Varṇa’dan Hiyerarşi’ye: Modern Dünya Düzeninde Dalitler

Year 2025, Issue: 69, 141 - 176, 31.12.2025

Arzu Yıldız Aydın

https://doi.org/10.15745/da.1769647

Abstract

Sınıflı toplum anlayışının günümüzde en yoğun ve canlı sayılabilecek örneğini bulabileceğimiz Hindu toplumunun alt tabakasını, hatta dışlanmış ve tamamen dışarıda kabul edilenlerini oluşturan dalitler, tarihsel süreçte her daim ezilen ve yok sayılan bir toplumsal kesimi oluşturmuştur. Toplumda “dalit”, “dokunulmaz”, “parya” gibi çeşitli adlarla anılan bu grup, özellikle modern Hindistan’da tarihsel olarak maruz kaldığı dışlanmışlıktan sıyrılmak ve toplumsal eşitliğe ulaşmak amacıyla yoğun bir mücadele yürütmektedir. Sosyal görünürlüklerinin uzun süre inkâr edilmesinin ardından dalitler bugün belirli anayasal ve yasal haklara sahip olmuş olsalar da doğumla belirlenen kast temelli ayrımcılığın kalıntıları, onları hâlâ toplumsal, ekonomik ve kültürel alanlarda sınırlamaya devam etmektedir. Bu bağlamda, Hinduizm’in temel sosyal düzenleyicilerinden biri olan varṇa/kast sisteminin yalnızca tarihsel kökenleri değil, günümüz dünyasındaki geçerliliği, meşruiyeti ve dönüşüm süreci de yeniden ele alınması gereken önemli bir mesele olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Dalitler, sadece dini ritüel temelli sınırlamalarla değil, toplumsal hayatın hemen her alanında yapısal engellemelerle karşı karşıya kalmışlardır. Dalitler eğitim, istihdam, ikamet ve sosyal ilişki kurma gibi temel hak ve fırsatlara erişim konusunda ciddi kısıtlamalara maruz bırakılmış, çoğu zaman fiziksel olarak da toplumun ve yerleşim alanlarının dışına itilmişlerdir. Bu çok katmanlı dışlanmanın en ağır sonuçları ise dalit kadınlar üzerinde görülmektedir. Zira Hindu geleneksel yapısında kadın zaten ikincil bir konumda yer alırken, dalit kimliğiyle birleştiğinde bu durum çok daha derin bir marjinalleşmeye yol açmaktadır. Dalit kadınlar hem kast hem de cinsiyet temelli ayrımcılığın kesişiminde yer alarak “en alt sınıfın en altı” olarak konumlandırılmakta ve bu nedenle hem kendi toplulukları içinde hem de genel toplumda çok yönlü baskılara maruz kalmaktadır.
Bu çalışma, Hinduizm'in temel inanç sistemlerinden biri olan varṇa kavramının, sadece dini bir prensip olmanın ötesine geçerek Hint toplumunun sosyal yapısını nasıl biçimlendirdiğini, zamanla bu yapının kalıcı bir toplumsal hiyerarşiye nasıl dönüştüğünü analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Özellikle dalitlerin bu yapı içerisindeki tarihsel konumu ve modern dönemdeki toplumsal gerçekliği, çalışmanın odak noktasını oluşturmaktadır. Araştırma, tarihsel-kronolojik yöntem kullanılarak Hint alt kıtasında kast sisteminin gelişim sürecini genel bir çerçevede ortaya koymayı hedeflemektedir. Dinler Tarihine özgü deskriptif ve karşılaştırmalı analiz yöntemleriyle, dalitlerin Hinduizm bağlamında nasıl konumlandırıldıkları değerlendirilecektir. Bu veriler üzerinden dini yapıların modern toplumdaki etkileri ve geçirdikleri dönüşüm, Hindistan örneği üzerinden irdelenecektir. Dalitlerin konumu, Hindu dini inanç sistemlerinin sadece metafizik alanla sınırlı kalmadığını; aksine toplumsal düzenin inşasında da belirleyici rol oynadığını göstermesi bakımından oldukça dikkat çekici bir örnektir. Bu bağlamda çalışma, dini doktrinlerin gündelik hayat üzerindeki etkilerini anlamaya yönelik katkı sunmayı hedeflemekte, sosyal bilimler ve özellikle Dinler Tarihi disiplini açısından gelecekte yapılacak araştırmalara kaynaklık edecek nitelikte bir çerçeve oluşturmayı amaçlamaktadır.

Keywords

Dinler Tarihi , Hinduizm , Hindistan , Varṇa , Dalit , Hiyerarşi , Kast

From Varṇa to Hierarchy: Dalits in the Modern World Order

Abstract

Dalits, who constitute the lower stratum of Hindu society—the marginalized and considered completely outsiders—are the most intense and vivid example of class-based society today. Throughout history, they have consistently been oppressed and ignored. This group, known variously as "dalit," "untouchable," and "pariah," is engaged in an intense struggle, particularly in modern India, to break free from the exclusion they have historically suffered and achieve social equality. Although dalits today have certain constitutional and legal rights after long denial of their social visibility, vestiges of caste-based discrimination determined by birth still continue to confine them in social, economic and cultural spheres. In this context, not only the historical origins of the varṇa/caste system, but also its validity, legitimacy, and transformation in the contemporary world emerge as a crucial issue requiring reconsideration. Dalits have faced not only restrictions based on religious rituals but also structural obstacles in virtually every aspect of social life. Dalits have been subjected to severe restrictions on access to basic rights and opportunities such as education, employment, residence, and social interaction, and have often been physically marginalized from society and residential areas. The most severe consequences of this multilayered exclusion are seen on Dalit women. While women are already held in a secondary position within the Hindu traditional structure, this, coupled with Dalit identity, leads to even deeper marginalization. Dalit women are positioned as the "lowest of the low," at the intersection of both caste and gender-based discrimination, are therefore subjected to multiple oppressions both within their own communities and in society at large.
This study aims to analyze how the concept of varṇa transcends its role as a mere religious principle and shapes the social structure of Indian society, ultimately transforming this structure into a permanent social hierarchy. The study focuses specifically on the historical position of Dalits within this structure and their social reality in the modern era. Using a historical-chronological approach, the research aims to provide a general framework for the development of the caste system in the Indian subcontinent. Furthermore, using descriptive and comparative analysis methods specific to the History of Religions, the positioning of Dalits within the context of Hinduism will be evaluated. Using this data, the impact of religious structures on modern society and their transformation will be examined through the example of India. The position of Dalits is a striking example, demonstrating that Hindu religious belief systems are not limited to the metaphysical realm but, on the contrary, play a decisive role in the construction of social order. In this context, the study aims to contribute to understanding the effects of religious doctrines on daily life and aims to create a framework that will serve as a resource for future research in social sciences and especially in the discipline of History of Religions.

Keywords

History of Religions , Hinduism , India , Varṇa , Dalit , Hierarchy , Caste.

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