Caste system
The caste system
Brahma, 11th or 12th century statue from Madhya Pradesh ©
One feature of Indian society, despite attempts by some Hindu reformers to outlaw it, is the caste system (jati) which ranks society according to occupation.
Caste comes from a Portuguese word, and it is often applied inaccurately to different systems of separating layers of society.
Varnas are the historical division of society into 4 broad classes.
Jatis form the complex multi-layered present-day system.
Varnas
Traditionally, there were four main varnas, plus one group of outsiders:
- The Brahmins, or priests:
- the highest varna, believed to have emerged from Brahma's mouth.
- The Kshatriyas:
- the warrior or ruling class who were made from Brahma's arms.
- The Vaishyas:
- merchants or artisans who came from Brahma's thighs.
- The Shudras:
- the unskilled labourers and servants who emerged from Brahma's feet. These were the lowest class, or varna.
- The Untouchables:
- those too lowly to be within the varna system.
Jatis
Over many centuries, a complex system of castes, or jatis, developed in India. These were exclusive social groups defined by birth, marriage and occupation.
Victorian collection of caste casts
The higher a person's birth, the greater the blessings.
Background
The caste system grew out of two main strands of thought:
- Hierarchy is natural: The belief that a hierarchical social structure is part of the divine intention for natural order.
- Purity: The need to emphasise the importance of ritual purity and impurity.
Caste today
Members of the upper castes consider the lowest castes to be ritually unclean. Marrying someone from a different caste, whilst not officially outlawed, is generally not recognised.
Today, caste barriers have largely broken down in the large cities. "Untouchability" has been abolished by law.
However, loyalty to a caste is much harder to eliminate and it still provides a sense of community and belonging, particularly in country areas.
