The terms Avarna (outside the varna system) and Savarna (within the varna system) are not directly mentioned in early Hindu texts using those specific words

 The terms Avarna (outside the varna system) and Savarna (within the varna system) are not directly mentioned in early Hindu texts using those specific words — but the concepts they represent are embedded in the varna system and in later caste dynamics.

Here's a breakdown of what is and isn't mentioned:

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🔷 1. Savarna – meaning “with varna”

• Savarna means a person within the four-fold varna system:

  • Brahmin (priests/scholars)

  • Kshatriya (warriors/rulers)

  • Vaishya (traders/farmers)

  • Shudra (servants/laborers)

🟩 Mention in Texts:
These four varnas are described in:

• Rigveda (10.90) – the Purusha Sukta, where they are mythologically created from parts of the cosmic being.

• Manusmriti, Mahabharata, and other Smritis — these outline duties and rules for each varna.

The word "Savarna" as a term is more commonly used in later classical and medieval Sanskrit texts, law books, and colonial-era caste documents, not in the earliest Vedas.

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🔶 2. Avarna – meaning “without varna”

• Avarna refers to those outside the four varnas, including:

  • Dalits (formerly known as untouchables)

  • Tribal communities

  • Forest-dwelling or nomadic people

  • Those born from inter-varna marriages (called varnasankara in Manusmriti)

🟥 Mention in Texts:

• The term “Avarna” itself is rare or absent in early Vedas, but the concept is seen in:

  • Manusmriti and Dharmashastra texts – they refer to:

    • “Antyaja” – lowest-born people

    • “Chandala”, “Shvapaka”, “Nishada”, etc. — considered outside the varna system

  • Varnasankara people (mixed caste) are described as being outside the proper varna hierarchy.

So Manusmriti, Gautama Dharmasutra, and Baudhayana Dharmasutra effectively build the Avarna category without using the exact word.

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🔷 Summary Table

Concept	Word in Hindu Text	Example Texts	Notes
Savarna	Not explicit term in Vedas	Rigveda (10.90), Manusmriti	Refers to Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra
Avarna	Not used directly in Vedas	Manusmriti, Dharmashastras	Represented as Chandala, Antyaja, etc.

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✅ Conclusion

• The terms "Savarna" and "Avarna" are social categories that evolved later, especially during medieval and colonial periods, but their underlying ideas are found in Vedic and Smriti literature.

• The varna system in texts like Manusmriti created inclusion and exclusion, leading to these later terms.

If you want, I can quote the exact verses from Manusmriti or other texts where outcastes and inter-varna people are discussed.

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Here's a list of surnames from Europe and the U.S. that are occupational in origin, like "Smith", which comes from "blacksmith" — a person who works with metal. These surnames were traditionally based on jobs people did.

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🔨 Common Occupational Surnames (Like Smith)

Surname	Origin	Meaning / Job
Smith	English	Metalworker / Blacksmith
Wright	English	Worker or maker (e.g., wheelwright, shipwright)
Taylor / Tailor	English / French	Clothing maker
Clark / Clarke	English	Cleric, scribe, or scholar
Miller	English / German	Operated a grain mill
Cooper	English	Barrel maker
Baker	English	Bread maker
Carpenter	English / French	Woodworker
Turner	English	Lathe worker / wood or metal turner
Fletcher	English	Arrow maker
Mason	English / French	Stoneworker
Potter	English	Maker of pottery
Cartwright	English	Cart maker
Chandler	English / French	Candle maker or merchant
Faulkner	English / French	Falcon trainer (falconer)
Sawyer	English	Woodcutter / timber sawyer

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🔧 European Language Versions of "Smith"-like Jobs

Surname	Language	Meaning
Schmidt / Schmitt	German	Smith
Kovács	Hungarian	Smith
Kowalski	Polish	Smith
Herrero	Spanish	Smith
Ferrari	Italian	Smith (from Latin ferrum – iron)
Lefebvre / Lefèvre	French	Smith
Fabbri / Fabro	Italian	Smith
Ferreiro	Galician / Portuguese	Smith
Seppä	Finnish	Smith
Smed / Smeds	Swedish / Danish	Smith

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🧾 Notes

• Many of these names are still common today because they came from widespread trades.

• In the U.S., immigrants often Anglicized their occupational surnames. For example, “Kowalski” (Polish) may have become “Smith”.

Would you like this list sorted by region (e.g., Anglo, Slavic, Romance, etc.) or do you want me to focus on surnames that are still common today in the U.S. or UK?

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Yes, the term "Jathi" (ജാതി) is explicitly mentioned in the തരിസാപ്പള്ളി ശാസനങ്ങൾ (Tharisapalli Sasanam), which are a set of royal copper plate grants issued in the 9th century CE by the Chera/Perumal king Sthanu Ravi Varma to the Syrian Christian (Nasrani) merchant community in Kerala.

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✅ Here's what you need to know:

📜 What are the Tharisapalli Copper Plates?

• Issued around 849 CE (ME 24).

• Granted land and privileges to the Christian merchant leader Mar Sapir Iso (also written as Maruvan Sapir Iso) and the Persian Christian immigrants.

• Written in Vattezhuthu and Grantha scripts, in Old Malayalam with Tamil influences.

• These are among the oldest known inscriptions in Malayalam language.

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🔍 Does it mention "Jathi" (ജാതി)?

Yes. The word "ജാതി" (Jathi) is clearly used in the context of communities, groups, or guilds.

For example, the plates describe various groups like:

• Anjuvannam (അഞ്ചുവണ്ണം) – a guild or group of foreign traders (often Jewish, Arab, or Persian merchants).

• Manigramam (മണിഗ്രാമം) – a merchant guild or caste.

• Other local and immigrant communities are referred to as "Jathikal" (ജാതികൾ) — plural form of Jathi.

The word Jathi here does not exactly mean caste in the strict Brahmanical sense, but rather denotes guilds, professional communities, or ethnically/culturally distinct groups.

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🧠 Example context from the plates (summarized):

“Privileges are granted to Mar Sapir Iso and his community, including the right to settle and trade, and protection is provided by the various jathis such as the Anjuvannam and Manigramam.”

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🗣️ Linguistic Significance

• This is one of the earliest uses of the word "Jathi" in the Malayalam language.

• Shows that even by 9th century CE, Kerala society had organized groups identified by trade, origin, and community—called Jathis.

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📚 Sources

• Travancore Archaeological Series, Vol. II

• M. G. S. Narayanan – Cultural Symbiosis in Kerala

• Kesavan Veluthat – The Early Medieval in South India

• Noburu Karashima – History and Society in South India

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✅ Conclusion:

Yes, “Jathi” is explicitly mentioned in the Tharisapalli Copper Plates, and it refers to organized social or trade groups—not necessarily in the rigid Brahmanical caste sense, but more broadly as community or guild identities.

Would you like the original line or script reference where "Jathi" appears?

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