Caste System

bio thoery pt3

People with different amounts of these inherent qualities end up adopting the appropriate occupation. According to this theory, the Brahmans usually inherit the Sattva qualities. They are serene and self-controlled and possess the quality of austerity. They are considered to have purity, uprightness and forbearance. Brahmans also have the will to acquire knowledge, wisdom, and faith. http://adaniel.tripod.com/modernindia.htm

Untouchabless

Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru outlawed Untouchability after india became free if Great britain in 1947.But even though the law was passed, Indian society didn't really follow it. There was to many people, and not enough cops. pg.71 Dera: A Village in India

Untouchables.

benenths all castes were the Untouchables. so called because any contact, even touching thier shadows, would be polluting. They lived apart, avoided by all others, and did the work that was considered unclean-killing animals, curing hides, emptying latrines. They were not allowed in hindu Temples, or even to draw water from the village well." pg.52. India: now and through time.

Groups of Castes

"The Laws of Manu divided the Hindus into four major groups. These were the Brahmin, the kshatriyas, the Vasishyas, and the Sudhras. Under the original caste system, the Brahmins were the priests and men of learning, The kshatriyas, rulers and wariors; the Vesishyas, traders and bussinessmen; and the Sudhras, workers." pg.70 Dera: A Village in India

Groups of Caste

"The original caste system was designed represent the main sections of the body. The Brahmins were the head; the Vasishyas, the hands;the Sudhras, the feet. The caste system developed into such a complicated social structure that today there are almost countless subcaste under each of the main headings. " pg. 70 Dera: A Village in India

Kshatriyas

2. Kshatriyas--(pronounced something like "kshot ree yahs") the born administrators (formerly nobles, rajahs, and warriors). a. The protectors of society. b. In our society, the politicians, police, and the military. http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/caste.html

Vaisyas

3. Vaisyas: (pronounced something like "vy sy us") the producers, the craftsmen, artisans, farmers. a. The skillful producers of material things. b. In our society, the merchants. http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/caste.html

Shudras

4. Shudras--(pronounced something like "shoo drrahs") the unskilled laborers or laboring class. a. The followers or the maintenance people. b. The so-called menial workers or hard laborers. http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/caste.html

ksh

9). The word 'kshatra' in Sanskrit means government, power, and dominion (Indianetzone) Smith, Brian K. Classifying the Universe: the Ancient Indian Varna System and the Origins of Caste pg.48

orgin

According to one long-held theory about the origins of South Asia's caste system, Aryans from central Asia invaded South Asia and introduced the caste system as a means of controlling the local populations. The Aryans defined key roles in society, then assigned groups of people to them. Individuals were born into, worked, married, ate, and died within those groups. There was no social mobility. http://www.ushistory.org/civ/8b.asp

buddism

Around the 6th century, many individuals of the lower castes who were getting fed up of suppression turned to Buddhism. Buddhism actually began as a reaction to the violence of Hindu society, including the brutality of the caste system.Buddhism concentrates not on the society, but on the individual, thus separating religion from the interests of the ruling and dominance. In Buddhism, one is no longer born into a position due to past injustice. Although Buddhism does see life as pain and suffering and reincarnation as a renewal of this suffering, there is a potential escape.

Defination caste

Defining the word "caste" itself is harder than thought to be. Risley defines it as "a collection of families or groups of families bearing a common name; claiming a common descent from a mythical ancestor, human or divine; professing to follow the same hereditary calling; and regarded by those who are competent to give an opinion as forming a single homogeneous community" Hutton, J. H. Caste in India: Its Nature, Function and Origins pg.47

Job in Caste

Every hindy was born into a caste and there wasn't anyway to change that. A member of a caste knew exactly what he was permitted to do and what not. If he broke the the rules, he was not only punished by his own community, but expected some punishment in the life to come. pg.52 India: now and through time.

