Even Islam did not break the power of caste, and very distinct traces of caste still survive amongst the Mahomedan community itself.

But nowhere has caste been so much shaken as in the Punjab, for the infinity of sub-castes into which each caste has resolved itself gives the measure of its disintegration.

Sikhism still represents the most successful revolt against its tyranny in the later history of Hinduism.

Hence the relatively slight ascendency enjoyed by the Brahmans in the Punjab amongst the Hindus themselves, even the Brahmans having split up into so many sub-castes and sub-sub-castes that many a non-Brahman Hindu will hardly accept food cooked by the lower order of Brahmans--and, next to inter-marriage, food is the great test of caste.

Nevertheless it is amongst the Hindus of the Punjab that one of the earliest apostles of reaction against the West has found the largest and most enthusiastic body of followers.