The Effects of the Indian Caste System

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Dating all the way back to 1200 BCE, social classes have helped define India’s politics, religion, and its society. The name of the system that the Indians used to classify social classes was the caste system, a way to classify people into ranks, called varnas. There are four ranks that were created in order to classify the people: at the top were the Brahmans, then the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas, and finally the Shudras. The Rig Vedas states that, “the first man created, Purusa, is sacrificed in order to give rise to the four varnas. The Brahmin was his mouth, his two arms were made the Rajanya [Kshatriya, king and warrior], his two thighs [loins] the Vaishya, from his feet the Sudra [servile class] was born” (History of the Caste System in India). Although the Vedas has only spoken of four classes, the Indian culture has adapted one on its own. This class is called the untouchables. The untouchables are a class derived from modern India society, they are classified as people who occupy occupations such as scavenging and skinning dead animals. Society is a very powerful thing, especially in India. These five caste systems have influenced almost all of India’s religion, politics, and society.
Although the enforcement of social classes has died down they can still influence modern India’s politics. One of the biggest ways that the social classes have influenced politics is by opinion. Almost a hundred percent of the time the Indian government will not listen to the lower classes of the Caste system, but only to the higher classes such as the Brahmans and the Kshatriyas. This may not sound like a big deal, however if the government doesn’t start to listen to its lower classes like the untouchables and the Sudras then there could be ...

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...streets and the other half enjoying there lives. Finally social classes have impacted religion due to the way Hinduism teaches the aspects of reincarnation. In the end these five social classes have helped to define India, and some day destroy India.

Works Cited

Hahn, Harley. "Interesting People - Mohandas Gandhi." Interesting People - Mohandas Gandhi. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

"History of the Caste System in India." History of the Caste System in India. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

"India - Caste and Class." India - Caste and Class. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

"India's Population 2013." - Population of India 2013- Current Population of India in 2013. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

"Why Did the Caste System Develop and How Was It Perpetuated?" GCSE Coursework, Essay and Homework Help from Marked By Teachers.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

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