India and colorism: the finer nuances.

• Published date: 22 December 2015
• Author: Mishra, Neha
• Date: 22 December 2015

ABSTRACT

Most Indians show apparent ignorance about the practice of exclusion and discrimination based on the skin tone of a person although it is a deep-rooted problematic practice embraced by both the oppressor and the victim. This single practice has become so widespread in India, more so in the past four decades, that it has taken shape along the same lines as "colorism " of the Western world. However, the manifestation of the color discrimination in India differs as it hides behind various other variables. (1) The questions that are still unclear and remain unanswered are: Whether colorism was prevalent in ancient India; whether it is prevalent in Indian society now; how and when colorism found its roots in the Indian society; how deeply it influences the mass consciousness; and what are the reasons behind the prejudice and bias toward dark skin?

Since India is a very complex and diversified society, the derivatives that play a role in the discrimination are also as diversified. These derivatives become the "variables" that in turn affect the overall premise that "darker skin color results in discrimination." Caste, class, religion, region, gender and economics are a few of these variables. Through this study I will explore how all of the variables are connected and got connected over the period of time with the skin tone preference.

I. INTRODUCTION

India, (2) among the oldest civilizations of the world, did not discriminate on the basis of color of the skin. Indians, as we know of them today, are a conglomeration of different races (3) and distinct cultures with many similarities that gradually formed a nation-state known as present-day India. (4) Indians have varied degrees of color as well as facial features based on the geographical area to which they belong. For example, Indians from the northernmost region are fair skinned while Indians from the northeastern region are commonly known as having a yellow skin tone and facial features more akin to our Southeast Asian counterparts. Southern Indians, or those from the Dravidian's family tree, mostly have a darker skin tone. These examples show that physical environment has greatly shaped the physical features of Indians. Consequently, there was historically an acceptance of diversity in physical attributes, and beauty was not accorded on the basis of skin color. (5) It is important to understand how and when skin tone or skin color became an important factor for acceptance in Indian society; therefore, a brief understanding of Indian society is vital.

II. ANCIENT INDIA AND COLOR

The broad orderings and the sub-orderings in India seem complex and confusing as classifications are often overlapping: region, religion, caste, sub-caste, Jati, Gotra, Kula, Varna (6) and language. "Any effort to simplify them beyond a point can lead to a distortion of social reality." (7) The earliest classification, as found in Rig Veda, (8) was not based on birth but on the hierarchy that was determined by one's occupation; however, it is certain that at some particular point in history it became birth-based and rigid. Thousands of castes and many times more sub-castes came into existence from the Varna categorization, and the whole system became oppressive. The much cited PurushSukta, (9) in the Rig Veda, which shows one of the earliest classification, explains how the four orders in society originated from the self-sacrifice of Purusha, the primeval being, who destroyed himself so that an appropriate social order could emerge. (10) 'Brahmin: born from the head; Kshatriya from the arms; Vaishya from the thighs and Shudras from the feet'. (11) Division of labor was accordingly done in the society. (12) One mustn't forget that this is a symbolic categorization. The PurushSukta is often misinterpreted to dictate a hierarchy; however, it was actually a metaphorical classification: all four classes existing in the society emerge from the same body and have different but equally important functions in society. Since all the Vedic Hindu texts were in unwritten form for a long time, they transformed gradually in terms of their interpretation as well as misinterpretation to a great extent. (14) Noble occupations were given a higher status and polluting and unclean occupations (15) were given a lower status. Marriages and mixing of the different Vamas was rare and mostly not allowed; however, certain instances show intellectuals from lower strata being accepted as saints and given higher status and acceptance in society. (16) Many saints and highly respected Rishis were children of parents other than those from upper castes. (17) For example, the great writer of Mahabharata, Maharshi Veda Vyas, who was the son of a Rishi and Satyavati (daughter of the fisherman, Dusharaj), belonged to a lower caste but was nonetheless highly respected in society. (18)

