Bogus Claims, Bogus Caste: Marriage Infested by Caste in Kashmir 

By Aamina Hamid 

Why are marriages on an unhealthy pause and delay in Kashmir? Are there reasons that cannot be helped or is our ignorance the elephant in the room? Why can’t people marry within other castes if they really want to? Why does marrying into ‘lower’ castes feel worse than death itself for the ‘higher’ castes? Why is Kashmir enveloped by buzzing utterings like “Aes roazov ne kaensi buth haavnas layakh” “Lukh kya vanan” “Aes chhu panun aezzat”. Why are we enslaved by a hollow system running on bolstered arrogance and ego, both of which are the mites that eat away at the moral fabric of society through manifestations of superiority as prejudice and discrimination? Allah says in the Quran: “It will be said to them, “Enter the gates of Hell, to stay there forever.” What an evil home for the arrogant!”

In Kashmir, like in many other societies, there is a complex system of social hierarchy among Muslims. In theory, Islam opposes caste barriers, emphasizing equality among all people. An individual’s status should be determined by piety and virtuous qualities, not descent or heredity. However, in practice, the Muslim community in Kashmir, like in other parts of India, remains divided and influenced by caste distinctions. Certain castes are considered superior, while others are viewed as inferior. Many Kashmiri youth are unmarried when their biologically, socially and preferentially sound age has passed, and all this due to a construct which is basically just a rotten carcass. People cannot marry exercising their free will but have to go down the predetermined (by ignorance and arrogance, of course) path of separation. This almost-blasphemous sense of superiority stems from pride which is strongly denounced in Islam. The Hadith narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullah b. Mas’ud that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed: “…none shall enter Paradise who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride.”(Sahih Muslim) is enough for us to introspect and retrospect. When Islam doesn’t condone pride, how can we even claim to be God-fearing and abiding Muslims when we have so much pride and prejudice in our hearts?

In the past, groups like Syeds, Peers, and Ulemas held significant influence due to their lineage tracing back to Prophet Muhammad and their religious knowledge, while others like the Wattals, Wagays, and Dums are at the lower rungs because of their occupation and perceived ignorance. However, modernisation, education, secularisation, and economic progress have challenged their monopoly. People now follow them partially, as others have gained better religious knowledge. Additionally, interaction and economic prosperity have reduced the distance between upper and lower castes, although some caste-based distinctions persist, particularly in marriage customs. The sole instance where lineage distinctions remain relevant is during the arrangement of marriages for their children. Specifically, Syeds prefer not to form marital connections with individuals from lower castes. There were no reported marriages between high-caste boys and girls with counterparts from lower castes according to a study.

In fact, research suggests that one of the potential causes behind marriage delay in the context of Kashmir is the caste and family background the families resort to extremes that are they either do not compromise a bit over caste and family match or they do a huge compromise by joining the poles apart in terms of the caste and family atmosphere (Ifraat o Tafreet).

Socio-cultural factors such as caste, socio-economic status, and communal homogeneity are so deeply ingrained that some individuals in Kashmiri culture opt for remaining single instead of pursuing inter-caste marriages. In this particular context, Kashmiri culture diverges from religious and ethical guidelines regarding marriage and marital customs. Caste inherently represents a hierarchical system of graded inequality, wherein individuals within the hierarchy are both subject to oppression from those above them and may perpetrate oppression upon those below them. 

The practice of caste as a determinant in marriage alliances in India dates back 1900 years, coinciding with the cessation of intermarriage between individuals from North and South India. In light of these findings, a study conducted by the Department of Sociology at the University of Kashmir reveals that 55% of the valley’s population remains unmarried, with caste-based discrimination emerging as a primary factor contributing to this phenomenon.

So many Kashmiris remain unmarried beyond the appropriate age due to their inability to find a ‘suitable match’ within their caste. The prevalence of endogamy, the practice of marrying within specific social, religious, caste, or ethnic groups, is widespread among Muslim societies. This practice not only results in delayed marriages but also fosters sentiments of animosity, disdain, oppression, psychological distress, remorse, substance abuse, post-marital discord, and strained relationships. Allah says, in the Quran, “O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may get to know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you…”. This verse emphasizes that Allah has directed His message to all of humanity to discourage biases stemming from factors such as race, skin colour, language, place of origin, or nationality. Hence, in Islam, discrimination based on caste is strictly prohibited. A person’s worthiness is determined by their moral character, regardless of their race, nationality, or caste. Those who lack such moral character are invariably considered inferior, irrespective of whether they are black or white, Syed or Andrabi, Rather or Ganie. All individuals are equal in the eyes of Allah. In general matters and especially in the matters of marriage, we need to be humble and think of everyone as well as ourselves as servants of God with no ranks or entitlements. The Quran says, “The true servants of the Most Compassionate are those who walk on the earth humbly…”

The truth of the caste system is that it is a bogus socio-economic construct whether we are talking about caste in the generic Indian or in the specific, local context of Kashmir. It is an organised system, perpetuated skilfully by the influential groups to define their identity through the way of power. 

