Social Structure in India The Hindu Caste System

Definition: A type of social organization/hierarchy in which a person’s occupation and position in life is determined by the circumstances of his birth.

Rigid, hereditary membership into birth caste Marriage only among member of same caste Occupation choices restricted Personal contact with other castes restricted Acceptance of fixed place in society

Members of a caste rely on each other for support

Brahmins— thinkers/knowers Vaisya—provide food for the belly Sudra—do the work Ksatriya—doers Each caste is born out of Brahma (the creator)

Each caste has an occupation(s) and contributes to the good of the whole Jajman—gives gift (landlord) Kamin—gives service to the landholder (lower castes)

Landholder gives grain to… Barber Potter Blacksmith Carpenter Priest Today…more of a market system

Reincarnation A person is born, lives, dies, and is reborn again many times. Souls are reborn many times until they are pure enough to be with the creator, Brahma Karma A person’s social position in the next life is determined by his conduct in the present life.

Dharma Code of behavior or set of moral and ethical rules that govern the conduct of each social class. Each group has a different set of rules to live by. Laws of Manu Hindu book of sacred law Rules and restrictions for daily life

Brahmins – Priests, Teachers, Judges; usually don’t own land therefore need other castes to work the land and provide for them Kshatriyas – Warriors and Rulers (landowners) Vaisyas – Skilled Traders, Merchants, Farmers

Sudras – Unskilled Workers— Laborers and Craft workers Below these four castes are people who belong to no caste Untouchables – Outcastes, Children of God Concept of pollution…the most pure at the top (Brahmins) and the most polluted at the bottom (Untouchables)

Purpose is to help people of other castes fulfill their dharma Perform rituals and observe vows for the sake of others

Responsible for leadership of the people Often rely on advice from Brahmins

Shopkeepers who sell products (unlike the Shudra who sell services)

Each subgroup of this caste performs a specific service. Jobs include gardeners, potters, and clothes washers

Belong to no caste Expected to do the “dirty” jobs Come in contact with animal skins, dead bodies and human feces Avoid contact with “caste” Indians for fear of “pollution”

The caste system in India is a Hindu social system where people are ranked into groups based on heredity.

The Four Varnas (Groups) Brahmins: Teachers, scholars and priests Kshatriyas: Kings and warriors Vaishyas: Traders Shudras: Agriculturists, service providers, and some artisan groups The people who don’t qualify to be in a Varna are called Dalits. These people are the lowest of society, due to their jobs. (Butchers, sanitation, Leatherworkers, etc…)

The caste is a closed group whose members are severely restricted in their choice of occupation and degree of social participation.

Social status is determined by the caste of one's birth and may only rarely be transcended.

Marriage outside the caste is prohibited. Dalits forced to wed outside of a temple Brahmin temple wedding

In general, caste functions to maintain the status quo in a society. Upper caste men building a wall to keep the Dalits out of their neighborhood. Guess where the Dalits sit…

The occupational barriers among Indian castes have been breaking down slowly under economic pressures since the 19th cent., but social distinctions have been more persistent. Attitudes toward the untouchables only began to change in the 1930s. Although untouchability was declared illegal in 1949, resistance to change has remained strong, especially in rural areas.

If a higher caste Hindu is touched by an untouchable or even had a Dalit's shadow across them, they consider themselves to be polluted and have to go through a rigorous series of rituals to be cleansed. In India there are approximately 240 million Dalits. This means that nearly 25% of the population is Dalit. It also means that in a country, where everybody is supposed to have equal rights and opportunities, 1 out of 5 persons is condemned to be untouchable.