Chandara (English spelling) caṇḍāla

Japanese: チャンダーラ（英語表記）caṇḍāla

The outcasts of ancient India. They were also called Sendaras. In the process of conquering the indigenous peoples, the Aryans treated some of them as outcasts, but the word Chandara is thought to have originated from one group of indigenous people, and came to refer to all outcasts. They were placed outside the four castes (→ castes) and suffered severe discrimination in terms of religion, occupation, and clothing. They were said to be impure if they touched them, so they were not allowed to live in areas inhabited by the Aryans, and had to knock on a tree when entering a town to show people that they were approaching. They were engaged in village chores, disposal of corpses, execution of capital punishment, and other unclean jobs.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

古代インドの賤民。センダラともいわれる。アーリア人は先住民を征服していく過程で，先住民の一部を賤民として扱ったが，チャンダーラはその語形からいって先住民の一集団から生れたと考えられ，それが賤民一般をさすようになった。彼らは四姓 (→カースト ) の外におかれ，宗教，職業，服装などの点できびしい差別を受けた。彼らに触れると穢れが生じるといわれ，アーリア人の居住する区域には住むことを許されず，町に入るときには木をたたいて彼らが近づくことを人々に示さねばならず，村の雑役，死体の処理や死刑の執行など不浄とされた仕事に従事した。

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