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INDIAN CASTE SYSTEM
MTRA. CARMEN TATAY FERNÁNDEZ 
ORIGINS OF CIVILIZATION | 1205
LLM-INGLÉS
FLL-UAQ
CASTE SYSTEM
• THE WORD "CASTE” IS TAKEN FROM THE PORTUGUESE 
WORD “CASTA”; IT CAN BE DEFINED AS A RIGID SOCIAL 
SYSTEM IN WHICH A SOCIAL HIERARCHY IS MAINTAINED 
GENERATION
AFTER GENERATION AND ALLOWS LITTLE MOBILITY OUT 
OF THE POSITION TO WHICH A PERSON IS BORN.
• THIS SYSTEM DATES ALMOST 3000 YEARS BACK AND WAS 
FORMED BASED ON THE NEED TO FORM A SOCIAL ORDER 
IN ANCIENT INDIA; IT IS STILL VERY PREVALENT AS PART 
OF INDIA'S SOCIETY.
• TODAY, IT OCCURS MORE IN THE RURAL VILLAGES THAN IN 
BIG URBAN CITIES; AND MORE IN THE SOCIAL MATTERS OF 
KINSHIP AND MARRIAGES THAN IN IMPERSONAL DAY-TO-
DAY INTERACTION, SUCH AS TAKING THE BUS.
ORIGINS
• THE ORIGINAL CASTE SYSTEM CAME ABOUT WHEN THE 
ARYANS MIGRATED FROM THE NORTH TO INDIA 
AROUND 1600BC.
• DURING THE VEDIC AGE, MANU, THE FOUNDER OF 
THIS ANCIENT HINDU OR ARYAN SOCIETY ESTABLISHED 
THE NEW SOCIAL ORDER, REFLECTING A RETURN TO 
SPIRITUAL VALUES FROM AN EARLIER AND
MATERIALISTIC HUMANITY.
• HE FOUNDED FOUR SOCIAL ORDERS BASED ON FOUR 
MAIN GOALS OF BOTH HUMANS AND SOCIETY.
• A SOCIAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM OF FOUR DIFFERENT
CLASSES (VARNAS) WAS THUS DEVISED SO THAT THE
HUMAN RACE COULD HAVE A SMOOTH AND ORDERED
LIFE IN SOCIETY.
DURING THE VEDIC PERIOD, 
THE CASTE SYSTEM WAS 
BASED ON VARNA (COLOR), 
AND IN THE ANCIENT 
INDIAN SOCIETY, CASTE WAS 
ASSOCIATED WITH BIRTH, 
WHICH MEANS A 
PERSON BORN IN UPPER
CASTE WOULD REMAIN 
SUPERIOR THROUGHOUT 
HIS LIFE AND THE ONE 
BORN IN A LOWER CASTE 
FAMILY WOULD LIVE HIS 
ENTIRE LIFE AS AN
INFERIOR BEING.
HINDUISM AND CASTE SYSTEM
• THE ORIGIN OF THE CASTE SYSTEM IS IN HINDUISM,
BUT IT AFFECTED THE WHOLE INDIAN SOCIETY.
• THE CASTE SYSTEM IN THE RELIGIOUS FORM IS BASICALLY A
SIMPLE DIVISION OF SOCIETY IN WHICH THERE ARE FOUR
CASTES ARRANGED IN A HIERARCHY AND BELOW THEM THE
OUTCAST; BUT SOCIALLY THE CASTE SYSTEM WAS MORE
COMPLICATED, WITH MUCH MORE CASTES AND SUB-CASTES
AND OTHER DIVISIONS.
• LEGALLY THE GOVERNMENT DISALLOWS THE PRACTICE OF
CASTE SYSTEM BUT HAS A POLICY OF AFFIRMATIVE
DISCRIMINATION OF THE BACKWARD CLASSES.
• THE CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA CAN BE DESCRIBED AS AN
ELABORATELY STRATIFIED SOCIAL HIERARCHY DISTINGUISHING
INDIA'S SOCIAL STRUCTURE FROM ANY OTHER NATION.