ksh vs brahm

Kshatriyas are considered to be bold, alert and full of fortitude, generosity, discipline and modesty. Priests and warriors were said to be "better" than or "superior" to the other castes, and in general the Brahmans and Kshatriyas were regarded as united into a ruling class according to the populace at large. But although the Brahmans and Kshatriyas together proclaimed to be superior to the commoners, the Brahmans never hesitated to declare their own caste as higher than the Kshatriyas. The reason of this, according to the Vedas, is that Brahmans have been characterized as being self-sufficient, whereas the Kshatriyas are dependent on priests. Thus, it is said that Brahmans can live without rulers, but rulers cannot sufficiently execute their tasks without the aid of Brahmans Smith, Brian K. Classifying the Universe: the Ancient Indian Varna System and the Origins of Caste pg.42

Shudras vs Vaishyas

Later, the Shudras took over agriculture and cattle rearing while the Vaishyas became traders and merchants. However, though they were "twice-born" and economically strong because they controlled commerce, Vaishyas were denied a high social status, for which they resented the upper castes Ghurye, G. S. Caste and Race in India. pg.25

Todays castes

OVER TIME The caste system became less rigid as the Indian people were exposed to outside ideas. Many Sudras and untouchables were attracted to the ideas of Islam because Muslims rejected the caste system. http://www.mrdowling.com/612-caste.html

Law on Untouchables.

The Indian Constitution has outlawed the practice of Untouchability and the Indian Government has established special quotas in schools and Parliament to aid the lowest jatis. Caste discrimination is not permitted in gaining employment and access to educational and other opportunities. But this does not mean that caste is illegal or has faded away. Caste groups as political pressure groups work very well in a democratic system. Caste may provide psychological support that people seem to need. Economists and political scientists are finding that caste is no real barrier to economic development or political democracy. http://asiasociety.org/countries/traditions/jati-caste-system-india

Education

The caste system was in favor of education. but only training children for what their jobs or profession was. The brahmins were invaluable of preserving and passing on learning. pg. 52 India: now and through time.

Bio theory pt2

These in combination of various proportions constitute the group or class of people all over the world with temperamental differences. Sattva qualities include characteristics related to wisdom, intelligence, honesty, goodness, and other positive qualities. Rajas include qualities such as passion, pride, and valor. Tamas are considered to acquire qualities that include dullness, stupidity, lack of creativity, and other negative qualities. http://adaniel.tripod.com/modernindia.htm

history pt2

Unfortunately, the Aryans completely disregarded their local cultures and began conquering regions all over north India At the same time, the local people were pushed south towards jungles of mountains in north India. http://adaniel.tripod.com/modernindia.htm

Outside of the caste

Foreigners, lawbreakers, people from isolated tribes, and people suffering from contagious diseases lived outside the caste system. These untouchables or "outcastes" were traditionally regarded as unsuitable for personal relations with people who belonged to a caste. Caste members were vegetarians, which meant that people who ate meat or fish were not accepted into their society. http://www.mrdowling.com/612-caste.html

Untouchables

Gandhi gave untouchables a new name, Harijan (Meaning children of god), and agrued the caste system was an awful thing. The british gave the other name, Scheduled. pg.71 Dera: A Village in India

history

Historically, however, it is believed that the caste system began with the arrival of the Aryans in India around 1500 BC. Of the many cultures that flourished in India, the literary records of the Indo-Aryan culture are not the earliest. They do, however, contain the first mention and a continuous history of the factors that make up the caste system .The Aryans came from southern Europe and northern Asia with fair skin that contrasted with the indigenous natives in India. When they arrived, their main contact was with the Dravidians. The only other culture whose records are dependable about the origins of the caste system are the Dravidians, but when that culture's documents were put forwards, it had already been largely influenced by the Indo-Aryan tradition. http://adaniel.tripod.com/modernindia.htm

Sub castes

In ancient India, the ranked occupational groups were referred to asvarnas, and the hereditary occupational groups within the varnas were known as jatis. Many have immediately assumed that ascribed social groups and rules prohibiting intermarriage among the groups signify the existence of a racist culture. But this assumption is false. Varnas are not racial groups but rather classes. http://www.ushistory.org/civ/8b.asp

