The Caste System The Caste System
Exploring differences in society
The Caste System
• (Varnas and Jatis) => Social Classes
Brought by the Aryans in 1500 B.C.
• Forced the Indians (Dravidians) to become their servants
• As a result, the caste system originated based on ethnic, social and economic distinctions
• Today there are hundreds of sub-castes and four main castes.
• There is also a fifth group.
Aryan Movements
The Main Castes
People divided by birth and hereditary occupation.
• Brahmins: Priestly class and cultured elite.
• Kshatriyas: Warrior class and ruling aristocracy
• Vaishyas: Farmers,
merchants, and professional class.
• Shudras: Low status
laborers and artisans. Known as the servant class.
Harijans:
Untouchables
• Considered to be so lowly that
– they do not have a caste.
• Perform the despicable tasks like killing
animals, tanning hides, sweeping and cleaning.
• Gandhi called them “the children of God’
• 1950 Indian Constitution abolished untouchability…but still exists
Imagine the caste system in our country.
• Place the following occupations in order 1-10Place the following occupations in order 1-10
• (1 being the highest or most pure, 10 being the lowest)(1 being the highest or most pure, 10 being the lowest)
– Doctor
– Web designer – Politician
– Movie Star
– Fast Food worker – Teacher
– Homemaker (domestic issues: cooking, child rearing) – Professional athlete
– Farmer
– Newspaper delivery
• Be able to explain and defend your choicesBe able to explain and defend your choices
Caste Facts
• Once born into a caste, you stay in the caste
• Usually marry within caste, but that is changing
• Each caste has its own rules and duties (dharma)
• Differences in class exists in each caste.
– Ex. poor Brahmin and a rich Kshatriya.
Brahmin Wedding
What effects did the caste system What effects did the caste system
have on India? (+ & -) have on India? (+ & -)
(+) Created order, stability and (+) Created order, stability and
interdependence interdependence
(-) Yet harsh life & segregation for (-) Yet harsh life & segregation for
lower groups
lower groups
Weakening of the Caste System
• Education
• Move to cities
• Constitutional changes:
–right to vote.
• Gandhi
• Industry and Technology
Gandhi Cities
Continuing Caste Strength
• Still strong in the villages (change is slow)
• Hard to separate from the Hindu
tradition…it is entrenched!
What connection is the between the Caste System and Hinduism?
Your place in the Caste System is linked to
Karma (actions) and
Dharma (duty)
Untouchables
• Graphic Film Clip
