitted to convert to Islam. In case they did that then if they came to a common Mosque for prayer, earlier than the upper castes then their being in front rows would be too much to bear for the Asharafia elites!
Caste follows you in the Subcontinent in this life and the other as well!