Tag Caste

Indian tradition states that the intermingling of people from the North and South, separated by the Vindhya Mountains , started taking place during the time when Sage Viswamitra lived.

Sage Viswamitra banished his 56 children to the 'Dravida' ,meaning South of Vindhya Mountains, as they disobeyed him.

They moved to the South, found a culturally rich civilization , married integrated the Veda and Dravidian Customs and formed the Agamas.

Sage Apasthamba compiled the Vedas for those living south of the Vindhyas , comprising the best of both the Cultures and gave the Apasthamba Sutra,.

This is practiced in the South even today.

Recent studies date this period around 4000 years earlier from now.

This roughly corresponds to the beginning of Kali Yuga of Indian calendar.

( According to the Surya Siddhanta, Kali Yuga began at midnight (00:00) on 18 February 3102 BCE in the proleptic Julian calendar, or 14 January 3102 BC)

But the system of caste has been in existence much before the intermingling of people between the South and the North, in the North and South,

Though the names are different , there were marriages between different groups in the south or the Dravida area as well.

People were classified on the basis of the basis of their geographical location in the South.

The Tamil Literature assigns names ,

Kuringi, Hilly Terrain.

Mullai.Forest areas.

Marutham, Arable land mass.

Neydal, Area around the Sea and

Palai, the Desrt area.

The characteristics and specific issues are elaborated in the Tholkappiyam Agathiyam, the ancient works in Tamil.

Each area had its own God's,Profession and social Mores.

Cowherds lived in Mullai,farmers in Marutham, Hunters in Kurinji,Fishermen in Neyadal and Kallars in Palai.

There were injunctions against marrying from different geographical group.

So the Caste system is not because of the mingling from the North.

The Study at best conveys the fact that people from the North started mingling with each other , that's all.

This does not mean that Caste has been imported to South from the North.

This confusion or deliberate misinformation is because of the Myth of Aryan Invasion of the South.

Please read my posts on Aryan Invasion Myths and On Viswamitra.

The name Viswamitra appears in all the Four Yugas, or the Time Scale of the Hindus,

it is difficult to assign a time for him.