Chapter 1

Introducing India

Now let us take India, as a suitable example to survey the finer aspects of feudalism in language. So let me start from India, and  build up my arguments.

But why India?

The reasons are many and varied.

One that I was born there, and hence I can take a lot illustrations from India's society, anthropological features, history, administrative structures, social behaviours, dressing standards, social phobias and many other items.

Another wonderful reason is that India exists as a sort of a union of many diverse language nationalities, all joined together because of another wonderful historical incident, the British rule.  This kaleidoscopic diversity of languages and the consequent immensity of cultures, and attitudes and behaviours, all would give me an abundance of material to help me convey my understanding.

The Indian languages may be said to be based on two ancient language systems: One Sanskrit and the other the Dravidian languages, starting with Tamil. For the time being, we need not trouble ourselves about the other language systems.

Both Sanskrit and Tamil are feudal. Hindi and most of the North Indian languages may trace their ancestry to Sanskrit; while the Dravidian languages include Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam. Malayalam actually does contain lot of influence of Sanskrit also.

While there are feudal elements in all these languages, the functioning and position of these feudal programs are at different levels or stages; so each language creates slightly different social reactions and social designs, patterns and arrangements. Also, inside the same language, the feudal fixing of certain groups of persons, at the various levels, may differ in their levels, strength and intensity, depending on the place, and also on the differing dialects.

It is possible that the reader has not got any idea of what I have tried to convey here. Forbearance, please!