CASTE & HIERARCHY
JATIS
• CASTE IS A TERM, WHICH IS USED TO SPECIFY A GROUP OF PEOPLE HAVING
A SPECIFIC SOCIAL RANK AND DATES BACK TO 1200 BCE.
• THE INDIAN TERM FOR CASTE IS JATI, AND GENERALLY DESIGNATES A 
GROUP THAT CAN VARY IN SIZE FROM A HANDFUL TO MANY THOUSANDS.
• THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF JATIS EACH WITH ITS OWN RULES AND 
CUSTOMS.
• THE VARIOUS JATIS ARE TRADITIONALLY ARRANGED IN HIERARCHICAL
ORDER AND FIT INTO ONE OF THE FOUR BASIC VARNAS THE (SANSKRIT
WORD FOR “COLORS”).
➢THE VARNA OF BRAHMANS, COMMONLY IDENTIFIED WITH PRIESTS
AND THE LEARNED CLASS
➢THE VARNA OF KSHATRIYAS, ASSOCIATED WITH RULERS AND WARRIORS 
INCLUDING PROPERTY OWNERS.
➢THE VARNA OF VAISHYAS, ASSOCIATED WITH COMMERCIAL 
LIVELIHOODS (I.E. TRADERS)
➢THE VARNA OF SHUDRAS, THE SERVILE LABORERS
CASTES & ETHNICITY
• THESE FIVE GROUPS WERE KNOWN AS VARNAS, WITH MANY SUBGROUPS
BASED ON KINSHIP CALLED JATIS IN EACH VARNA.
• THE MOST POWERFUL GROUP, CALLED THE BRAHMINS, WERE ALL POWERFUL.
• TEACHING, STUDYING, SACRIFICING FOR HIMSELF, SACRIFICING FOR OTHERS, 
MAKING GIFTS AND RECEIVING THEM ARE THE SIX ACTS PRESCRIBED FOR A
BRAHMIN.
• THE NEXT GROUP, CALLED THE KSHATRIYAS, WERE THE LEADERS OF THE
MILITARY.
• THE THIRD MOST POWERFUL GROUP, THE VAISYA, WERE RESPONSIBLE
FOR TRADING.
• THE SUDRA, WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR PHYSICAL LABOR AND CONTAINED
PEOPLE WHO WORKED AS ARTISANS.
• FINALLY, THE “UNTOUCHABLES” ARE THE LOWEST OF THE LOW, A GROUP
SOMETIMES NOT EVEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE CASTE SYSTEM. 
•THE UNTOUCHABLES WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR SEWAGE CLEANING AND THE
DIRTY WORK OF AN AREA.
CASTES & BODY PARTS
THE CASTE SYSTEM OF INDIA 
IS OFTEN PORTRAYED AS A HUMAN BEING.
▪ THE BRAHMINS ARE THE HEAD OF
THE MAN.
▪ THE KSHATRIYA ARE CONSIDERED
THE SHOULDERS.
▪ THE VAISYA ARE THE THIGHS.
▪ THE SUDRA ARE THE FEET.
▪ THE UNTOUCHABLES ARE THE
GROUND ON WHICH THE MAN IS
STANDING
BRAHMANS
• BRAHMANS ASSUMED THE TOP POSITION BECAUSE OF THEIR
RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE AND THEY WERE ALSO IN CHARGE OF
PERFORMING ALL RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES FROM BIRTH TILL
DEATH.
• BRAHMANS' BLESSINGS WERE REQUIRED EVERYWHERE, WHETHER IT WAS
FOUNDATION LAYING CEREMONY OF A PALACE OR A BRIDGE OR ANY
OTHER IMPORTANT EVENT.
• RULERS AS WELL AS NOBLE USED TO OFFER COSTLY PRESENTS TO
BRAHMANS IN ORDER TO WIN THEIR FAVOUR.
