Did untouchability exist in India before the British or was it created by them for colonial motives?

by conation

From what I know, untouchability was being practiced long before the British came to India. However, lately I've been seeing replies where people talk about untouchability being created by the British which seems rather sketchy to me. I'd be grateful if the doubts are resolved.

PS. : Please be topic specific and I would be thankful if you posted books or articles in support of your opinion especially if you say that untouchability was created by the British.

🔴🔴PPS: If youre Indian, don't start a caste war or left vs right war here.

Thanks.

connecticut_yanqui

The British institutionalized and embedded the caste system deep into the mechanisms of governance, but no they didn't create untouchability. There is enough evidence prior to an Englishman setting foot in India.

  1. "...at the beginning of the fifth century Faxian writes: ...Candalas are called sinners. They live isolated from the rest of the society, and when they enter a city, they must sound an alarm by striking a piece of wood to warn everyone of their presence and enable the citizens to avoid running into them..."
  2. "...according to an account from the twelfth century by Al-Biruni...there were antyaja [castes], who were considered inferior [even] to the Shudras....lived outside the villages where the four varnas resided..."

Source: Encyclopaedia of Dalits in India, Paswan and Jaideva, 2003.