Narendra Jadhav’s article rings a bell here in which he says, “I sincerely believe that the caste system in India is the most brilliantly administered scam in the history of human society. It is so intricate and well-designed that it has continued for ages.” 

The various castes of Kashmir are mere scams and social constructs because the caste system in Kashmir is not mentioned in any ancient Kashmiri texts. The earliest mention of the caste system in Kashmir is found in the writings of Persian and European travellers from the 16th and 17th centuries. This suggests that the system was not indigenous to Kashmir, but was introduced by outsiders. Furthermore, the caste system in Kashmir is not based on any religious doctrine. The Hindu concept of varna, which is the basis of the caste system in other parts of India, is not relevant to Kashmir. 

Attempting to integrate caste into existing institutional frameworks could be misleading because caste is a complex and ambiguous institution. This ambiguity is reinforced by its deep connection to sacred beliefs and experiences, resulting in strong emotional reactions when it is violated. Consequently, it diminishes agency for some individuals while empowering others.

The explicit rejection of the popular notion of “essentialism,” which ascribes unchangeable identities to social groups like race, gender, or caste, and perpetuates enduring power imbalances among these groups has been reiterated by many scholars. For example, essentialism portrays ‘lower’ castes as ‘inferior’ and ‘uncivilised’ due to their  ‘inherent inferiority’ or ‘impurity’, reinforcing the idea that the ‘higher’ castes are inherently ‘pure and scholarly.’ While categorising caste as an institution, they consider it a “guarded institution,” one that is morally accepted and inviolable, with its practices vigorously defended by influential elites. These practices include perpetuating caste through discreet means, such as arranged endogamous marriages, using caste-specific last names, and embedding caste distinctions in everyday interactions like touch, gaze, voice, and silence. This is exactly how the ‘higher’ castes like how the Syeds and Peers in Kashmir have been propagating their ideology as a sanctified, inviolable, rather ‘untouchable’ caste system.

Caste’s influence extends beyond individual perspectives, sometimes arising from market relationships or becoming embedded in other systems of interaction. It’s the adaptability of caste, rather than the perpetuation of a specific cultural or social institution, that explains its lasting presence. What distinguishes individuals from privileged castes from those in lower castes is the opportunity for the former group to experience the relative insignificance of caste in their lives. They can leverage their accumulated caste privilege to access resources without their caste being a defining factor. In contrast, the lower castes carry an inescapable caste identity that overshadows all other aspects of their identity, making them highly visible in their claims for justice.

Rightfully, we only have one criterion for choosing a spouse, and that is the attribute of religiousness in a person. It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that: the Prophet said: “A woman may be married for four things: Her wealth, her lineage, her beauty or for her religion. Choose the religious, may your hands be rubbed with dust (i.e., may you prosper).” (Sunan Ibn Majah). We should not condemn intercaste marriages as there are no Islamic rulings to condemn them. Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz said, “What every Muslim must do is not accept customs blindly, rather he should measure them against shari’ah…Whatever Allah and His Messenger have permitted is permissible, and whatever Allaah has forbidden must be abandoned, even if it is the people’s custom.”

If two people consensually want to marry and are religiously upright, there can be no valid reason, whether personal or societal, for their guardians to disallow the marriage. The best step for such folks would be to marry straightaway! This claim can be substantiated by a narration from Ibn Abbas that: the Messenger of Allah said: “There is nothing like marriage, for two who love one another.”(Sunan Ibn Majah). 

Now that caste has been deconstructed into just the ruins of an exploitative skit, we come back to ask the question with even more anger and bitterness— What right does this shallow system have to deny people their will to choose their partners for their personal life, and their happiness? In this day and age, with all the resources of knowledge on religion, justice, equality and ethics— deen and dunya at our fingertips, we cannot afford to be as ignorant and regressive as our ancestors who lived in the darkness of oblivion. We need to see the truth behind the constructed and brilliantly orchestrated caste system, deemed falsely as a cultural asset, which it most definitely is not. In fact, in following and propagating it, we are going against the basic principles of humaneness and even our respected religion. It’s high time we let go of the suspension of disbelief, tear the fourth wall down, see things for what they are and refuse to be strangled by hollow shackles. We need to become responsible for all the knowledge we have been using recklessly as power till now. It is impertinent that we preach the right things first and foremost, then practice what we preach to its core, with honour and perseverance. 

Views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer 

• The author is a published writer, student of literature and is currently an intern with Kashmir Observe

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