Preview

Caste System in India

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
540 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Caste System in India
The caste system, or Varna, of India, came about when the Aryan speaking Nomadic groups came to India about 1500B.C.. The Aryan priests divided society into a caste system with four parts. This system determined Indian occupations. The priests and teachers were the highest caste. The second in rank were rulers and warriors, with merchants and traders third in rank. Last were the workers and peasants who were born to be servants to the other three castes. People could not change their caste. They had to marry and socialize with people from their own caste. This is very different from the class system of America.
<br>
<br> In the United States class is determined by how much wealth you have, not usually by your occupation. The three classes are the upper class, middle class, and lower class. Most Americans fall into middle class or lower class with the very wealthiest people in the upper class. There is one section of the upper class, which is considered old money. These are families that have inherited fortunes from their relatives and are a small part of what is called high society. In American society you are not forced into one class. You can work in any job to make your fortune and are not stopped from performing any job that you would like to do just because you were born into lower or middle class. Our system is also not based on religion like the Indian caste system is.
<br>
<br> Another group in India's caste system are the untouchables. The untouchables are the people that have been thrown out of their caste because of something that they did that was wrong. The children of these people were also untouchables. The Indian constitution has abolished the system of untouchables. It is against the law to discriminate against the untouchables. Their constitution does not abolish the caste system. They cannot abolish the caste system because that would mean they would have to abolish lineages of related families from which parents select their children's

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    There were two parts to the caste system: The Caste as Varna and the Caste as Jati. The function of the Caste system was that it was very local and so it focused loyalties on a restricted territory. It made empire building very difficult and the caste was like a substitute for the state. The caste provided some social security and support for widows, orphans etc. The caste was a means to accommodate the migrants and invaders. Last but not least the caste made it easier for the wealthy and powerful to exploit the poor. The caste system which used birth to place people into their sectors of the sacred hierarchy was closely tied to the Hindu religion. This system remained an integral part of Indian society for…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Dalits were the “untouchables”, the “outcastes”, the “children of God” of the Indian society. They were below the Indian Caste…

    • 1570 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Questions On Caste System

    • 1024 Words
    • 5 Pages

    | | * Question 1 3 out of 3 points | | | The "bell curve" thesis states that, in recent decades, U.S. society:Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | is becoming more of a meritocracy. | Correct Answer: | is becoming more of a meritocracy. | | | | | * Question 2 3 out of 3 points | | | Work involving mostly mental activity is called:Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | white-collar work. | Correct Answer: | white-collar work. | | | | | * Question 3 3 out of 3 points | | | The historical replacement of caste systems with class systems:Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | replaces one kind of inequality with another.…

    • 1024 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mesopotamia Social System

    • 773 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Caste system is a way to categorize people in society by their ethnicity and job status. This was also hereditary and would pass from generation to generation. The caste system, though it shares the classes that many ancient civilizations followed, did not necessarily influence them at all. Some theorize that if that were the case others would have a more defined class system rather than based on wealth and status, which most of them did. Rather some historians theorize these caste came from a war and fighting with the Dravidians, the dominate group in that area.(aqrobatiq, 2015) How ever the system formed it stuck, with almost impossible odds against someone to change their caste in life. The Caste system formed out of the natural self organization that humans do when lacking a bureaucratic system in place like Egypt and Mesopotamia, The levels of the Caste system from top to bottom…

    • 773 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hinduism Study Guide

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages

    * Caste system- divides people into separate social groups that have varying rights, responsibilities, professions, and statuses…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    While the Indian Caste system and Contemporary society differ in many aspects, they however have similarities such as their class system and their written laws. India divides their people into a caste system called the Varna whereas contemporary society has a socioeconomic system. Each system has categories that their natives fall into and live according to their economic standing. Along with the class system, each society has similar written laws that guarantee equal rights amongst all people.…

    • 258 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The caste system is divided based on hereditary groups and is endogamous; you cannot marry into another caste group. Despite the laws passed to prevent…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    For example, the British people served as magistrates, sanitations officials, generals, judges, and other high government positions, because of the caste system. Also, Brahmins, and merchants, could easily exploit deals for them, that would make Britain rich and in return, the British Raj may lift the helper’s place in society. There was no reason to abolish the caste system, because it helped the British people gain a lot of money, it gave them power, and it make their supporters happy, because their supporters also wanted to continue the caste system. However, this continuation of the caste system is inherently evil, and was not a wise decision in the long run. This continuity of the caste system is horrific because it oppresses the Dalits and basically treats them as sub-humans. The Dalit’s mere presence and eye contact to anyone is seen as “impure”. These Dalits are so oppressed that they must tie a broom to their hips so their “impure” footsteps are cleared away. They have spittle’s hung around their necks, because a Dalits spit, according to Hindu culture, can “impurify” the whole place. The mere shadow of a Dalit can be “impure” and bad, and thus the Dalits are constantly oppressed, no one cares about…

    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Caste System In India

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages

    From a perspective of someone who lived in India for three years, the caste system in…

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    According to Indianchild.com the India caste system is a hierarchical society. In the Indian caste system, no matter where you live or what religion you are everybody is ranked into one of the five levels. The caste system is respected and followed by all who live within the system. No matter where you live everyone knows their caste ranking, and they behave towards each other according to their ranking.…

    • 1316 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Caste System is a process of placing people in occupational groups based on Hindu beliefs. There are four levels, Brahman (priests), Kshatriya (warriors), Vaishya (traders), and Shudra (laborers), into which a person can be born into his lifetime. The outcasts of society are the untouchables. The untouchables are the ones considered to be in the state of impurity and therefore, are obligated to isolate themselves from the rest of the population in India (Untouchability, n.d.). Each caste is expected to fulfil his duty according to the duties, lifestyle, and rights designated to him, thus allowing for the success of society as a whole (Manian, n.d.).…

    • 2624 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    There was another caste consisted of local people and were called “Untouchables”. They were not considered as a caste infect. They were outcaste. They were used to perform the least desirable activities like cleaning toilets, dealing with dead bodies etc. They were disallowed to touch high caste and stand at some distance from high castes. This is not enough. Well, they have some other restrictions too. They were not allowed to enter holy places, schools and were not allowed to even touch the things belong to high castes. In some parts of Southern India, even the sight of untouchables was thought to be polluting so they were forced to sleep during the day and work at night.…

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The feature, entitled ‘India’s Untouchables’ is written for the Current Affairs Magazine and offers a unique perspective on the ethnic discrimination in India. By providing stories and experiences of the victims of ethnic discrimination, the article effectively gives the reader an insight into the sufferings the discriminated have to endure.…

    • 1351 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Casteism in India

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The base of India's social structure is caste and sub-caste. Infact, caste systems has been an integral part of Indian society. In ancient times, varna' system started in India which had four 'varnas'- Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Thus, the basis of caste.…

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    I could not believe it. They were barely 5-6 years old. I was astonished at the fact that how agreeingly they had given in to the social discrimination. I gave them a sympathetic look but they didn’t react. They didn’t care about by compassion, they just wanted food. My sympathy would not satisfy their hunger and hunger is the most prominent feeling they have. They don’t need dignity or education which will not bring them food. They don’t care if they have to clean gutters or do manual scavenging. They are not aware of their rights under Article 15, Article 17, Article 21A or Article 24 and they don’t give a damn to it.…

    • 1163 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays