A Balinese lives in a complex social web. His first bond is determined
by his descent group (wangsa) and caste (kasta); his second,
more democratically, by his village, clan, and banjar. Before Indonesia
gained independence a third bond tied the citizen to a leige lord or prince.
On Bali today, it is politically correct to observe that only vestiges
of the caste system remain, but anyone who lives in a village for a few
weeks will learn that caste is still deeply ingrained in the social fabric.
The Javanese introduced the caste system
when they established themselves in Bali in A.D. 1343, creating a colony
for the Majapahit classes. With its ancestor worship, vassal princes, and
deified warrior kings, this social institution has its roots in a Hindu
origin myth developed in India more than 4,000 years ago in which Brahman
(god) was sacrificed and cut apart to create all things in the universe.
In the Hindu Rig Veda, the world's oldest liturgical text, god's mouth
becomes the Brahman class, his arms the Ksatriya class, his thighs the
Wesya class, and his feet the Sudra class. Just as a person needs his head,
arms, thighs, and feet, so does society need all four constituent parts
to function.
This Vedic myth justified a strict feudal
division of society, but because Bali developed in near isolation from
the rest of the Hindu world, the social stratification dictated by the
caste system is more relaxed and irregular on the island than in India.
As in India, however, the forefathers of
Bali's nobility were considered to possess supernatural powers, granted
legitimacy and state sanction by the great priests of the day. These men
were sticklers for protocol and their edicts carried the full weight of
the law.
In the late 16th century, Javanese nobles
systematically established kingdoms over the whole island, eventually culminating
in Bali's eight rajadoms. Descendents of these nobles today go by the name
Gusti and Ngurah, and still hold positions of great power and wealth, though
hereditary rule is technically banned in Indonesia.
Concept and Function of Caste
Each Balinese Hindu strives to achieve liberation, the union of the soul
(atman) with Brahman or god. Through actions and thoughts (dharma),
the Balinese continue to incarnate until the soul is pure enough to fuse
with Brahman. It's the duty of each caste to help the other castes.
Each Balinese knows his or her place and
is quite willing to work within it. Duty transcends self and must be obeyed
without regard to personal wishes or desires. Each caste must follow its
own elaborate set of rules, and each member knows how to behave under almost
any set of circumstances.
Caste is not based on occupation or profession,
but on birth. But because one was born into a certain caste does not necessarily
have the aptitudes, temperament, and skills typical of that caste. A Ksatriya
does not cease being a Ksatriya just because s/he does not do the work
of a Ksatriya. And if a Brahmana does not work as a priest or a teacher,
it doesn't mean s/he is not accorded the esteem due a Brahmin.
Caste also means little in terms of wealth
or community power. There is in fact a growing gap between status title
and such economic indices as wealth and job. Brahmana and Ksatriyas work
as tourist guides, room boys, bartenders, even bemo drivers, while
Sudras attain high government posts and Wesya run restaurants and hotels.
Triwangsa
Meaning "Three Peoples." This is the gentry class of Bali, the
highest three societal stratifications of traditional Hinduism: the Brahman,
Ksatriya, and Wesya castes. These privileged classes, constituting perhaps
10% of the population, are held in great respect. Observing subtle differences
in titles and a complex system of etiquette, Triwangsa are addressed in
a more refined language than that used in everyday speech. Formerly Triwangsa
lived in or near the puri.
The Dutch persuaded these three upper classes
to assist them in ruling Bali, but by the early 20th century most had lost
their power and social position. Having fallen on hard times, they had
to levy taxes on cockfights and markets to pay for the trappings of their
symbolic power.
Some Balinese families devote a life of service
to a Ksatriya, or Brahmana family, for the privilege of including a grandparent
as a follower (pengiring) in the elaborate cremation ceremony of
a great raja. Allegience to a leige lord honors the palace's lifelong services
to the community-as keepers of the faith, custodians of the temples, and,
in the case of Brahmans, the making of holy water.
Spiritually, the nobility's most important
function is that of custodian (pangemong) of the island's major
temples. The deified ancestors of Bali's original palace families are integral
members of the pantheon of gods in the village temples. In spite of all
the democratizing and defeudalizing on Bali, this bond between palace and
worship has not been interrupted. The tie between Balinese and leige lord
is unbreakable. It is said the Balinese truly "love their lords."