• IT WAS BELIEVED THAT IF SOMEBODY PRESENTED ONE THOUSAND COWS
TO A BRAHMAN, HE WOULD BE SURE TO GET SALVATION OF HIS SOUL.
• BRAHMANS WERE SO HIGHLY RESPECTABLE THAT THEY WERE
ALLOWED TO GO INSIDE THE HARAM, THE LIVING QUARTERS OF
ROYAL FAMILY.
• BRAHMANS ALSO INCLUDED ASCETICS WHO HAD ABANDONED
WORLDLY LIFE.
The wages of untouchables 
are wrapped in a leaf and 
dropped from a safe 
distance into their hands
BRAHMAN FOUR PHASES
• BRAHMANS, ASSUMING THAT LIFE IS OF 100 YEARS, DIVIDED IT INTO FOUR
EQUAL PARTS, EACH OF 25 YEARS.
• THE FIRST PHASE WAS CALLED BRAHMACARYA (SPIRITUAL STUDENT LIFE
TILL 25 YEARS) IN WHICH THEY USED TO STUDY AND ACQUIRE
KNOWLEDGE.
• THEN COMES THE GRIHASTHA-ASHRAM PHASE (25 TILL 49 YEARS) IN WHICH
THEY GOT MARRIED AND ENJOYED FAMILY LIFE.
• THIRD PHASE IS SANNYASA (50 TILL 75 YEARS) IN WHICH THEY USED TO LEAVE
HOME AND FAMILY AND TAKE REFUGE IN FORESTS FOR WORSHIPPING AND
MEDITATION.
• LAST ONE IS THE VAIKUNTHA OR GOLOKA PHASE (75 YEARS ONWARDS) IN
WHICH THEY PREPARED THEMSELVES FOR DEATH AND READY TO
SURRENDER THEIR SOULS.
• BRAHMANS WERE REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH ALL THESE PHASES WHILE OTHER
CASTES HAD SOME RELAXATION.
▫ FOR EXAMPLE, KSHATRIYAS WERE REQUIRED TO PASS ONLY THREE OF THEM
AND SHUDRAS WERE FREE OF ALL.
MIDDLE CASTES
KSHATRYAS VAISHAS
THE SUDRAS
• THE SUDRA ARE THE LOWEST OF THE FOUR MAIN VARNAS
OF THE INDIAN CASTE SYSTEM.
• THEIR MAIN JOB IS TO SERVE THE UPPER THREE CLASSES, BY
WORKING AS ARTISANS, CREATING POTTERY AND OTHER
TOOLS THAT ARE NEEDED BY THE UPPER CLASSES.
• THOUGH NOT AS LOW IN RANK AS THE "UNTOUCHABLES,"
THE SUDRAS ARE VERY OFTEN LOOKED DOWN UPON BY THE
OTHER CLASSES.
• SOME THEORIES HAVE STATED THAT THE SUDRAS ARE THE
DESCENDANTS OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE INDUS
CIVILIZATION.
• SUDRAS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO WEAR A SACRED THREAD, 
YET THEY ARE ALLOWED IN ALL TEMPLES ACROSS INDIA.
• TODAY, SUDRAS ARE NORMALLY SELF-EMPLOYED FARMERS, AS
WELL AS BEING FOUND IN ALL WALKS OF MODERN LIFE.
• THEY NUMBER SEVERAL HUNDRED MILLION AND STRETCH
ACROSS ALL OF INDIA.
FACTS ABOUT THE SUDRAS
1. SUDRA ARE USUALLY IDENTIFIED BY THEIR VOCABULARY; IT
USUALLY INCLUDES VULGARITIES.
2. A SUDRA'S NAME MAY BE BASED ON THEIR OCCUPATIONS, DUE TO
THE FACT THAT MANY SUDRAS ARE ARTISANS.
