The word is derived from t he Latin word ‘ Castus’ , which means ‘ pure’.

The cast e system provides t he individual member of caste wit h rules which must be observed by him
in the matters of food, marriage, divorce, birth, initiation and death.

It is obvious t hat such a system of social stratification divides the society into thousands of small,
hereditary and endogamous groups, each cluster of groups having it s own distinctive sets of customs
and practices, which together form a hierarchy, each such group of cast e is associated with one or more
traditional occupations and is related to the other by means of an elaborate division of labour.

Caste System through Ages

According t o Keith, the Vedic Indians were primarily pastoral, and this holds good for the Aryans known
from t he early parts of t he Rig Veda. The Aryans encountered the urban population of Harappa society
and ultimately conquered t hem in war. Social adjustment between t he Aryans and survivors of
Harappa society and other people naturally led t o t he rehabilitation of some of t he surviving priest s
and chiefs into corresponding posit ions, possibly of inferior nature in the new Aryan society. Early
literature throws hardly any light on t he process of assimilation between the Aryan commoners and t
hose of t he survivors of earlier societies. It is likely that most of t hem were reduced t o what came to
be known as t he fourth Varna in the Aryan society. In essence, the Rig Vedic Aryan society and perhaps
t he society described in t he Atharva Veda, was characterized by the absence of sharp class diversions
among its members, a feature, which is usually found in early societies. The Shudras appear as a social
class only towards the end of t he period of t he Atharva Veda.

The Aryans, white skinned, good featured, making sacrifices and worshipping gods like Agni, Indra,
Varun etc were distinguishable ethnically and culturally from the Dasyus, who were black skinned , flat
nosed of unintelligible speech , worshipping no god and following strange customs.

Shudras were originally t he names of prominent tribes conquered and reduced to slavery by the Aryans.

The idea of ceremonial impurity of the Shudras involving prohibit ion of physical and visual contact with
him appeared towards the clos of the Vedic period (1000-600 B.C.) The first notice of such a marked
degradation is found in t he Satapatha Brahamana.

Around the 600 B.C.—300 B.C., t he difference between the Vaisayas and Shudras was getting narrower
day by day. The occupation of t he two castes were practically interchangeable. The proud higher castes
— Brahmin and Kshatriyas began to adopt a more exclusive policy towards t hem. The social position of
Shudras underwent a change for the worse. The lawgivers emphasized the old fiction that the Shudras
was born from the feet of t he God and thus imposed on him numerous social disabilities in matters of
company, food, marriage and education. The idea t hat food touched by the Shudras is denied and
cannot be taken by a Brahmin is first expressed in the Dharmasutras (500B.C.-300B.C.). Shudras could
not take part in Vedic sacrifices and sacraments. He came to be excluded from t he Vedic sacrifices t o
such an extent that in t he performance of certain rites, even his presence and sight were avoided
 The advent of foreign people served t o loosen t he shackles of t he varna system. The law books of the
Gupta period retain the distinction between the Shudras and untouchables. During t his period there
seems to have been not only an increase in the number of untouchables but also some intensification in
the practice of untouchability.

Muslim invasion wit h cold-blooded murders, forcible conversion, looking and devastation of the
countryside, breaking up of Hindu idols and desecration of Hindu temples began in India on a large scale
and the Indians experienced perpetual insecurity.

--With continuous Muslim invasions, there was considerable effect on t he Hindu social system. In 16 th
century, there was further hardening of the caste system by early marriage t o prevent religious
conversions. In medieval India, with resurgence of Hinduism by Sankracharya (788-820 A.D.) the Muslim
and Christian convert freely got reconverted into Hinduism.

Various Bhakti movements by Madhavacharya, Kabir, Tulsi Das and Many other did help check
Islamisation of India. Many converts came back to Hindu fold.

By the time British consolidated their posit ion in India, the Hindu social system had accumulated many
undesirable features. The various policies of t he British rulers were geared mainly for the maintenance
of law and order, for the collection of taxes, and for keeping an unrestricted market for British goods.

The old village economy which, for long, remained unaffected by the political conflicts and which had
given so much strength t o t he caste system, became disrupted under British rule. The land policy
created a new class of landlords and above million into the ranks of tenants and agriculture labourers.

The cast e divided Hindu society which ensured employment and protection to its various caste groups,
could not effectively challenge t he British policy. For the first time caste system faced a serious
challenge from it s foreign rules.

