T3: Lesson 2 - The Origins of Hinduism & Buddhism -- Text 2: The Caste System Shapes India

What did the caste system give many people?

A sense of identity and interdependence. Each caste had its own occupation and its own leaders. Caste members cooperated to help one another. In addition, each caste had its own special role in Indian society.

How did the different castes depend on each other?

Although strictly separated, a lower-caste carpenter might build the home of a higher-caste scholar.

How did the caste system change?

As people migrated into the subcontinent, they formed new castes. Other castes grew out of new occupations and religions.

Who had the strictest rules?

High-caste people did to separate them from the lower castes.

What changes took place in India's caste system over time?

Over time, additional castes and subcastes were formed.

Who were the "untouchables"?

People considered very impure. They had jobs such as digging graves, cleaning streets, or turning animal hides into leather. Their life was harsh.

How were people identified in ancient Indian villages? (from the graphic)

People were identified by their occupation.

What are castes?

Social groups into which people are born and which can rarely be changed.

What did other castes think of Dalits?

They feared that contact with an untouchable could spread pollution. Untouchables had to live apart and sound a wooden clapper to warn of their approach.

What were some of the rules of behavior?

Things like where people lived, how they earned a living, and who they could marry. These rules became more rigid as Hindu society moved into the medieval and modern periods.

What were high caste members considered?

More spiritually pure than lower castes.

Were caste functions and rules the same?

No, each caste had different functions and rules of behavior.

Who held the lowest jobs?

Non-Aryans.

What are the levels of caste (starting from the highest to the lowest)? (From the graphic)

Official Indian Caste System 1 - Brahmins - priests and learned class. 2 - Kshatriyas - rulers and warriors. 3 - Vaisyas - traders and artisans. 4 - Sudras - laborers and servants. Dalits - The untouchables caste. They were outcasts that fell outside of the official caste systems.

What happened to caste systems over time?

They became closely linked to Hindu notions of a proper society.

How many major castes and subcastes resulted from the flexibility?

By modern times, there were thousands.

Who were the dolavahi? (From the graphic)

Chair-bearers, or "dolavahi," were part of the caste of untouchables in ancient India.

What happened during the Vedic Period?

Class divisions moved more toward reflecting social and economic roles. As these changes occurred, they eventually led to a more complex system of castes.

What were the untouchables referred to as?

Dalits.

What did people think about their own caste?

In time, people came to believe that the law of karma determined their caste. While they could not change their status in this life, they could reach a higher state in a future life by faithfully fulfilling the duties of their present caste.

How many groups did the Aryans divide society into?

Into 4 groups. Hindus continued the practice and added more castes.

How did caste affect the social structure?

It ensured a stable social order.

How is untouchability viewed today?

It is outlawed. Indian government has urged its citizens to reject any form of discrimination based on caste.

What did the ability for the caste systems to adapt do?

The flexibility allowed people with diverse customs to live side by side in relative harmony.