3. WHEN A SUDRA DIES, THE BODY IS TAKEN TO THE GRAVE
THROUGH A SOUTH GATE, BECAUSE ALL OTHER GATES ARE
RESERVED FOR THE UPPER CASTES
4. AT ONE POINT, THE JOBS SUDRAS PERFORMED WERE CONSIDERED
SO UNIMPORTANT THAT THEY WERE CONSIDERED EQUIVALENT
TO "UNTOUCHABLES”; THIS IDEA WAS QUICKLY DISCARDED.
5. THE MURDER OF A SUDRA BY A BRAHMIN IS EQUIVALENT TO THE
MURDER OF A FROG OR MOUSE.
6. IF A SUDRA MARRIES INTO A CLASS ABOVE HIS OWN, THEIR
OFFSPRING WILL BE CASTE INTO A CASTE EVEN LOWER THAN THE
SUDRA.
7. A SUDRA IS NOT ALLOWED TO CARRY THE CORPSE OF A
PERSON IN A HIGHER CASTE.
8. SUDRA HAVE NO FORMAL DRESS CODE. THEY ARE USUALLY
DRESSED IN OLD, WORN DOWN CLOTHING THAT IS NOT ABLE TO BE
WORN BY ANYONE IN A HIGHER CLASS.
9. SUDRA EAT FOOD THAT IS "NOT WORTHY" OF BEING IN THE
MOUTH OF ANYBODY IN ONE OF THE UPPER THREE CLASSES.
10. A SUDRA IS NEVER RELEASED FROM SERVITUDE. IT IS INNATE
TO HIM, THEREFORE THERE IS NOTHING TO FREE HIM FROM IT.
THE UNTOUCHABLES
• THE UNTOUCHABLES OCCUPY A PLACE THAT IS
NOT CLEARLY DEFINED BY BOUNDARIES AND IS
OUTSIDE OF THE VARNASCHEME.
• THEIR JOBS (SUCH AS TOILET CLEANING AND
GARBAGE REMOVAL) CAUSE THEM TO BE
CONSIDERED IMPURE AND THUS
“UNTOUCHABLE.”
• HISTORICALLY THE UNTOUCHABLES WERE NOT
ALLOWED IN TEMPLES AND MANY OTHER
PUBLIC PLACES.
• IN 1950 LEGISLATION WAS PASSED TO
PREVENT ANY FORM OF DISCRIMINATION
TOWARDS THE UNTOUCHABLES.
• ALTHOUGH LEGISLATION HAS AFFECTED THE
STATUS OF THE PEOPLE, THEY ARE YET VERY
MUCH A VISIBLE PART OF INDIAN SOCIETY.
PARIAHS
CASTES & RELIGION
• THE EARLIEST EXPRESSIONS OF CASTE IS FOUND IN ONE OF
INDIA’S RELIGIOUS SCRIPTURE KNOWN AS THE VEDAS.
• THEY ARE THOUGH TO HAVE BEEN COMPLIED BETWEEN
1500 AND 1000 BCE, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE
TRANSMITTED ORALLY FOR MANY GENERATIONS BEFORE
BEING WRITTEN DOWN.
• THESE WORKS ARE CONSIDERED THE SOURCE OF ANCIENT
INDIAN WISDOM.
• THE FIRST OF THE FOUR BASIC VEDIC BOOKS IS THE RIG
VEDA; A COLLECTION OF OVER 1,000 HYMNS
CONTAINING THE BASIC MYTHOLOGY OF THE ARYAN GODS.
• THE RIG VEDA CONTAINS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS
SECTIONS IN ANCIENT INDIAN LITERATURE IN WHICH THE
FIRST MAN CREATED, PURUSA, IS SACRIFICED IN ORDER
TO GIVE RISE TO THE FOUR VARNAS.
VARNAS & FUNCTIONS
• VARNAS CLASSIFY PEOPLE NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF THEIR DIFFERENT 
QUALITIES BUT ALSO WITH RESPECT TO THEIR DIFFERENT 
PRIVILEGES.
• EACH CLASS THUS HAS A SPECIAL ROLE TO PLAY IN SOCIETY AS WELL 
AS A UNIQUE FUNCTION: THIS STRUCTURE IS A MEANS OF CREATING 
AND ORGANIZING AN EFFECTIVE SOCIETY.