Western education and social reforms, brought abolition of untouchability. These movements had an
aim of cleansing the Hindu social order of some of its undesirable features, narrowing down the caste
distinctions, changing the attitude of high cast e people towards t he untouchables. Growth and town,
establishment of industries in urban areas, introduction of railways, led to relaxation of caste prejudice
new economic activities taken by t he state gave birth to numerous non caste occupations.

But t he same time the British policy was not for fostering unity and cohesion of the various section of
people of India. It s policy was directed towards dividing and sub-diving. People at whatever level
possible be it religion, region, language or caste. Introduction of separate electorates or special
recognition accorded t o non-Brahmins castes in the south not only contributed to the disruption of
whatever solidarity India once possessed and fostered jealousy between provinces, creeds, also
hardened the caste distinctions

The Indian Caste System is historically one of the main dimensions where people in India are socially
differentiated through class, religion, region, tribe, gender, and language.
The caste system is a classification of people into four hierarchically ranked castes called varnas. They
are classified according to occupation and determine access to wealth, power, and privilege. The
Brahmans, usually priests and scholars, are at the top. Next are the Kshatriyas, or political rulers and
soldiers. They are followed by the Vaishyas, or merchants, and the fourth are the Shudras, who are
usually laborers, peasants, artisans, and servants. At the very bottom are those considered the
untouchables. These individuals perform occupations that are considered unclean and polluting, such as
scavenging and skinning dead animals and are considered outcastes. They are not considered to be
included in the ranked castes.

The varnas are then divided into specialized sub-castes called jatis. Each jati is composed of a group
deriving its livelihood primarily from a specific occupation. People are born into a certain caste and
become members. They then acquire the appropriate occupation according to their jati. Maintaining this
hereditary occupational specialization and hierarchical ranking of occupations is said to be done through
an elaborate ritual system regulating the nature of social interactions between the jatis. Vedic texts from
the Hindu religion, which have been compiled, legitimized, and interpreted by the Brahmans, provide
the rationale for the hierarchical classification and the rituals governing social behavior.

Caste structure and characterstic

---Defining the word “caste” itself is harder than thought to be.

The Indian caste system is a classification of people into four hierarchically ranked castes called varnas.
They are classified according to occupation and determine access to wealth, power, and privilege.

The Brahmans, usually priests and scholars, are at the top

There are, however, varying “degrees” of Brahmans, such as Kanya-Kubja, Tamil, Tanjore, and others
who are part of numerous villages These sub-castes, called jatis, are very specifically endogamous, so
that a Brahman is not only restricted to marrying another Brahman, but to marrying a woman of the
same subdivision of Brahmans. Each jati is composed of a group deriving its livelihood primarily from a
specific occupation. People are born into a certain caste and become members. They then acquire the
appropriate occupation according to their jati. Separation of these Brahmans from others is one of
several indications of social status, which include material goods, social power or influence, and social
skills

Following the Brahmans are the Kshatriyas, or political rulers and soldiers. They were the ruling class
and often times collaborated with the Brahmans as they reigned over their kingdom

the Brahmans and Kshatriyas together proclaimed to be superior to the commoners, the Brahmans
never hesitated to declare their own caste as higher than the Kshatriyas. The reason of this, according to
the Vedas, is that Brahmans have been characterized as being self-sufficient, whereas the Kshatriyas are
dependent on priests

Next are the Vaishyas, or merchants. A Vaishya's duty was to ensure the community's prosperity
through agriculture, cattle rearing and trade. The Vaishyas were considered and expected to be weak in
comparison to their rulers, and were infinitely exploitable and regenerative. These oppressions
however, were usually not boycotted because this was presented as a natural state of affairs in the
social realm.

. Later, the Shudras took over agriculture and cattle rearing while the Vaishyas became traders and
merchants. However, though they were “twice-born” and economically strong because they controlled
commerce, Vaishyas were denied a high social status, for which they resented the upper castes.

Then come the Shudras, who are usually laborers, peasants, artisans, and servants. Shudras were
thought to not have any special abilities and were considered only capable of serving as slaves to the
upper three classes. Shudras enjoyed no rights or privileges, and were not permitted to perform any
sacrifices

, read or learn the Vedas or recite the mantras (prayer rituals). They were also not allowed to enter
temples and could only serve the upper three castes as a slave, barber, blacksmith or cobbler

At the very bottom are those considered the “untouchables.” These individuals performed occupations
that were considered unclean and polluting, such as scavenging and skinning dead animals and are
considered outcastes. The Hindu law books insisted that there were only four varnas and never a fifth,
which was used as a reason to not accept the tribal people of India. They were therefore not considered
to be included in the ranked castes. In some cases, the untouchables could face criminal charges if they
polluted certain things with their presence. For example, it was a criminal offense for a member of an
excluded caste knowingly to pollute a temple by his presence. They were also forbidden to enter the
streets in which the houses of the upper castes were situated, and there were many customs and laws
that kept them beyond the villages and towns. Since they were rated outside the caste system, they
were destined to only in the outskirts of the village and were never an integral part of village
community. Their services, however, were still essential to the health of the community and therefore
still had to be part of the system in order to serve the upper castes

Caste includes three elements: repulsion, hierarchy, and hereditary specialization.

There are many rules in the Indian caste system which caste members must adhere to in order to avoid
being shunned from their caste members or, according to Hinduism, being born less fortunate in their
next life. The two most important characteristics of the Indian caste system have to do with endogamy
and occupational restriction. Every member of a caste or sub-caste is required to marry within their own
caste. Any violation of this results in excommunication from one’s family and caste. When it comes to
occupation, every caste is associated with a particular one to which its members are required to follow.
Another characteristic is that every caste imposes restrictions on its members with regards to diet and
has its own laws which govern the food habit of the members. There are two types of food: Pacca, which
is food prepared with ghee (melted butter), and Kachcha, which is food prepared with water (Pyakurel).
According to the castes, only certain kinds of foods can be exchanged between certain castes. For
example, a Brahman can accept only Pacca food from a Shudra, but Kachcha food can only be accepted
from a person of one’s own caste or of a higher caste (Pyakurel). Another is the social interaction
between castes. There are strict barriers when it comes to the mixing of a superior caste with an inferior
caste. Hence, under the caste system every caste abides by well established customs and well defined
norms of interactions.

A fourth idea is the belief of purity and pollution. Cleanliness is considered to be a very important value
in Hinduism, and the caste system enforces this idea. . Untouchability was thus a means of exclusivism, a
social device that became religious only by being drawn into the pollution-purity complex. Therefore, it
was believed that the higher castes were more pure and less polluted, while the lower castes were
regarded as less pure and more polluted. A final characteristic that is very important to the stabilization
of the Indian caste system is the restriction of caste mobility, which was mentioned earlier. Birth in a
particular caste confines a person to staying in this caste and restricts and individual’s mobility up or
down the hierarchy

The caste system very much impacted the economic structure in the Indian village. The village was
essentially a food-providing unit, where each family of the craft or service caste was linked with one or
more of the land owning-farmer-caste family. This system was known as the jajmani system, which
survived in India up to the arrival of the British

Each individual had a fixed economic and social status. Even the beggar, for example, had a fixed status.
Giving alms to the beggar was considered as a religious duty so that it could be demanded as of right
and each was related to others in employed-employer relationship

It can be seen that the web of economic stability and security that was provided by an individual’s
respective caste and by those relationships the individual acquired through his or her occupation was
essential to village live. The caste system is what drives these relationships and these relationships are
one of the reasons the caste system stays intact.

origin

The origin of the Indian caste system has many theories behind it. Some of them are religious, while
others are biological. The religious theories explain that according to the Rig Veda, which is the ancient
Hindu book, the primal man, Purush, destroyed himself to create a human society and the different
parts of his body created the four different varnas. The Brahmins were from his head, the Kshatriyas
from his hands, the Vaishyas from his thighs, and the Shudras from his feet. For example, Brahmans,
who were derived from the head of Purush, are considered the intelligent and most powerful varna
because of their wisdom and education and are a representation of the brain. In the same way,
Kshatriyas, considered the warrior caste, were created by arms, which represent strength. Another
religious theory claims that the Varnas were created from the body organs of Brahma, who is the
creator of the world in Hinduism.

