The Essence and Reality of the Caste System

Abstract

Editorial Note: We give here a translation of the Introduction of an old but valuable, and much neglected study of caste,1 which is further discussed on p. 31 sq. Although we were bound to render the text as accurately as possible, we do not comment upon each point of detail or every minor inaccuracy. The reader is invited to turn his attention rather to our author's approach. It is this which prompted us to give here an English version of the following text.