Brahmins

1. Brahmin: the seers, the reflective ones, the priests. a. The intellectual and spiritual leaders. b. In our society, they would correspond to the philosophers, religious leaders, and teachers. http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/caste.html

Religous theroy pt2

Brahmans, who were derived from the head of Purush, are considered the intelligent and most powerful varna because of their wisdom and education and are a representation of the brain. In the same way, Kshatriyas, considered the warrior caste, were created by arms, which represent strength. Another religious theory claims that the Varnas were created from the body organs of Brahma, who is the creator of the world in Hinduism. http://adaniel.tripod.com/modernindia.htm

Kshatriya

In ancient India, the rulers were bound by Holy Scriptures to govern their kingdoms with justice. A Hindu ruler was the protector of his subjects, and in order to protect his subjects the king needed to be an expert warrior. A Kshatriya is characterized by physical and martial Smith, Brian K. Classifying the Universe: the Ancient Indian Varna System and the Origins of Caste strength (Smith, 48).

Mordern

In modern India, economic competition and education are predominate, and the Brahmans occupy this position in both aspects Hutton, J. H. Caste in India: Its Nature, Function and Origins pg.50

Killing cows

It was forbidden to kill cows for any purpose or even touch any dead animal. Although it was taboo to touch dead animals, leather was very important in villages, it made shoes, harness for camels. pg.73 Dera: A Village in India

Kshatriyas with Brahmins

Kshatriyas, or political rulers and soldiers. They were the ruling class and often times collaborated with the Brahmans as they reigned over their kingdom. Smith, Brian K. Classifying the Universe: the Ancient Indian Varna System and the Origins of Caste pg.48

Brahmins

Many Brahmin priests believed contact with lower castes would contaminate their souls. Vedic prayers were considered so pure that they could not be recited or even heard by a person of a lower caste. One Indian law stated that if a Sudras was caught listening to the Vedas, molten lead was to be poured into his ears. http://www.mrdowling.com/612-caste.html

Sub Castes

Over many many years the major castes divided into hundreds of sub castes called jatis, groups of families who followed the same rules and rituals in personal matters. important customs were eating together and marriage. pg. 52 India: now and through time.

history pt.4

The Aryan conquerors subdued the locals and made them servants. In this process, the Vaishyas became the landlords and businessmen of the society and the locals became the peasants and craftsmen. http://adaniel.tripod.com/modernindia.htm

history pt.3

The Aryans possessed a particular principle of social ordering called Varna Vyavastha, which was based on the four hierarchical divisions of function in society. They were placed in order of decreasing importance: religious and educational functions, military and political functions, economic functions, and menial functions. The Aryans organized themselves in three groups. The first group, Rajayana (later changed to Kshatriya) were the warriors, which were followed by the Brahmans, who were the priests.These two groups constantly struggled for political leadership among the Aryans. Eventually, the Brahmans became the leaders of the Aryan society. The final group consisted of the farmers and craftmen, and were called the Vaishyas. http://adaniel.tripod.com/modernindia.htm

brahmin

The Brahmin class is essentially defined by its supposed priority (as the class created first by the creator god) (48 Smith)

British control

The British controlled part or all of the Indian subcontinent from 1612 to 1947. The British thought that caste members believed they would have to live out their lives in a particular caste in order to be reborn into a higher caste. We now know that some Indian people did have an opportunity to join higher castes, but this didn't happen very often. http://www.mrdowling.com/612-caste.html

buddism pt.2

The Buddha, himself born into the warrior caste, was a severe critic of the caste system. Buddhism utterly rejects any system of caste, and it actually reached high levels of support during the rule of Ashoka, who adopted the Buddhist concept of ahimsa, or non violence, and its tendency toward greater equality. He ridiculed the priests who claimed to be superior, criticized the theological basis of the system, and he welcomed into his community people of all castes, including outcasts His most famous saying on the subject was, "Birth does not make one a priest or an outcaste. Behavior makes one either a priest or an outcaste"

