Castes

 A caste is similar to class ◦ Affects the work you do ◦ Affects the resources you have ◦ Part of your identity  Someone is born into a caste; you cannot change your caste.  The Hindu caste system is called varna  It still persists in India today.

 When the Aryans conquered the Dravidians, castes developed to keep the Aryans in power.  From the Vedas: “When they divided Man…His mouth became the Brahmin, his arms were made the Warrior, his thighs the People, and from his feet the Servants were born.”

 No. If you are born into a caste, it is your caste for life.  Hindus believe in reincarnation: you must wait for your next life to be in a different caste.

 There are five main castes: ◦ Brahmin, or priest is the highest caste (mouth) ◦ Shatriyas, warriors and rulers (arms) ◦ Vaishyas, skilled workers and farmers (thighs) ◦ Shudras, servants (feet) ◦ Pariahs, untouchables  Marriages between people of a different caste created jatis, subdivisions of castes.  There are now thousands of castes.

 Your caste is part of your dharma – it’s your role in life.  If you are in a low caste but are good, then you get good karma, and will be reborn in a higher caste. ◦ So, if you were in a low caste, would you complain or rebel?  If you are in a high caste but are not good, you have bad karma, and will be reborn as a lower caste.

 Please use the graphic organizer to answer one of these two questions: ◦ Why might people support the caste system? ◦ Why might people not support the caste system?  Please use evidence from the text.  Your thesis statement: People support (or do not support) the caste system because [your three examples].

 Thanks for working quietly (finally!).  If you keep it up for the rest of the period, we can totally listen to music the next time we’re writing (next week.)  Yes, you can lose that privilege…but I know you can do it!