> I asked if this was a holdover from colonialism and V says he doesn't think
> so. I had to explain what I meant anyway, though as soon as I explained, he
> nodded vigorously. What I don't get from V is any sense that there is much
> resentment over colonialism. Inded, there was, rather, resentment over
> those who wanted to drum up resentment. He thinks that the caste hierarchy
> has always glorified the Eurpean of IndoEuropeans. That the upper castes
> were always lighter and more european because of rather ancient human
> history -- which I have bothered to look up to see if this was so.
> Something about Indo-eurpean history, anyway.
I wonder if there's a bit of northern/southern Indian history in this.
It was once explained to me that southern Indians (such as Tamils) had been driven south way back when by the Aryan (are they still called that?) cultures, and that the ethnic southerns tended from the outset to be darker skinned than the northern invaders -- they show up as those blue-skinned people in old Indian paintings. I imagine the lighter-skinned Mugals who came and conquered later would have added to light-skinned status .
Apologies to whomever if I've mangled this.
-- Andy