THE CASTES

The Hindu caste system as it is found today in Bali was not firmly implanted until after the conquest by the famous Gadja Mada. Then Hindu-Javanese rule was definitely established and the island was divided into vassal territories paying tribute to the local princes that were given control. The natives lived under a class system of their own long before that time, however. They had their ranks, with a sort of aristocracy that combined government and priesthood.

Hindu-Javanese penetration did not reach many of the remote mountain communities, which remai- ned outside the feudal territories. There, even today, live the conservative old-fashioned Balinese entrenched against the landlords, regarding them as in truders. In these villages the Hindu castes are not recognized the descendants of the primitive aristocracy proudly retain their titles and their authority.

At the top of the long list of native ranks are the pasek and the bandesa, theheads of the two central institutions of the old-style community: the temple of " origin," and the assembly hall, ritually belonging to the “ right “ and “ left ”. I was told that a girl of these castes who marries a man of the Hindu aristocracy is publicly renounced by her family and spritually " thrown out " of the village. Also held in respect are blacksmiths, a caste in themselves, pande, the ancient firepriests who made the magic krisses, symbol of the family's virility Even Brahmanas, highest among all classes, must use the high language when addressing a pande who has his tools in his hands.

In the tributary districts the natives co-ordinated their castes whith those of the new nobility, in a great scale of ranks that have now become so muddled through intermarriage that they appear confused even to the Balinese themselves. The original castes still remain as subdivisions of the fourth and lowest of the Hindu castes, the Sudras, who constitute about ninety-three per cent of the population of Bali.

The Hindu-Balinese nobility is divided into the three wellknown groups: the priests, Brahmanas (Brahmins of India) ; the ruling royalty, Satrias (Ksatriyas) ; and the military class, Wesias (Vesiya) . They are supposed to originate directly from the gods.

links [ 1 ] - [ 2 ] - [ 3 ] - [ 4 ] - [ 5 ]