Hindu society is a myth and only a collection of self-segregating castes

Evidence

The first and foremost thing that must be recognised is that Hindu society is a myth. The name Hindu is itself a foreign name. It was given by the Mahomedans to the natives for the purpose of distinguishing themselves. It does not occur in any Sanskrit work prior to the Mahomedan invasion. They did not feel the necessity of a common name, because they had no conception of their having constituted a community. Hindu society as such does not exist. It is only a collection of castes. Each caste is conscious of its existence. Its survival is the be-all and end-all of its existence. Castes do not even form a federation. A caste has no feeling that it is affiliated to other castes, except when there is a Hindu–Moslem riot. On all other occasions each caste endeavours to segregate itself and to distinguish itself from other castes. — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 872

Categorization

Category: Contrarian or Surprising Claims

Related

• Hindu society is a fiction; only discrete castes actually exist (similarity 0.96)
• Hindu identity was externally imposed and people self-identified by caste. (similarity 0.86)
• Hinduism’s pervasiveness makes renouncing caste seem impracticable to many (similarity 0.83)
• The label ‘Hindu’ is a foreign name, not a self-description. (similarity 0.82)
• Hindus form warring self-interested caste groups rather than an integrated society. (similarity 0.82)
• Non-Hindu castes are counterbalanced by integrative ties absent among Hindus. (similarity 0.82)
• Gandhi’s varna doctrine collapses into caste despite his claims (similarity 0.78)
• Caste differs from mere grouping by religious sacralization of exclusiveness (similarity 0.78)
• Hindu as political identity was forged from demographic panic, not religion (similarity 0.78)
• Hindus lack shared consciousness of kind, only caste consciousness (similarity 0.78)