TIAL TIAL about who the Aryans were in Ancient India and about the Caste System that they brought with them.

Aryan Invasion Indo- European Aryans invaded India in 1500 BC They were warriors and herders who came from eastern Europe and western Asia They crossed the Hindu Kush Mountains into northern India

Aryans brought changes

Indo-Aryan word for war meant “a desire for more cows” Archers, warriors and charioteers enabled the Indo-Aryans to conquer all of North India. Developed writing- recorded in the Vedas- sanskrit texts of India’s spiritual culture Irrigation used Traded with one another (difficult because of poor transportation)

Southern India was protected from invasion from the north by mountains The hilly landscape made unification difficult Aryans brought with them a new way to specialize classes into 5 different groups.

The Caste System of India

What exactly is a caste system? People are ranked into groups “True” caste systems are only found in India The caste is a closed group whose members are severly restricted in their choice of occupation Social status is determined by the caste of one’s birth Marriage outside the caste is prohibited

The Caste System of India Has been in use for many years Still today the values of the caste system are held strongly Has a major role in modern India Gives a sense of order and peace among the people

The Different Castes (from Highest to Lowest) (1) Brahman → priests, scholars (2) Kshatriya → ruler, warriors, landowner (3) Vaishya → merchants (4) Shudra → artisans, agriculturalists (5) Harijan → actually not part of the caste system, „outsiders“ and once known as „untouchables”

Where Does The System Come From? It’s not 100% proven where this system comes from but there are assumptions (1) The Indo-Aryans may have established a caste system in which they placed themselves in higher classes (2) The caste system was already established by tribes and with the arrival of the Indo-Aryans those castes just became more well-defined

Criticism On The System Some activists think the system is a form of racial discrimination Lower Castes 1. Aren’t allowed to go to the high castes areas 2. Lower castes have to drink water from public wells 3. They can’t visit the same temples as the higher castes 4. Often sit in the back of classrooms. Many Hindus believe that the system is a part of the society and not with Hinduism backgrounds. Observers think the caste system is a system of exploitation of poor lower castes by the higher.