Comparison of Caste and Gender Discrimination in Indian Society before Independence

Caste and Gender discrimination has happened for centuries in India and it is legitimated under the Hindu religious rules. They are often compared to show that caste and gender discrimination are equivalent. 

Backward / lower caste groups has been eliminated from the main stream society and their involvement was only limited to very less respectable jobs. They were highly discriminated and never allowed to mingle with high caste people. Lower caste people were usually treated with violent means. The caste boundaries were very rigid. The rules were legitimized with the religious laws which prohibited any mixing between different caste people. Lower caste group was considered untouchables and they were not allowed to enter temples and learn religious books.

The gender discrimination of woman has also been practiced since long time in India. It has biological origin where male member were involved in outside jobs and women were involved in household jobs due to physical strength and child bearing capability. Even in the kingdom era, women were not involved in wars. In Indian society, Hindu religion prescribed the role of women as the dependent member of the family where she had no decision making role. Women had no property right and considered burden on the parents till marriage. After marriage,  husband ruled them and after death of husband they were supposed to live a lonely life or die as Sati. 

In both the system, there was commonality of religious rule and exploitation of people without any fault of their own. But there was a shuttle difference female child can become a part of powerful group if both of her parents were higher caste members but a child has to remain in lower caste if any parent belonged to lower caste. Many times women were given rights of decision making in-case of death of male member. Women were never treated as untouchables. The biggest difference was that women could be a member of family but a lower caste person can not be a member of higher caste family. 

So, women and caste discrimination was never same in Indian society.