Yes, the following post will be about caste or zaat, as it’s generally referred to in Pakistani society. I want to first provide a definition of zaat to understand how it plays a role in families and how it impact the way different communities and groups interact among each other.

Zaat, its roots are derived from the Hindu caste systems, but slightly differ in how the structure is applied in Muslims communities of South Asia. Zaat could be translated as kinship groups, where a person’s status, familial and marital ties and even economic and social standing depend on their kin belonging. The structure of zaat in society is based on the division of labour so zaat determines the relationships of one group towards another. It dictates the relationship of a land owner (zamindar) to their workers (kamins), who hold different types of profession and who are depended on the land owners. To put it simply, zaat equals profession that is tied to lineage. So profession is passed down to  generations. This structure makes it much more difficult for lower zaats to change their status in the community, because stigma of their lineage will continue even if they change their profession from a blacksmith to a surgeon. Families and communities who own land are placed higher in social standing, where honour, power and prestige become central to their status. As opposed to land owners, kamins  (including churhas who tend to be Christians) are considered inferior and are discriminated as being part of a bad lineage, which restricts their movements in society and prevents greater opportunity for success.

Why is all of this important? And how does kin belonging, especially professions impact people who live in the West? Why does zaat matter to children who are born in the diaspora? How does this social structure impact lives, specifically the lives of Pakistani women who are raised on Western lands?

I first want to point out that the social structure mentioned above is greatly imbedded in Pakistani society. However, different regions, provinces and even cities have their own ways of understanding the function of zaat in society. In some places, zaat is not a central aspect in the community, like Karachi. As a multiethnic metropolis, it is difficult in Karachi to have a specific kin group dominate another. In other places, zaat becomes an element for social status, honour and prestige, like in Punjab. This province is tied to a common language (Punjabi) and a similar culture, as opposed to Karachi, where a greater presence of diverse culture and languages can be seen.

The extent to which the social structure of zaat is applied in Pakistan today differs greatly from previous generations. Nonetheless, it still plays an important role in how people identify and how they are recognized. Islam has played an important role in ways that the kin structure was used among South Asian muslims. The egalitarian principles  of Islam basically makes the zaat system incompatible with the religious ideology. Still, Islam was able to spread because people found ways to use their previous social structures in ways that wouldn’t contradict tenets of Islam. With this, Islam provided more mobility and acceptance towards different zaats. This was possible because Islam does not advocate for the erasure of previous cultures. But rather it erases practices that contradict the main principles of the religion. Unfortunately, the social structures where society was divided based on superior and inferior kin belonging persisted. And of course, this mobility and acceptance was only accepted among zaats that were considered from higher status, unlike kamins who are still discriminated.Though, I won’t go into detail, I think it’s important to mention that British policy of divide and rule intensified divisions among these different groups.

The second part of this post will address issues of zaat and its impact on people who live in the diaspora.

If you want to read more about the caste system in Pakistan, the following links are quite informative.

Fricke, Thomas E., Sabiha H. Syed and Peter C. Smith. “Rural Punjabi Social Organization and Marriage Timing Strategies in Pakistan.”Rural Punjabi Social Organization and Marriage Timing Strategies in Pakistan.” Demography, Vol. 23, No. 4 (1986): 489-508.

Gazdar, Haris. “Class, Caste or Race: Veils over Social Oppression in Pakistan.” Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 42, No. 2 (2007): 86-88.

Nazi, Pervaiz. “Social Structure, Ideology and Language: Caste among Muslims.” Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 28, No. 52 (1993): 2897-2900.

Satti, Jahangir Ahmad. “Pakistan Certainly has a Caste System.” The New York Times, November 19, 1990. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/08/opinion/l-pakistan-certainly-has-a-caste-system-224690.html.