Todays castes

The Indian Constitution has forbidden discrimination against the Dalit since 1950, but many of India's 160 million Dalit continue to live in poverty. Indian people with family names associated with the Dalit often face discrimination. http://www.mrdowling.com/612-caste.html

bio theory pt4

The Kshatriyas and Vaishyas inherit the Raja qualities, and the Shudras inherit the Tamas qualities. The type of one's actions, the quality of ego, the color of knowledge, the texture of one's understanding, the temper of fortitude, and the brilliance of one's happiness defines one's Varna. http://adaniel.tripod.com/modernindia.htm

vasihyas

The Vaishyas were considered and expected to be weak in comparison to their rulers. Smith, Brian K. Classifying the Universe: the Ancient Indian Varna System and the Origins of Caste pg.49

Bio Theory

The biological theory claims that all existing things inherit three one of three categories of qualities. Varna means different shades of texture or color and represents mental temper. There are three Gunas: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Sattva is white, Rajas is red, and Tamas is black

Housing

The higher castes lived in generally better sections. While lower live in worse. Higher casted lived up the river, so the lower castes would get the trash, and wasted from the people living in higher castes. It was also forbidden for a member of a lower caste to own a home which was higher than any caste above him. p.72 Dera: A Village in India

Caste

The hindu caste or Varna system is properly known as the Laws of the manu, which were written about two thousand years ago. Most educated Indians will admit that while the orignal laws were good and were actually designed to protect the people, the caste system through the centuries developed into a rigid social structure which delayed progress" pg.69 Dera: A Village in India

Religous Theory

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 and the different parts of his body created the four different varnas. The Brahmins were from his head, the Kshatriyas from his hands, the Vaishyas from his thighs, and the Shudras from his feet. The Varna hierarchy is determined by the descending order of the different organs from which the Varnas were created (http://adaniel.tripod.com/modernindia.htm

Problems

The most common problem was people couldn't marry outside their caste, or even smoke hookah with anyone in a different caste. higher caste would not attend any event of a lower caster, nor accept any gift including water. if a lower caste came into a house of a higher caste, he would get a lower seat, also resivse higher caste would get a higher seat. pg.72 Dera: A Village in India

Bio vs Religion

The origin of the Indian caste system has many theories behind it. Some of them are religious, while others are biological.

behind the rules

There are many rules in the Indian caste system which caste members must adhere to in order to avoid being shunned from their caste members or, according to Hinduism, being born less fortunate in their next life. http://www.publishyourarticles.net/eng/articles/caste-system-in-india.html

Foods vs Caste

There are two types of food: Pacca, which is food prepared with ghee (melted butter), and Kachcha, which is food prepared with water. According to the castes, only certain kinds of foods can be exchanged between certain castes. For example, a Brahman can accept only Pacca food from a Shudra, but Kachcha food can only be accepted from a person of one's own caste or of a higher caste Another is the social interaction between castes. There are strict barriers when it comes to the mixing of a superior caste with an inferior caste. Hence, under the caste system every caste abides by well established customs and well defined norms of interactions. http://www.publishyourarticles.net/eng/articles/caste-system-in-india.html

Jatis

There are, however, varying "degrees" of Brahmans, such as Kanya-Kubja, Tamil, Tanjore, and others who are part of numerous villages (Pintane). These sub-castes, called jatis, are very specifically endogamous, so that a Brahman is not only restricted to marrying another Brahman, but to marrying a woman of the same subdivision of Brahmans Hutton, J. H. Caste in India: Its Nature, Function and Origins pg.47

Cleanliness

it was believed that the higher castes were more pure and less polluted, while the lower castes were regarded as less pure and more polluted http://www.publishyourarticles.net/eng/articles/caste-system-in-india.html