भारतीय इतिहास के ६ स्वर्णिम पृष्ठ (वीर सावरकर - विदेशी आक्रान्ताओं पर विजय गाथा)

to different castes (रोटीबंदी), ban on inter-caste marriages (बेटीबंदी), and so on), did never appear to be shackles or fetters to the Hindus of those times, when the Muslims had begun invading India. To them, they were but the charmed amulets or protecting bands! Every caste, whether of the Brahmins or of the sweepers, was immensely proud of its separate entity. 390. These various castes and sub-castes of the Hindus punished even the slightest violation of the caste-laws with social ostracism—even if such a violation of caste-law was voluntary or involuntary, knowingly or unknowingly! 391. Today, we are apt to take this social ostracism quite lightly, but at the time of Muslim aggressions and thereafter, the very mention of such social ostracism would have unfailingly shocked to death every Hindu—whether he was a prince or a pauper—to be cut off from one’s own caste, was to be cut off from the whole world and from life itself. So severe was this punishment of social boycott that the unfortunate person at once lost his parents and brothers, his kith and kin—the people of his own flesh and blood—and was thrown into abysmal gloom. It should be sufficient to say here briefly that this social ostracism was far more dreaded than any physical torture or a heavy fine involving any financial loss or even death. Consequently, the tendency to observe scrupulously, and in strict conformity with the prevalent social practices, the traditional caste-laws, sanctioned by the sacred religious books and the writers of the various Smritis, was ingrained into the very texture of the Hindu society for generations together. 392. Although we can gratefully cite many other things regarding the caste-system that brought about cohesiveness of the diversified Hindu society and had lasting effects on it, it would be equally ungrateful on our part if we desist from criticising with sufficient severity, the unlimited harm done by this caste-system and the irrational and obstinate pride that the Hindus took in it, when the Muslims began to knock at their doors. 393. As a means of beating down the religious aggression of the Muslims, this counter-stroke of the Hindu caste system proved to be most ineffectual and useless like a blunted sword. On the contrary, these very caste-laws and the strict adherence to them brought about a series of disasters on the Hindu religion and the Hindu nation, making the conversion of the millions of Hindus far too easier for the Muslims than can be imagined, while it cannot