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a thread on why or how "kameeni/kameena" are casteist slurs (tw : mentions of casteist slurs)
In the 13th century, Brahmins used to call Islamic missionaries "Syeds". The Arabic meaning of Syed is the noble one, Syeds propagated Islam and they were considered a clan of descendants of Hussain (sometimes called sayeds or sayyids, no particular literal proof exists tho).
Followers and people who accepted the teachings from Syeds were called "Mlecchas" by Brahmins. This sanskrit term is derogatory and means "an outsider" or a "non-vedic barbarian". It was used to mock followers of islam, since Brahmins consider every outsider a non-Aryan.
After the rise of the Mughal Dynasty in india, the muslim community was split into casteist groups. Simply put, Aseels and Syeds were the upper castes, and Kameens were lower castes.
Kameens, just like Dalits, were forced to take up lowly jobs or to serve higher castes. It is also believed that Kameens were sometimes Shudras and Dalits who accepted Islam. Kameens were also exploited through the Jajmani system.
Jajmani system split rural Muslim communities into Jajmans amd Kameens/Kamins. Jajmans or Yajmans higher caste land owners. The Jajmani system has also existed in Sri Lanka. Kameens under this system were often used as menial agricultural labour since they had no heredital land.
This system which isolated lower caste Muslims survived even after independence, it still exist in Kashmir. Often Syeds, who still consider themselves as custodians of Islam, have been observed to dominate employement.
Thats being said, the reality behind the slur is very casteist, which thrives today on the oppression of Muslim lower castes. So everytime it is used, we're participating in as oppressors ourself.
a recent article i found out while researching http://www.wandemag.com/case-discrimination-kashmiri-muslims/
PDF Sources on Jajmani System :
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.epw.in/system/files/pdf/1961_13/23/the_jajmani_system.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi6iJXsm73qAhXMXisKHUC-Bu8QFjAAegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw2ioaCnQd0thg_88mpEglho
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.epw.in/system/files/pdf/1961_13/23/the_jajmani_system.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi6iJXsm73qAhXMXisKHUC-Bu8QFjAAegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw2ioaCnQd0thg_88mpEglho
If you can, do read "Voice in Qualitative Inquiry: Challenging conventional, interpretive, and critical conceptions in qualitative research" edited by Alecia Jackson and Liza Mazzei. The book is available here, i couldn't find a pdf copy tho : https://books.google.co.in/books?id=nqx8AgAAQBAJ&dq=syeds+and+kameens&source=gbs_navlinks_s
if you think this is done for rts and favs thats a you problem. if you think this is historically incorrect please provide me with sources, I'll willingly apologize and take this down. I've been studying Islamic, Persian and ethnic South African history, though its not my major.
The thread was made in a simpler sentences to let people understand, i didn't and will never mean to acquire clout off someone's oppression. Neither do i want to negate or infantize anyone. The sources given are free and from the internet.
Also i do understand that as a non-Muslim non-theist person i probably don't have the allowance to "educate" people about this. Anyways the intention was never wrong i hope you understand.
A few books I've read in the past while studying anthropological + dialectical processing of South Asian vernacular language :
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2802099?item_view=read_online&refreqid=excelsior%3A19624252b79cd3b2db0a660cfe0bef3b
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2802099?item_view=read_online&refreqid=excelsior%3A19624252b79cd3b2db0a660cfe0bef3b