• THE VARNA SYSTEM IS INTER-LINKED WITH CREATION, LENDING 
ITSELF A GREAT DEAL OF REVERENCE AND VALIDITY.
• IF SPACE, TIME THE CONGREGATION OF THE GODS AND GODDESSES, 
THE NATURAL WORLD, SCRIPTURE AND RITUAL, AND THE HUMAN 
BODY ITSELF- IF ALL THESE REALMS BEAR CLASSIFICATION 
ACCORDING TO VARNA, ALSO THE ORGANIZATION OF SOCIETY.
• THE VEDAS DO NOT MENTION A CONCEPT SUCH AS UNTOUCHABILITY; 
IT IS A PART OF THE SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN CREATED BY SOCIETY
ITSELF.
THE MAHABHARATA & CASTE SYSTEM
• THE INDIAN EPIC
MAHABHARATA GIVES US A 
GLIMPSE OF THE CASTE 
SYSTEM THAT PREVAILED IN 
ANCIENT INDIA.
• APART FROM THE FOUR BASIC 
ORDERS (VARNAS OR CASTES)
BRAHMANA, KSHATRIYA,
VAISYA AND SUDRA, THE
MAHABHARATA MENTIONS 
SEVERAL OTHER CASTES THAT 
SPRANG FROM THEIR 
INTERMIXING.
• THE CASTE SYSTEM IS A METHOD OF
DIVIDING UP SOCIETY INTO A
HIERARCHY ACCORDING TO
PROFESSIONS AND TRADES.
• INDIVIDUALS ARE ASSIGNED A CASTE
AT BIRTH BASED ON THE CASTE OF
THEIR PARENTS.
• CASTES AND PROPERTY ARE HANDED
DOWN FROM GENERATION TO
GENERATION AND MARRIAGES
USUALLY OCCUR WITHIN CASTES.
• INDIANS CAN OFTEN QUICKLY SIZE UP
THE CASTE OF A STRANGER BY THEIR
SKIN COLOR, MANNER OF DRESS, 
SURNAME, OCCUPATION AND VILLAGE
OR NEIGHBORHOOD.
• THE PRINCIPALS OF THE CASTE
SYSTEM WERE OUTLINED IN THE
LAWS OF MANU.
• FIVE MAJOR PRINCIPLES DEFINE THE
CASTE SYSTEM:
1. MARRIAGE WITHIN ONE’S CASTE
(ENDOGAMY).
2. RESTRICTIONS ON EATING AND
DRINKING WITHIN CASTE.
3. HEREDITARY MEMBERSHIP TO A CASTE.
4. THE ASSOCIATION OF SPECIFIC CASTES
WITH SPECIFIC OCCUPATIONS.
5. THE RANKING OF CASTES INTO A
HIERARCHY.
CASTE CHARACTERISTICS
• SEVERAL CHARACTERISTICS DISTINGUISH A CASTE SYSTEM.
▫ THE FIRST IS THE TENDENCY TOWARD ENDOGAMY, MEANING 
THAT PEOPLE MARRY WITHIN THE SAME CASTE 
EXCLUSIVELY.
▫ CASTE MOBILITY IS ALSO EXTREMELY RARE; ONE CANNOT 
TRANSFORM FROM A LABORER TO A SCHOLAR EXCEPT IN 
VERY RARE CIRCUMSTANCES, FOR EXAMPLE.
▫ HIGHER CASTES TRADITIONALLY HOLD ALL OF THE 
POLITICAL POWER, AND THE CASTES MAY BE DIVIDED 
FURTHER THROUGH LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND ECONOMICS.
▫ WITHIN A CASTE SYSTEM, EACH MEMBER GENERALLY 
KNOWS HIS OR HER PLACE, AND YOUR SOCIAL STATUS IS 
USUALLY APPARENT TO OTHERS AS WELL.
CASTE SYSTEM & RACISM