Social Studies – Ancient India Please take a SS book from the shelf and return it at the end of class. Wednesday, 3.9.16
Textbook – pages 230, 232, 233
Aryan Social Classes The Vedas describe the four classes or varnas and the responsibilities for each. 1st Class: Priests / Brahmins (most powerful) (Responsibility = spiritually feed community) 2nd Class: Rulers / Warriors (Responsibility = protecting & ruling society) 3rd Class: Merchants & Common People (Responsibility = Giving supplies & food to people) 4th Class: Servants (Responsibility = giving service to other classes)
Aryan Social Classes As subgroups formed within the major classes, they were named castes. There was an ivory-carver caste and a spice seller caste, but though both sold items to other citizens, one of these castes was higher than the other. You were born into a caste and you stayed in that caste for your entire lifetime. Everything was shaped by the caste you belonged to.
The Class & Caste Systems The class system is the overarching idea of social organization. The caste system developed within the class system, so it is a subset of the class system.