Participants included yangban, students, monks, merchants, and other commoners, as well as outcastes. The post-Vedic texts, particularly "Manusmriti" mentions outcastes and suggests that they be ostracised. They lived outside the four-tier ritual "varna" system and thus were outcastes. Barbarians and those who are unrighteous or unethical are also considered outcastes. "low borns" ("cheonmin") or untouchable outcastes ("baekjeong"). The Kalals held a low status in the traditional caste hierarchy, close to the outcastes. They are chiefly Lohanas, but all, except outcastes, are allowed to join. These outcastes have, on such occasion, been taken to the Christian fold. In one of the Districts in Bengal an entire village of outcastes had been liberated. This was seen as a bad omen, and the community were outcastes. Even early Hindu texts such as the Rig Veda discourage the abuse of outcastes.