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Page17
The
Mistakes of the Brahmins
Brahmins have been guilty of various wrong actions, as have all
classes and groups in India. This occurred mainly when Brahmins
failed to act like true Brahmins, that is as selfless teachers, but
instead took to worldly goals. But actual instances of Brahmins
perpetrating violence against other groups were very rare. Most of
the higher caste-lower caste violence in India does not involve
Brahmins but other wealthier caste groups.
No history exists of the kind of massacres of people done by
Brahmins as done by Muslim armies, who killed Hindus in the tens of
thousands (including many Brahmins), or the kind of economic
exploitation as perpetrated by the British, who drained the wealth
of the subcontinent. No such religious intimidation exists by
Brahmins as the Muslims and Christians implemented in India in their
attempts to force conversion of Hindus.
Yet ironically modern Hindus are not looking at the damaged
caused by centuries of foreign rule for keeping the country down but
to the Brahmins who preserved the traditional culture of India
through the long period of foreign exploitation.
What then should the Brahmins be blamed for? Mainly they have hurt
the pride of other people. Brahmins have not so much had the power
as the pride in India and have looked upon themselves as spiritually
superior to other groups, looking down even upon the Muslim and
British rulers of the country in the periods of foreign rule.
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