Brahmins universally break caste rules yet uphold caste doctrine to protect class power

Evidence

Almost every Brahmin has transgressed the rule of caste. The number of Brahmins who sell shoes is far greater than those who practise priesthood. Not only have the Brahmins given up their ancestral calling of priesthood for trading, but they have entered trades which are prohibited to them by the shastras. Yet how many Brahmins who break caste every day will preach against caste and against the shastras? … For one honest Brahmin preaching against caste and shastras because his practical instinct and moral conscience cannot support a conviction in them, there are hundreds who break caste and trample upon the shastras every day, but who are the most fanatic upholders of the theory of caste and the sanctity of the shastras. Why this duplicity? Because they feel that if the masses are emancipated from the yoke of caste, they would be a menace to the power and prestige of the Brahmins as a class. — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 1272

Categorization

Category: Causal Relationships

• XREF: Dovetails with Veblen’s leisure-class theory of ideology serving material interests, and with Marx’s ruling ideas argument.
• CANDY: The image of shoe-selling Brahmins as a caste in name only is a vivid, startling tidbit.

Related

• Brahmins routinely broke caste rules yet fiercely defended caste ideology to preserve class power (similarity 0.96)
• Brahmins uphold caste theory while breaking its rules to protect class power (similarity 0.86)
• Brahmins will never lead a movement that dissolves their own caste power (similarity 0.85)
• Breaking caste destroys Brahmin power, so Brahmins cannot lead the movement. (similarity 0.84)
• Caste abolition would destroy Brahmin privilege, so no Brahmin will lead it (similarity 0.82)
• Abolishing caste requires destroying the sacred authority of shastras (similarity 0.82)
• Killing Brahminism is the path to killing caste and saving Hinduism. (similarity 0.81)
• Only destroying shastra-based religion can break the caste system. (similarity 0.80)
• Caste oppression is policed horizontally, by each oppressed group against those below (similarity 0.80)
• Born Brahmins cannot be expected to lead anti-caste revolution. (similarity 0.80)
• Caste is nearly indestructible because its religious foundation excludes reason and morality (similarity 0.80)
• Destroying caste means destroying shastra and Veda authority, a near-impossible task. (similarity 0.79)
• Caste restricts Hindu moral concern to fellow caste members rather than humanity (similarity 0.79)
• Hindus form warring self-interested caste groups rather than an integrated society. (similarity 0.79)
• Priesthood reform is the lever to abolish caste by killing Brahminism. (similarity 0.79)