The Hindu caste system developed a rigid power imbalance which, despite many attempts, has yet to be overcome. This is shown by the religious basis in the system's formation, the treatment of Untouchables, and the repeated government intervention for attempted equal opportunity. The caste system cannot be simply termed as class. Every caste has members who are educated and rich while other members are uneducated and poor. Caste relates more to a person’s social standing and duties (dharma). The caste system is deeply rooted within Hinduism, tracing its roots to the Rigveda over 3,000 years ago, and continues to be present in modern India. In the caste system, there are 4 social orders (varnas): Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (rulers and …show more content…
The origin of the caste system is in Hindu mythology where the primal man was dismembered, and his body parts became each of the varnas. His mouth became the Brahmins, arms the Kshatriya, thighs the Vaishya, and feet the Shudras. The Brahmins are supposed to be the prime examples of humans with high self-knowledge. These people have the closest connections with the gods, and are protected by the Kshatriya, who are the political and military rulers. These two are complementary, as Brahmins can perform sacrifice to protect the Kshatriya spiritually. The Vaishya and Shudras are definitively lower than the other two varnas, as they are controlled subjects and are to follow behind the others even in walk. Through the performance of dharma, one obtains karma so that in the cycle of rebirth (samsara) one’s following life can be in a higher varna or obtain moksha (release). This system allows for strict social immobility without radical desire for change, as actions carry an effect on one’s future self. It is this thought that makes a servant work without question. Dharma is dependent on jati and performing one’s duty to the best of one’s ability, like one’s father and grandfather and generations prior, allows for a future self to gain reward. Hope, generational precedent, and external power, kept Hindus obedient during the Vedic period. Religious …show more content…
It is unknown how this group of people was formed, but they are thought to be unclean Shudras who were outcast. Modern Untouchables, or Dalits, consist of approximately 160 million people and many do not believe this condition results from misbehavior in previous lives. One myth of how they came to be tells of a pair of poor brothers who went to pray to God. God asked them to remove a cow carcass and the elder brother misspoke, saying his younger brother is Brahmin, not that the younger brother will do it. This made the elder brother into a Paraiyar, one of the Dalit jatis. The Untouchables’ story is supposedly one of misunderstanding, or in other myths foolishness. Regardless of origin, the Dalits remain a highly persecuted people, essentially in a living
Thousands of years ago, Indian society developed into a complex system based on different classes. This system is known as the Caste System. It separated Indians into different castes based on what class they were born into. As thousands of years went by, this system grew larger and became further complex (Wadley 189). This system caused frustration for the Indian citizens because they were receiving inequality.
According to, Sociology: The Essentials, caste system is defined as a system of stratification (characterized by low social mobility) in which one’s place in the stratification system is determined by birth. This is also acknowledged as an ascribed status. “This system in found in the traditional Hindu population of India” (Haviland 256). Although it is found in other parts of the world,
The Hindu caste system had four major classes which they gave different names based on their creators’ body parts, the Bantu people only had one ruling class, while the medieval Europeans had three classes which they called estates. Hindu tradition relates that the system of castes to different body parts of the creator god Brahma. On the top is Brahmin, or priests, then warriors (of the Kshatriya class), traders (of the Vaishya class) and laborers (of the Sudra class). The early Bantu social structure is simply based on kinship due to the low population, usually the higher status will bring higher power to the family, the man of the most prominent family would become the chief. As the population grows more complex political system was formed and the idea hierarchy was
Sudras were the lowest class and often found themselves working the jobs no one else wanted, such as sweeping, cremating, and executing. Jati was a sub-category within each caste group, outlining the duties each person must abide by. Jati class could sometimes be adjusted due to the acquisition of wealth or by simply behaving in the way someone of a higher class would. The Varna and Jati systems of caste in India were heavily influenced by the teachings presented in Hinduism. When Hinduism began, Brahmin priests were paid to conduct rituals and prayers.
Dictionary.com defines a caste system as “a system of rigid social stratification characterized by hereditary status, endogamy, and social barriers sanctioned by custom, law, or religion” This means someone born into a low caste cannot move up to a higher caste because of this system. Although a caste system is not a set of laws, it is almost never broken because the caste system has been in place for so long.