The biological theory claims that all existing things inherit three one of three categories of qualities.
Varna means different shades of texture or color and represents mental temper. There are three Gunas:
Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Sattva is white, Rajas is red, and Tamas is black. Sattva qualities include
characteristics related to wisdom, intelligence, honesty, goodness, and other positive qualities. Rajas
include qualities such as passion, pride, and valor. Tamas are considered to acquire qualities that include
dullness, stupidity, lack of creativity, and other negative qualities. People with different amounts of
these inherent qualities end up adopting the appropriate occupation. According to this theory, the
Brahmans usually inherit the Sattva qualities. They are serene and self-controlled and possess the
quality of austerity. They are considered to have purity, uprightness and forbearance. Brahmans also
have the will to acquire knowledge, wisdom, and faith. The Kshatriyas and Vaishyas inherit the Raja
qualities, and the Shudras inherit the Tamas qualities. The type of one’s actions, the quality of ego, the
color of knowledge, the texture of one’s understanding, the temper of fortitude, and the brilliance of
one’s happiness defines one’s Varna.

Historically, however, it is believed that the caste system began with the arrival of the Aryans in India
around 1500 BC. They contain the first mention and a continuous history of the factors that make up the
caste system. The Aryans came from southern Europe and northern Asia with fair skin that contrasted
with the indigenous natives in India. When they arrived, their main contact was with the Dravidians. The
only other culture whose records are dependable about the origins of the caste system are the
Dravidians, but when that culture’s documents were put forwards, it had already been largely
influenced by the Indo-Aryan tradition. Unfortunately, the Aryans completely disregarded their local
cultures and began conquering regions all over north India

The Aryans possessed a particular principle of social ordering called Varna Vyavastha, which was based
on the four hierarchical divisions of function in society. They were placed in order of decreasing
importance: religious and educational functions, military and political functions, economic functions,
and menial functions.

the Aryans organized themselves in three groups. The first group, Rajayana (later changed to Kshatriya)
were the warriors, which were followed by the Brahmans, who were the priests. These two groups
constantly struggled for political leadership among the Aryans. Eventually, the Brahmans became the
leaders of the Aryan society. The final group consisted of the farmers and craftmen, and were called the
Vaishyas. The Aryan conquerors subdued the locals and made them servants.

In order to secure their status, the Aryans laid out social and religious rules which stated that only they
were allowed to become priests, warriors, and businessmen of the society.

Maharashtra, which is a state located in west India, is a great example. This region has been known by
this name for hundreds of years, and many think that the meaning of its name is Great Land. But there
are some who claim that the name Maharashtra is derived from the category called Mahar, who are
considered to be the original people of this region. These individuals were forced to adhere to the social
and religious rules the Aryans laid out. In the caste hierarchy, the Mahars were outcasts because they
were dark-skinned compared to the lightskinned Aryans. Skin color was an important indicator in
determining an individual’s caste. As mentioned before, the word varna does not mean caste or class,
but color . Having come across people who were very dark in color and had rather snub noses, the
Aryans described the earlier settlers as “dark color,” as people without noses, and applied them to the
term dasa, which in Iranian stood for “enemy”.
Between the outcasts and the three Aryan varnas were the Shudras, who were simple workers of the
society. The Shudras consisted of two communities: one community was of the locals who were
subdued by the Aryans, and the other was the mix of Aryan and local descent. One of the main
regulations the Aryans began with was the exclusion of these Shudras from their religious worship

As most of the societies in the world, India had a patriarchal system. Most of the time, the son inherited
his father’s profession, which led to developing families, who acquired the same family profession for
generations. as these families got bigger, they were seen as communities, or jat. Different families who
professed the same profession developed social relations between them and organized as a jat. After a
while, the Aryans who had created the caste system slowly began to add non-Aryans to their statuses.
Different jats were integrated into the various varnas according to their profession. Other foreign
invaders of ancient India—Greeks, Huns, Scythains, and others—conquered parts of India and created
kingdoms. These were integrated with the Kshatriyas.

The beginning of the Dalit varna began here, where the communities exercising polluting professions
were made outcastes and considered as “untouchables.”

Around the 6th century, many individuals of the lower castes who were getting fed up of suppression
turned to Buddhism. Buddhism concentrates not on the society, but on the individual, thus separating
religion from the interests of the ruling and dominance. In Buddhism, one is no longer born into a
position due to past injustice. The Buddha, himself born into the warrior caste, was a severe critic of the
caste system. Buddhism utterly rejects any system of caste, and it actually reached high levels of support
during the rule of Ashoka, who adopted the Buddhist concept of ahimsa, or non violence, and its
tendency toward greater equality

The fluidity of the caste system was affected by the arrival of the British. The British brought with them
their own traditional form of government, and as Christians, they did not have much sympathy for the
Hindu institutions During the initial days of the British East India Company's rule, caste privileges and
customs were encouraged, but the British law courts began to disagree with the discrimination against
the lower castes.

