The Caste System Caste System Overview Brahmins Kshatriya
The Caste System
Caste System
Overview Brahmins Kshatriya Vaishya Shudra Dalit Overview 2. Varna system divided the society – Members did not socialize between castes – Did not intermarry – Did not eat with each other 3. Birth determining factor, but skin color played a role – Higher caste people believed to have lighter skin – Varna means skin color, not class
Overview Castes Purity Dalit Current Business Jati 4. Each Varna is subdivided into many Jatis or sub-classes 5. Based on a particular occupational specialization and having the same of similar social ranking (based on its varna) 6. Varna – Typical functional division of a society 7. Jati – group based on skill and occupation
Overview Castes Purity Dalit Current Business Purity vs. Pollution? 8. High caste status is associated with purity (hence white for Brahmins) 9. If a Dalit comes into physical contact with a Brahmin, the latter perform ritual cleanliness-like bathing in flowing water and changing clothes 10. Low castes perform unclean jobs like burying corpses, killing animals – must live outside villages to prevent “pollution” of the rest of the people
Overview Castes Purity Dalit Current Business Dalit Reservations 11. Caste System outlawed in 1950 with the passage of India’s Constitution 12. Some political offices in parliament and state assemblies are designated for ex-Untouchables 13. Educational scholarships and quotas help educate Dalits 14. After the outlaw there was still discrimination against Dalits.
Overview Castes Purity Dalit Current Business Current Caste Issues 15. Today, all castes are equal in the legal system 16. However, discrimination still exists in social settings 17. Bringing higher standards of living for Dalits has proven difficult
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