Brahmana is the highest class, consisting
of mostly priests, scholars, and teachers. Brahmana live in a geria.
Only a Brahmana may become a priest (pedanda), receive certain burial
rights, and enjoy a high level of ritual communication. Brahmana believe
their high caste sets them above even the triwangsa aristocrats.
It's always a Brahman who repairs or repaints a rangda or barong
mask because only the Brahmana know how to protect themselves from the
magic powers released. This intellectual class is the best source for information
on religious and social matters. Brahmana men are addressed as Ida Bagus;
women Ida Ayu or Dayu.
The Satram is the political, warrior, and
raja, or princely, caste. Formerly Balinese royalty, this caste is primarily
divided mostly among the descendents of the five royal families of Klungkung,
Gianyar, Bangli, Badung, and Tabanan. Nearly every village has a puri,
the elaborate residence of the Ksatriya.
Ksatriya names are variable, depending on
the family, but male Ksatriya usually begin with Cokorda Gede, Cokorda,
Anak Agung, Dewa, or Dewa Agung, while the women are called Dewa Ayu or
Anak Agung Istri. In the name Dewa Gede Putu, Dewa is the title, Gede is
an honorary prefix meaning "great," and Putu denotes a first
born child.
Wesya is the administrative, merchant, economist
class, which, on occasion, has ruled Bali's smaller principalities. There
are approximately six Wesya groups; the most important is the Arya group,
descended from a raja. Men's names begin with Gusti, women with I Gusti
Ayu.
Sudra
About 90% of the Balinese belong to this caste. Sudra, though commoners,
are not considered "untouchable" like the pariahs of India. The
duty of the Sudra caste is to labor for the three upper classes. Men are
addressed I, women Ni. Formerly, Sudras were not taught to read or write,
and thus were dependent on the specialized knowledge of upper-class scholars
to interpret religious texts and prayers.
The Sudras have their own exorcist specialists
(sungguhu) who banish buta and kala (devils) from
ceremonies. Today, most Sudra families turn to a Brahmana household for
help in setting propitious dates, interpreting omens, refurbishing ceremonial
paraphernalia, dedicating a bale or shrine, purifying a house, translating
lontar, or reciting sacred Kawi passages for necessary ceremonies.
The Sudra family is obliged to repay such assistance by paying a call and
bringing food.
Caste Rules and Taboos
Caste rules are largely restricted to the observance of established etiquette.
High-caste Balinese must be addressed by the proper title. Triwangsa castes
should sit above lower-class folk, and may not be touched by Balinese of
lower caste. People should marry only within their caste. At one time a
lower-caste man who dared marry a Brahmana women was drowned in the ocean.
Even in this era of globalisasi, intercaste marriages are still
frowned upon particularly when men of lower caste marry higher caste women.
Status Changes
The Balinese are now dealing with issues that bring into question values
and traditions that are deeply rooted. No one knows whether to abide by
the old rules or disable them. There still seems to be a deep need to maintain
overall status differences within each of the regencies. The craze in geneology
writing, which last surfaced in the 19th century, has become popular among
families who feel the need to position themselves in relation to other
high-caste clans.
The Klungkung royal family asserts it was
the original founding family against which all others must be measured.
Other families claim to have located ancient prasasti edicts proving
that they are superior. Every village contains families desparately trying
to raise themselves to a higher caste by almost any means possible. You
hear of spectacular status changes: i.e. the family of a kepala desa
going from Dewa to Anak Agung to Cokorda in three generations, allegedly
bribing villagers to address them in the proper way.
In Tabanan, when a group of Sudra raised
themselves to Dewa, it incensed the other Dewa in the banjar so
much it triggered pitched battles with bamboo runcing. The camat
and police had to be called in to pacify the combatants. Also at work on
Bali is the principle of sinking status. If a high caste man marries a
low caste woman, and their male children continue to marry beneath them,
over three or four generations the family loses its high caste status.
This is why you're always meeting Balinese who claim to come from priests
or kings of the Triwangsa aristocratic castes.