Email Alert RSS
Volume 12 Issue 4
Jul.  2021
Turn off MathJax
Article Contents
Abstract
References
Related Articles
LI Shengming, WU Dong. Plagues and the Indian Caste System: A Hypothesis[J]. Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 2021, 12(4): 594-598. DOI: 10.12290/xhyxzz.20200224
Citation: LI Shengming, WU Dong. Plagues and the Indian Caste System: A Hypothesis[J]. Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 2021, 12(4): 594-598. DOI: 10.12290/xhyxzz.20200224
shu

Plagues and the Indian Caste System: A Hypothesis

  • 1.

    School of Clinical Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China

  • 2.

    Department of Gastroenterology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China

Funds: 

A Grant from Peking Union Medical College 2019zlgc0503

More Information
  • Corresponding author:

    WU Dong   Tel: 86-10-69155017, E-mail: wudong@pumch.edu

  • Received Date: August 23, 2020
  • Accepted Date: December 06, 2020
  • Available Online: June 07, 2021
  • Issue Publish Date: July 29, 2021
    Graphical Abstract
    • Abstract
  • William H. McNeill, a prestigious expert on world history has raised a theory that the establishment of the caste system might be associated with plagues. Based on this theory, we further hypothesize that the concept of "cleanliness" in Hinduism might originate from a lower risk of infection. To decrease their own risk of infection, the politically and economically dominating higher castes established the cross-caste segregation and systematic discrimination against groups of higher risk. Such segregation and discrimination, under the influence of other socioeconomic factors, eventually evolved into the persistent caste system. In the end, the legal texts in Manusmriti demonstrate that this hypothesis would be at least reasonable to explain the origin of the critical concepts of "cleanliness-filthiness" in the world view of Hindu.
    • FullText(HTML)
    • References (10)
  • [1]
    威廉·麦克尼尔. 瘟疫与人[M]. 余新忠, 毕会诚, 译. 北京: 中信出版集团, 2018: 61-63, 126.
    [2]
    路易·杜蒙. 阶序人: 卡斯特体系及其衍生现象[M]. 王志明, 译. 杭州: 浙江大学出版社, 2017: 111.
    [3]
    尚会鹏. 种姓与印度教社会(修订本)[M]. 北京: 北京大学出版社, 2016: 10-17, 42-45, 64-69.
    [4]
    崔连仲. 关于种姓的几个概念问题[J]. 南亚研究, 1983, 3: 64-66. https://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTOTAL-LAYA198303007.htm
    [5]
    Banerjee K, Dwivedi LK. The burden of infectious and cardiovascular diseases in India from 2004 to 2014[J]. Epidemiol Health, 2016, 38: 3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5309727/
    [6]
    Wang L, Wang Y, Jin S, et al. Emergence and control of infectious diseases in China[J]. Lancet, 2008, 372: 1598. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61365-3
    [7]
    John TJ, Dandona L, Sharma VP, et al. Continuing challenge of infectious diseases in India[J]. Lancet, 2011, 377: 252-269. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61265-2
    [8]
    楚亚杰, 陆晔, 沈菲. 新冠疫情下中国公众的知与行——基于"全国公众科学认知与态度"调查的实证研究[J]. 新闻记者, 2020, 5: 7-9. https://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTOTAL-XWJZ202005002.htm
    [9]
    斯塔夫里阿诺斯. 全球通史: 从史前史到21世纪(第7版修订版)(上册)[M]. 吴象婴, 译. 北京: 北京大学出版社, 2005: 139-143.
    [10]
    摩奴法典[M]. 迭朗善, 译. 马香雪, 转译. 北京: 商务印书馆, 1982: 29, 75-76, 80, 84, 87-88, 94-96, 102, 104, 108, 116, 119.
    • Related Articles

  • Related Articles

    [1]Chinese Hospital Association Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Specialized Committee. Expert Consensus on Tiered Detection of Newly Emerging and Outbreak Respiratory Infectious Pathogens (2024)[J]. Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 2025, 16(1): 109-124. DOI: 10.12290/xhyxzz.2024-1006
    [2]TIAN Kunling, CHEN Chuanning. Notch Signaling Pathway and Congenital Heart Disease[J]. Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 2024, 15(3): 649-654. DOI: 10.12290/xhyxzz.2023-0594
    [3]Clinical Data and Biobank Committee of China Research Hospital Association, Guangdong Human Genetic Resource Biobanking and Applications Association. Expert Consensus on Clinical Specimen Preservation and Biosafety Protection in the Context of Managing COVID-19 with Measures against Class B Infectious Diseases[J]. Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 2023, 14(5): 972-977. DOI: 10.12290/xhyxzz.2023-0258
    [4]ZHANG Lu, LI Jian. Castleman Disease in China: State-of-the-art Technology Before the Era of IL-6 Targeted Therapy[J]. Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 2023, 14(5): 911-914. DOI: 10.12290/xhyxzz.2023-0227
    [5]SUN Fangyan, LIANG Shuang, WANG Lixue, GUO Qin, WANG Ai, CHAI Wenzhao, XU Mei. Establishment of the Program for Hierarchical Prevention and Control of Sudden Infectious Diseases Based on the Coronavirus Disease 2019: Experience of Peking Union Medical College Hospital[J]. Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 2021, 12(6): 834-839. DOI: 10.12290/xhyxzz.2021-0589
    [6]XIE Jing, WU Dong, ZHANG Shu-yang. Public Health Ethics and Clinical Practice in the Context of Response to the Outbreak of an Infectious Disease[J]. Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 2021, 12(1): 141-145. DOI: 10.12290/xhyxzz.20200249
    [7]Qi-wen YANG, Meng-lan ZHOU, Ying-chun XU. The Concise Overview of the 28th European Conference on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases[J]. Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 2018, 9(5): 474-478. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-9081.2018.05.019
    [8]Jing-jing, HUANG, Meng XIAO, Ying-chun XU. Application of Next Generation Sequencing in Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases[J]. Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 2018, 9(5): 448-452. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-9081.2018.05.014
    [9]Jian-lei ZHANG, Xiao-jun MA. New Technology of Etiologic Diagnosis in Infectious Diseases and Its Clinical Application Strategy[J]. Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 2018, 9(5): 399-403. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-9081.2018.05.004
    [10]Xixojun MA. Overview of Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases[J]. Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 2018, 9(5): 393-398. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-9081.2018.05.003

  • Cited by

    Periodical cited type(1)

    1. 柴彬，程冠宇. 19世纪英印殖民医学与印度种姓制度的关系. 外国问题研究. 2023(02): 86-98+143-144 .

    Other cited types(0)

Catalog

    Get Citation
    PDF
    XML

    Article Metrics

    Article views (607) PDF downloads (47) Cited by(1)
    Related
    Links: National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences(CAMS) AMLC Check CNKI Database CNKI Term Online Chinese General Practice
    Address：Room 302,Third Floor,Building 7, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China
    Tel：010-69154261/4262
    E - mail：medj@pumch.cn mjpumch@126.com
    Copyright of website：Editorial Office of Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital

    Supported by: Beijing Renhe Information Technology Co., Ltd.  Baidu Analytics

    /

    DownLoad:  Full-Size Img  PowerPoint
    Return
    Return
    x Close Forever Close