Caste system is declining, it is just confined to old aged illiterate people, it has nothing to do with religion, it is just a social problem, most of the people are against the caste system in the society, this system is going to be wiped out within ten years, say in 2020, there will be no or negligible caste related discrimination in the society. Those who talk about the caste system are perpetuating it, inciting and provocating it, this issue should not be discussed in social sphere. This system can be eradicated through education and education can be an effective tool in improving the social harmony. These are the views of some of my friends about caste and caste related problem. These were the moot points of an informal discussion among the friends about ‘caste and religion’ subject held at today afternoon. It started with lighter note with teaching of various religions and later on it struck with the Hindu religion and its inhuman face. Religion is always a sentimental issue and accusing religion for inequality in the society did not go down well with some of my friends. On this issue every friend was unanimous that there is not inequality enshrined in Hindu religion but with the time so many anomalies crept in the religion which perpetuated inequality. As per their opinion caste and its related discrimination is not a religious issue but a social issue. I differ on this point. Unlike other religions, Hindu has many religious books. Hindus have Vedas, purans, upnishad, Ramayana, mahabharta, gita, Manu smriti and many more. There are so many ways of worshipping in Hindu dharma and this religion has enough liberty to choose the different ways to reach the Supreme Being. There are so many Sanskrit slokas and suktas to pro... ... middle of paper ... ...rene for Hindu religion, humanism as well as Indian democracy. A disease which has potential to destroy all the organs, a menace which can engulf peace and harmony in the society. Such disease should not be kept hidden from the others, because hiding the disease is not the cure of it. Disease must be discussed, must be informed about ill effects and must be told how to prevent it from the society. Discussion, debate and dialogue are an effective tool to tackle this problem, a right way to sensitize the people. In fact in national building it is necessary to have a discussion forum on very block level to tackle this century old problem of our country. As my friends think, I too want to see a “caste” word obsolete in the society, until unless a strong, vibrant movement is not started to combat it, eradication of this ill system does not seem possible in near future.
The caste system of India originated from the “strict societal class distinction between the nobility and the common people” that the Aryans brought to the Indus Valley in the early 1500s BCE (Cunningham, Reich, Fichner-Rathus 163). The Aryans, who migrated from Europe, invaded and imposed their will upon the indigenous people of the Indus valley in order to build a control system that would keep them at the top and their blood line untainted. This social ranking system that they implemented has been a staple in Indian society ever since and has undergone many changes over the last thirty-five hundred years. A person’s rank in society was acquired through birth rites and was permanent. It was believed that a person’s rank could only be changed in the next life after death. “Movement from one rank to another was believed to be connected to good or bad deeds during one’s lifetime” (163).
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.
The English word religion loosely translates into “rules” in Latin. Therefore, a religion teaches us how to think, how to act, and basically everything except what to eat in the morning. The Hindu and Christian religion agree on many things and our society follows some of the rules too because religion and laws are based on humanity. From holy literature many different ideas have been pawned but they are all supposed to lead you to the same things: a happy, healthy life, contribution to the world around us, and some kind of liberation after death. Concerning these ideals the Hindu religion has come up with three ways to make sure that everybody will get what they want out of life and those are the four stages, the four goals, and the four castes of life. There is so much holy war about which religion is right and wrong but if they all are striving for the same thing it is hard for me to see why they take place. In this essay I will show that Christianity is very similar to Hinduism.
Throughout the history of the world there have been many ways that a civilization has justified their social class. A social class as defined by the dictionary states that a social class is a division of a society based on social and economic status. Religion is one of the many factors that lies on the heart of a civilization when justifying a social class. One of the world’s elite and well followed religion is Hinduism. Hinduism is one of the oldest religion in the world. The oldest religions has one of the oldest social classes which is called the caste system. The caste system has affected the lives of millions of people around the world from the ancient times to the modern and changing world in India and other Hindu nations today. A Caste system is a social structure that is determined by
The caste system is a type of social inequality that exists mainly in the Indian Sub-continent, which was said to have been introduced by the Aryans, who categorised the different kinds of people as Brahmins (Nobles), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (Merchants), sudras (servants) and the untouchables who were not allowed to mingle with the other higher sections of the society or to do the work other than those which were ...
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 current manifestations of the caste system are now far more generalized across the Indian subcontinent than was the case in former times. Caste as we now recognize has been endangered, shaped and perpetuated by comparatively recent political and social developments. This is evident even i...
Because of its long tradition, its links to social status and its integration with cultural activities, Hinduism has had an enormous influence on Indian society. It is not only a religion, but also a way of life for Indians.
Using the term “caste” to characterize social groups, particularly among the Hindu culture, was first used in the 16th century. The term was used to divide individuals into socially ranked occupational categories in effort to preserve social distance. These groups then carried out mutual exclusion among themselves in matters involving marriage and even to the degree of restricting what food they can consume (Madan 2010). An individual’s placement in the caste system is thought to be a direct reflection of karma from past lives.
In recent decades, with the spread of secular education and growing urbanisation, the influence of caste has somewhat declined, especially in cities where different castes live side-by-side and inter-caste marriages are becoming more common. In certain southern states and in the northern state of Bihar, many people began using just one name after social reform movements. Despite the changes though, caste identities remain strong, and last names are almost always indications of what caste a person belongs
The categorization of a caste descends as low as “untouchables.” This term was ascribed to people that were considered so tainted that they were not to be touched by the other castes, and they were not allowed to even be in sight of the upper class. One could postulate that this is quite similar to the antiquated belief that African Americans were “unclean” and should be segregated from Caucasians.
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.
It is these ideas that that sometimes promote the wrong image to Indian society. By promoting the ideas of caste people may be influenced to do the same in real life which can result in an array of situations. People may run away from home, or even commit suicide as a result of not being allowed to be with whom they please.
“One can somehow get past poverty and deprivation, but it is impossible to get past caste (2).” He feels greatly disturbed to note that even if the Dalits wanted to join the mainstream of society after getting education, the superior classes prevented them from such a
In each society, there are different types of rules and ideologies that are used in order to help govern its people. Within these communities, these rules create a social hierarchy developed through a ranked system based on either economic value or religious beliefs. A type of ranked system that most people are familiar with is the Caste System in India, which is a system of classification in a society based on birth. This complex social structure is most prevalent in India, where social hierarchy is in affiliation with Hinduism. It recognizes two concepts known as Varna and Jati. Varna is a word in Sanskrit meaning color and includes four main groups: the Brahmans, Kshtriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. The fifth group, the most segregated caste in the system, is the Untouchables. Within each Varna contains an array of sub-caste called Jatis, which are also based on birth. The rules of the cases are governed through religious ideas of purity and pollution. These two socially constructed ideologies determine whether or not you were respected in the community. Caste assignments in India are predestined at birth rather than a personal choice. Individuals act and dress like those of their own caste in public, due to strict caste laws. Pressures of these rules tend to brainwash people into conforming into what society considers pure, as we’ll see in Kakar & Kakar’s reading. As human nature takes precedent, caste rules become less relevant. Indulging in one’s own desires or needs, especially during times of hardship, outweighs any types of rules that we’ll see in Freeman’s reading and the movie Distant Thunder. Though the caste system is such an intrinsic part of life, when faced with needs to survive, it becomes nothing more than just a...