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In theory, Islam was an egalitarian religion which tolerated no caste
distinction. All muslims were equal before God. In one of [Sir Syed
Ahmed's] speeches opposing the elective principle, however, he
revealed his prejudices extremely clearly:

  "I ask you, would our aristocracy like that a man of low caste or
	insignificant origin, though he be a B.A. or an M.A. and have the
	requisite ability, should be in a position of authority above them
	and have power in making the laws that affect their lives and
	property?  Never! Nobody would like it ... The men of good family
	would never like to trust their lives and property to people of low
	ranks."

[Romila Thapar on Indian Muslim Castes, 
	Although, theoretically, caste was not accepted by Islamic society,
	it was by no means ignored in Muslim social life. The development of
	Muslim castes began with an ethnic distinction.  Families of foreign
	extraction, such as the descendants of Arabs, Turks, Afghans and
	Persians, formed the highest caste and wre later called Ashraf
	(Ashraf in Arabic means 'honourable').  Next in order of status came
	the upper-caste Hindu converts, such as the Muslim
	Rajputs. Occupational castes formed the two final castes and were
	divided into 'clean' and 'unclean' castes.
		- A History of India v.1 p.300-301
[Indian Muslims : Ashrafs (noble, high caste) and non-Ashrafs (low-caste),
sometimes called Ajlaf meaning wretched, mean. 

Asrafs: subdivided into Sayyids (allegedly descendants of Muhammad), Shaykhs
(Arabic: "Chiefs"), descendants of Arab or Persian invaders, 
Pathans (members of Pasthun tribes) and Mughals. 
[high caste hindus who converted to Islam also took such designations]

Islam follows similar rules of endogamy and intermixing as Hindus, but 
rules of pollution are less strict... barbers are treated as
untouchables. Nightsoil and carrion carriers form the most untouchable caste
whose very touch pollutes. Even mosques are sometimes separate. ]
 
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We have not been elected or placed in power by the people, but are
here through our moral superiority, by the force of circumstances, by
the will of Providence. This alone constitutes our charter to govern
India. In doing the best we can for the people, we are bound by our
conscience and not theirs.
	- John Lawrence, Viceroy 1864-9.

I fired and continued to fire until the crowd dispersed, and I
considered this as the least amount of firing which would produce the
necessary moral and widespread effect it was my duty to produce if I
was to justify my action. If more troops had been at hand, the
casualties would have been greater in proportion. It was no longer a
question of merely dispersing the crowd, but one of producing a
sufficient moral effect from a military point of view not only on
those who were present, but more especially throughout the Punjab.
	- General Dyer, 1919, after the Jalianwallah Bagh massacre.
		Officially, 379 dead, 1200 wounded, but unofficial
		estimates were upto three times higher.

[NOTE the word moral appearing in both quotations. (Twice in Dyer).]

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Modern industry, resulting from the railway system, will dissolve the
hereditary divisions of labour, upon which rest the Indian castes, those
decisive impediments to Indian progress and power.
	- p.21, Karl Marx, in the NYHT, 1853. 

[On the British obstructing Indian industry] In the late 1930s the authorities
refused to allow a group of entrepreneurs from Bombay to set up an
automobile plant which they were planning to establish in collaboration
with the American Chrysler Company. - p.23