1. The Culture of India

2. Pre-Write… Take a few minutes and respond to the following prompt: –It has been said that a society is fair and equal if you would be happy to be born to anyone in it. Think about the circumstances of your birth, the resources available to your family, and your opportunities for the future. Would being born to another family change those opportunities? Do you think you live in a fair and equal society?

3. The Culture of India The Aryans migrated from Asia and settled in India –Highly organized and ordered society into a strict caste system Caste is a social class which you are born into Varnas are the social classes identified by India’s Hindus

4. The Caste System in India Brahmins: –(brah-MIN) –the scholars, teachers, religious authority

5. The Caste System in India Kshatriyas: –(k-SHAH-tree-AH) –the warriors, administrators, political authority

6. The Caste System in India Vaishyas: –(vuh-SHAH) – the merchants and professionals of society

7. The Caste System in India Shudras: –(shoo-DRUH) – the laborers and servants of society

8. The Caste System in India Dalit or the Untouchables: –Dalit status has often been historically associated with occupations regarded as ritually impure, such as any involving leatherwork, butchering, or removal of rubbish, animal carcasses, and waste. –Means "ground", "suppressed", "crushed", or "broken to pieces”

9. The Untouchables

14. Caste System Simulation Each of you has a slip of paper that is a different color... This determines what caste you are situated in: –Blue = Brahmin –Purple = Kshatriyas –Pink = Vaishyas –Orange = Shudras –Yellow = Untouchables

15. Your Roles… Look at the assigned tasks… Brahmins: Do anything they tell you to. They are the wisest people in society. Untouchables: Do not talk to them nor should you acknowledge their presence in any way. If they come near you move away quickly so that you are not contaminated. –If they do offend you hold out your hand for karma payment (one karma coin)

16. Reflection What was the hardest caste? What was the easiest? How did you feel about the other castes? Were you able to work your way up the castes when samsara was added to the simulation? Did the system become more fair when you were given a caste based on your work in previous lives?