In every civilization there exists a hierarchy that is accepted by the people that are a part of it. This hierarchy, which is present in all societies, is called a class system and usually includes an upper class, a middle class, and a lower class. The upper class consists of those who are the richest in a society, the middle class consists of the working people, and the lower class consists of the poorest people. There is one class system that consists of five tiers, including one that is below its lower class, and differs from any other system; the caste system of India. In a caste system, the class that is received is hereditary and cannot be changed like in other societies. The civilization of India has an extensive history with this longstanding and controversial caste system that has evolved over time and is still in place today.
If you ask any Hindu how the caste system started they would lead you to the Brahma who was the four-headed, four-handed deity and worshipped as the creator of the universe. But 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.
...onsibility in life which is decided by the caste they are born into. However, living amongst other people, one’s soul might become “forgetful of the Lord” which leads to “[attaching] itself to pleasure” which would make it “bound” to the wheel of the universe. For a soul to escape this cycle birth, death, and rebirth, it is necessary to connect with this god. The Hindu people believed that “by uniting oneself with him…one ceases to be ignorant” and this means “Birth, death, and rebirth will be no more.” This credence of rebirth and karma highly influenced the way the Hindu society developed.
The Hindis believe that the purpose of their life is to gain good karma, follow the laws, and be a good person as they feel they will be rewarded in their next life. They want to act dharma, which is to act rightly or appropriately, by doing this they will gain positive karma as acting according with their dharma has them gain positive karma. Their next life will result of the moral worth of their deeds and the person they were in their previous life.
In India, the religion of Hinduism in particular, provides two sources of support in regards to the social structure of the era. These sources are the Vedas and the Upanishads. According to The Rig Veda when Purusha’s body was divided “his mouth became the brāhman; his two arms were made into the rajanya; his two thighs the vaishyas; from his two feet the shūdra was born (Reilly, 92).” By splitting up the body in this way, there was a justification for the creation of the varna or caste system. The highest class or Brahmin’s were the priest class, who were also known as the most pure. In this role, they were the connecting figures between Purusha and his people, which is reflective of them being his mouth. The next upper division class was the Ksatriya or warrior/leader class. In the class, the role was to do the fighting which was reflective of them being Purusha’s arms. The artisan/farmer or middle class was known as the vaisyas. In this class, members represented the role of the thighs of Purusha, who were responsible for doing the brunt or tougher jobs in society. The nethermost social class was the sudra, who were serfs and servants. They represented the feet of Pursha, which is reflective of their status as the lowest class. Along with the Vedas, the Upanishads served as a written guideline for the varna. These works urged the concept of doin...
In Hinduism, people are born into their respective caste, determined by parentage. The four main castes are: Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (common people), or Shudras(servants). Each caste has its own duties to attend to, and each is expected to do so without regard to personal thought or choice. If duties are not attended to in the way befitting one’s caste, it is thought that the individual would suffer from bad karma. If an individual responds to situations in a way befitting of their caste, they are likewise rewarded with good karma. This insinuates an easy way to manipulate people into behaving in ways that they might not otherwise behave.
Caste System is a social system based on ascribed statuses, which are traits or characteristics of people at birth. The ascribed status includes race, gender, nationality, body type and age. The caste system ranks people so rigidly. A person cannot just change his caste any time he wants.
Most people in the world derive their religious beliefs and traditions from their parents and peer influences. From a religious point of view, “There are many definitions for the term ‘religion’ in common usage. [Broadly defined], in order to include the greatest number of belief systems: ‘Religion is any specific system of belief about deity, often involving rituals, a code of ethics, and a philosophy of life’” (Robinson, 1996). However, in examining Hinduism, it is difficult to label the practices as a religion. This paper will expound upon the Hindu traditions, taking into account the characteristics of sacred elements, their meaning, and significance.
Divided into four major social categories, the caste system categorizes Hindus, who act accordingly to their caste, into Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Sudra. Another class, the “untouchables,” is considered outside of the system. These five different classes of society define each person greatly. Castes are unchangeable and rarely intermarry. This social division is yet another example of how religion disbands organizations of people.
The caste system in India is elaborately structured to have an Indian touch to it, clearly distinguishing it from social structures worldwide. Caste is a word often used to describe a cluster of people who have a specific rank in the society. Each caste system is elaborately crafted to suit the needs of the society and they vary from group to group; each has its own rules and customs. Different chaste systems are planned in a hierarchical manner to become part of any of the four basic colors; varnas (a Sanskrit word for color). These include; the varna of Brahmans, identified with the learned class and priests; varna of Kshatriyas, which is encompasses warriors, rulers and property owners, the varna of Vaishyas, which attracts traders ; and lastly the varna of Shudras, who are servile laborers (Bayly, 1999).