Synopsis This book deals with three interrelated themes: the nature of India's caste system; the special character and specific place of trading castes in Indian society; and the role of myth as a repository of socially important knowledge. A unique feature of this book is that it is based mainly on the literature published by caste and religious associations supplemented by oral material. Proposing a novel theory of the role of violence, non-violence and ritual symbolism, this book also provides fresh insights into the fashioning of caste identity. It will be welcomed by sociologists and anthropologists, and particularly those studying caste, society, myth and religion in South Asia.