Ancient India has not been a homogenous society. Now, if we specifically talk of skin color in the Ancient Indian society, there arc reasons to think that there was difference of color between the Aryans (immigrant noble population) and their enemies (tribal population of the region known as Dasyus and Dasas (not interchangeable)--a term mistakenly treated as equivalent to slaves in Western context). (19) There were constant wars between the two groups over territory; various excerpts in Rig Veda distinguish the two groups on basis of their varied appearance and color:

 Aryans who are called human (manusipraja), worshipping Agni
                 (Goddess of fire) on occasions set fire to settlements of the dark
                 hued people, who deserted their possessions without fighting (20)
                 .... The Aryan deity Soma is described as killing people of black
                 skin, who apparently were Dasyus.... [And] at one place [the god
                 Indra] is credited with the slaughter of fifty thousand 'blacks'
                 (21)
                

The killing or discrimination was not rooted in color, which some scholars mistakenly believe it to be the case rather this was a time of constant wars and conflicts between the invader immigrants and the actual tribal population of the time. (22) These conflicts were over territory control, wealth and cattle rather than color and race difference. (23) There are references describing Aryans, the followers of Indra (who is the king of Deva's), Agni (Goddess of Fire) and Soma had to fight against black people of India: the Dasyus. (24)

It is important to mention here a few examples that show the mention of dark skinned 'heroes'; therefore, one can assume that at the time the color black was acceptable as a skin color of heroes, some of the most powerful gods and goddesses, and beautiful princesses and therefore it is unlikely that people of the time saw being black as a bad thing. Hindu ancient texts show that Krishna was the dark hero of Yadava tribe. Krishna, who is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, has dark skin tone. The word Krishna itself means 'black' in Sanskrit. (25) Similarly, the Rig Veda's hero Trasadasyu, son of Purukutsa, is the dark-complexioned leader of the other dark Dasyus. (26) Rig Veda mentions a black Kanva who is the poet of hymns and Dirghatamas the singer as dark skinned (27) which shows that not all the dark-skinned people were sudras doing menial jobs but that they also were accepted among the educated and intellectuals. Angiras, the author of Rig Veda himself was black. (28) Among the non-aryan people were, Nisadas, a black tribe group considered to be Shudras. They lived in their own villages and had the privilege to perform their own sacrifice in the Vedic way, and so these religious and ritual practices were not just restricted to the Aryans. Hindu deity Lord Ram (also known as purushottam, which means the best among men) is known to be black in color; Draupadi, the strong lead protagonist in Mahabharat- the Hindu epic is described as a black and extremely beautiful woman. (29) Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva is again described as having wheatish complexion and extremely beautiful; Kali- the goddess of power and strength, the name itself means who is black in color; 'Shyamli, meaning 'of dark color' has been used to define beautiful dark color females since olden times. Near around 8 or 9th century, poetess and great intellectual who had outdone great male scholars like Dandi, quotes "I am dark as a neelkamal" i.e. Lord Shiva's color:

"Neelotpaldalshubhram VijjakaMaamjaanata." (30)

All the above examples further the premise that Ancient India didn't discriminate on the basis of color. Presence and acceptance of beauty, valor and status irrespective of the skin color was time and time again established through the ancient texts. Dark color didn't attach a stigma and was used as a describing feature of a population or person, many times as an attribute of beauty itself unlike the modern times.

III. INDIA AND THE EXTERNAL INFLUENCES

A. Muslim Rulers and India

India has seen invasions on its territory from rulers of various parts of the world--Muslim invaders including Mughals, Portuguese, and British. Muslims first came to India as invaders in A.D. 712; however, as traders they started coming to south India much earlier. (31) The Delhi Sultanate was ruled by several Muslim dynasties one after another for approximately three hundred years although the empires extent varied from almost all of India under Alaudin Khilji to a very small area surrounding the state of Delhi under Syeds. (32) India was however treated as a home to Mughals much later and it was only under Akbar that the first conscious efforts were made to unite India. (33) Though we do not find any description of prejudice by the ruling class based on skin color tone, one should keep in mind that Arab and Muslim invaders, including the Mughals, came from the Arabic and Persian Belt and had a fairer skin tone than the majority of the local Indian population. (34)

B. British and the Indian Slave

Again, subsequent to the Mughal Empire, India came to become a colony of the...