Britain did not only affected the Hindu people by indirect means. A certain number of traditional caste-
linked crafts were made impossible to make because of the large number of importing manufactured
goods from the metropolis. Because of this, many weavers had to turn to agriculture. In other places
occupations that had been passed down from generation to generation had to be closed down because
of newly opened factories

Religion, Culture, and Caste

In Hindu society, caste divisions play a part in both actual social interactions and in the ideal scheme of
values. Members of different castes are expected to behave differently and to have different values and
ideals. These differences are sanctioned by the Hindu religion. Traditionally, the caste system of
stratification in India was legitimized through classical Hindu religious texts, especially as interpreted by
Brahmans
The caste system was rationalized in ancient India on various grounds. One of them was the justification
in the Vedas. The Purushu Sukta in the 10th Mandala of the Rigveda describes how the castes came into
existence: from different parts of the Purusha, the Cosmic Soul, at the time of a grand sacrifice
performed by the gods. As mentioned earlier, the Brahmins came out of his mouth, the Kshatriyas from
his arms, the Vaiyshas from his thighs, and the Shudras from his feet. Another justification derives from
the theory of Karma. This concept rationalizes the caste system based on birth. It supports the argument
that people of the lower castes have to blame themselves for their troubles and low status because of
their bad Karma in their past life.

many in India who were oppressed (like the Shudras and the “untouchables”) joined anti-Brahmanical
movements in order to take a stance against the discriminatory acts they were facing Conversion to
Buddhism seemed to be believed as the only means of emancipation from the injustices associated with
the caste system. This is where the term Dalit derived from; those termed untouchables referred to
themselves as the oppressed people. Sometime the oppressed Shudra castes and tribal groups also refer
to themselves as Dalit. These Dalit activists rejected being defined as Hindus and supported the
movement against social and economic injustice

It is unfortunate that although the original intent of Varnas was not to create caste, it has evolved into
emphasizing the idea of the caste system. Varnas are conditioned with one’s actions and desires based
on Gunas, but people have mistaken Varnas for caste and treat them as identical. Varnas are God
created, whereas caste is man-made; it is simply a social institution and can easily be changed and
modified according to changing needs of society

. The Varna System stood on the basis of Gunas and karmas of the individual and has nothing to do with
birth

There were many movements and governmental actions that took place pre- and postindependence in
order to overcome and attempt to eliminate the inequalities and injustices associated with the caste
system. During the national movement, Gandhi began using the term “Harijans” (God’s people) to refer
to the untouchables in order to encourage a shift towards positive attitude towards the lower castes.
Many lower caste members, however, found the term to be patronizing. The Census of India had started
by the British in the late 19th century, and in 1935, “the British Government of India came up with a list
of 400 groups considered untouchable, as well as many tribal groups, that would be accorded special
privileges in order to overcome deprivation and discrimination. Those groups included on this list came
to be termed Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. In the 1970s, however, many leaders of castes
considered untouchable started calling themselves Dalits”

The anti-caste Dalit movement began with Jyotirao Phule in the mid-19th century, and he started a
movement for education and the upliftment of women, Shudra’s, and Dalits, and the movement spread
to many parts of India. He also worked to abolish the idea of “untouchability,” which meant getting rid
of restrictions on entry into temples, and finding a place for Dalits within Hinduism

After 1910, however, Dalit leaders started focusing on distancing themselves from Hinduism and began
to advocate for a separate electorate for the Dalits. But Gandhi, who was one of the leaders of the
Indian National Congress, tried to instead encourage the incorporation of Dalits as part of reformed
Hinduism. Another prominent movement was the Dalit movement under B.R. Ambedkar, which began
between the 1920s and 1930s Both Ambedkar and Gandhi were advocates for the abolishment of the
caste system, but they disagreed on the means to go about it

Ambedkar did receive constitutional guarantees after independence that reserved a certain percentage
of seats in elections for Dalits, but by the mid-1950s, Ambedkar was not satisfied by the rate of
implementation of the measures. He therefore resigned from government and began to recruit Dalits to
seek rights. During the 1970s, the Dalit Panthers movement sprouted up among the younger generation
of Dalits along with other social movements in India, and their movement expressed their anger and
frustration at the failure of implementation regarding policies that would eliminate acts of violence
against Dalits by upper-caste Hindus in many parts of urban and rural India