Caste system in Zashissan

A carving of Hanhassimur, the Zashissani god of storms, whom is said to have created the Hassak

The caste system in Zashissan, known as the Hassak (Zashiren: Հասսակի, Hassaki; Vardani: Հասակը, Hasaky), is an ancient system of social stratification that remains the predominant social system in the Kalzashi mountain region of east Scipia. The name, Hassak, comes from Old Zashiren and is understood to roughly mean "the rule of birth" or more poetically interpreted as "knowing [one's] origin". The Hassak divides people into castes that are intended to serve certain roles in society based on the caste of the family they are born into. While the nature of the Hassak has flexed and bent throughout history, the broad structure has remained much unchanged.

Today no nation legally recognises aspects of the Hassak however aspects of it have been legally enforced throughout history. Its pervasive nature in the Kalzashi mountain region remains a controversial topic in Alanahr, Vardana and Happara.

Origins

The Hassak existed before historical records began and there is evidence of it, or primitive versions of it, in archaeological records of the Kalzashi region. With the oldest evidence being cave art in the Kalzashi mountains.

Myth

The mythical origin of the Hassak is that the god of storms, Hanhassimur, instructed the first tribe of the system as his chosen people.

Theories

There remain two main theories on the potential origin of the caste system:

• A system was created initially as a way of social organisation for an early urban society. Eventually becoming enforced through a mixture of religious justification and oligarchic power seizure.
• Hanhassimur was a real King who created the Hassak as a way of enforcing his rule. Similar systems where then forced upon or adopted by the other peoples of the Kalzashi mountain region.

What is known is that by the time of the earliest written records about the social organisation of the region, the Hassak could be described as socially universal.

Concepts

Caste Hierarchy

The Hassak has three levels to its hierarchy. At the top level is the Salassanu, which are divided into Ilans, which in turn are divided into La.

Salassanu

The Salassanu (Zashiren: Սալասսանու), roughly meaning "[the] greater order", describes the first part of the caste hierarchy. It divides society into three groups ordered by prominence:

• The Hannassu (Zashiren: Հաննասսու), meaning "[to] rule well". The caste is the ruling caste responsible for shepherding the lower castes. Philosophically the Hassak views the members of this caste as being those whose job is to ensure the continuation of the Hassak through creating stable and just polities.
• The Maniya (Zashiren: Մանիյա), meaning "[to] work/[to make] grow". The caste is responsible for the management of the physical world.
• The Kannar (Zashiren: Քաննար), meaning "[to be] prostrate". The caste is considered to contain those whose responsibility is to perform the labour required for the continuation of the Hassak.

Each of these groups can be described as Salassanu individually and collectively.

Ilan

Further, each can be divided into Ilan (Zashiren: Իլան), meaning "rank", Ilans are ranked by prominence within each Salassanu.

The Hannassu are divided into three Ilan:

• The Kita (Zashiren: Կիտա), meaning "priest". Considered to rule over the spiritual aspect of the world and believed to interpret the will of the Gods. Their traditional roles would include priests, religious advisors or scholars.
• The Tappar (Zashiren: Թափպար), meaning "[to] govern". Considered to rule over the physical aspect of the world and believed to implement the will of the Gods. Their traditional roles would include officials, governors or legislators.
• The Harkanna (Zashiren: Հարկաննա), meaning "[to] condemn". Considered to rule over death and believed to enforce the will of the Gods. Their traditional roles would include military leaders, executioners or bodyguards.

There is a strong belief that no member of the Hannassu Ilans should try to practise the responsibilities of powers of the other Hannassu Ilans. In modern times this is often referred to as a form of the separation of powers however should not be considered to be viewed as such historically when the belief was rooted in terms of caste purity.

The Maniya are divided into two Ilan:

• The Karsihsa (Zashiren: Կարսիհսա), meaning "free-man". Those who own and work the land. Traditionally only the Karsihsa would be allowed to own land and would be charged with the management of forests, mines, farms, water sources, and other natural resources.
• The Atalla (Zashiren: Աթալլա), meaning "trader". Those who are artisans or traders. They were not allowed to own land but were the only people allowed to trade freely. Due to their unique position in this manner they were also able to take on the role of artisans, freely trading for resources they needed to create goods which they would then freely trade as well.

The Maniya Ilans would form the bulk of the traditional Hassak economies. This separated the Hannassu from having independent wealth and the Maniya from having independent religious, political or military power.

The Kannar have no Ilan however there is a ranking within the Salassanu based on the ranking of the caste members they work for. For example, a Kannar who works for a Hannassu Tappar will be considered of greater rank than a Kannar who works for a Maniya Atalla. Kannar have the greatest variety in their work in furthering the Hassak, as they would be employed by all other castes. Traditionally most would be employed by the Maniya as labourers on farms however, they could also be temple servants, scribes, or soldiers.

La

The final level of the caste system is highly fluid and colloquial. The La that an individual belongs to could be one of the following:

• Familial La would be a grouping representing an ancestry. For example, a Maniya Atalla and a Hannassu Tappar could both be from an Akassi La meaning that they are of the Akassi family. However under the caste system they would not be considered the same La as they are from different Salassanu.
• Tribal La would be a grouping representing a tribal affiliation and unlike familial La could be considered the same La across caste lines. For example, a Maniya Atalla and a Hannassu could both be from the Zarrik La meaning that they are of the Zarrik tribe. Under the caste system they would both be considered the same La. Under the Hassak this would often lead to discrimination against those from tribal La as to avoid centralising power in a single La.
• Occupational La would be a grouping representing employment and is the most flexible La. For example, a Kannar could be from the Fallah La meaning that they are a farmhand but then be levied by a Harkanna as a spearman, changing their La to Nizzakakir. In modern times occupational La names do not change unless requested. Meaning that many with occupational La do not have one that matches their employment.
• Other La exist that come from a variety of origins such as being La for a geographic region or honorific La. These are far rarer than the other three.

Outsiders

The place of outsiders in this hierarchy is ambiguous and generally far more flexible and fluid. While they may be treated with a caste prejudice based on their profession or the profession of their parents, they are not restricted in the same way those already integrated into the Hassak are. If an outsider were to marry someone already integrated into the Hassak, they would inherit their partner's place in the caste system and no longer be considered an outsider.