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2/2/2015

CompetitiveExams:MainFeaturesofCasteSystem,SocialStatusExamrace

Casteandsocialstatus
Traditionally,althoughthepoliticalpowerlaywiththeKshatriyas,historiansportrayedthattheBrahminsascustodiansandinterpreters
ofDharmaenjoyedmuchprestigeandmanyadvantages.
FaHien,aBuddhistpilgrimfromChina,visitedIndiaaround400AD.OnlythelotoftheChandalshefoundunenviableoutcastesby
reasonoftheirdegradingworkasdisposersofdead,theywereuniversallyshunnedButnoothersectionofthepopulationwere
notablydisadvantaged,noothercastedistinctionsattractedcommentfromtheChinesepilgrim,andnooppressivecastesystemdrew
forthhissurprisedcensure.InthisperiodkingsofSudraandBrahminoriginwereascommonasthoseofKshatriyavarnaandcaste
systemwasnotwhollyprohibitiveandrepressive.
Thecastesdidnotconstitutearigiddescriptionoftheoccupationorthesocialstatusofagroup.SinceBritishsocietywasdividedby
class,theBritishattemptedtoequatetheIndiancastesystemtotheirownsocialclasssystem.Theysawcasteasanindicatorof
occupation,socialstanding,andintellectualability.Intentionallyorunintentionally,thecastesystembecamemorerigidduringthe
BritishRaj,whentheBritishstartedtoenumeratecastesduringthetenyearcensusandcodifiedthesystemundertheirrule.
TheDalits,orthepeopleoutsidethevarnasystem,hadthelowestsocialstatus.TheDalits,earlierreferredtoasuntouchablesby
some,workedinwhatwereseenasunhealthy,unpleasantorpollutingjobs.Inthepast,theDalitssufferedfromsocialsegregationand
restrictions,inadditiontoextremepoverty.Theywerenotallowedtempleworshipwithothers,norwaterfromthesamesources.
Personsofhighercasteswouldnotinteractwiththem.Ifsomehowamemberofahighercastecameintophysicalorsocialcontactwith
anuntouchable,thememberofthehighercastewasdefiled,andhadtobathethoroughlytopurgehimorherselfoftheimpurity.
SocialdiscriminationdevelopedevenamongtheDalits.SubcastesamongDalits,likedhobi,naietc.wouldnotinteractwithlowerorder
Bhangis,whoweredescribedasoutcastsevenamongoutcastes
Sociologistshavecommentedonthehistoricaladvantagesofferedbyarigidsocialstructure,suchasthecastesystem,anditslackof
usefulnessinthemodernworld.Historically,thecastesystemofferedseveraladvantagestothepopulationoftheIndiansubcontinent.
WhileCasteisnowadaysseenbyinstancesthatrenderitanachronistic,initsoriginalform,thecastesystemservedasanimportant
instrumentoforderinasocietywheremutualconsentratherthancompulsionruledwheretheritualrightsaswellastheeconomic
obligationsofmembersofonecasteorsubcastewerestrictlycircumscribedinrelationtothoseofanyothercasteorsubcastewhere
onewasbornintoone'scasteandretainedone'sstationinsocietyforlifewheremeritwasinherited,whereequalityexistedwithinthe
caste,butintercasterelationswereunequalandhierarchical.Awelldefinedsystemofmutualinterdependencethroughadivisionof
labourcreatedsecuritywithinacommunity.Inaddition,thedivisionoflabouronthebasisofethnicityallowedimmigrantsand
foreignerstoquicklyintegrateintotheirowncasteniches.Thecastesystemplayedaninfluentialroleinshapingeconomicactivities.
ThecastesystemfunctionedmuchlikemedievalEuropeanguilds,ensuringthedivisionoflabour,providingforthetrainingof
apprenticesand,insomecases,allowingmanufacturerstoachievenarrowspecialisation.Forinstance,incertainregions,producingeach
varietyofclothwasthespecialityofaparticularsubcaste.Also,philosophersarguethatthemajorityofpeoplewouldbecomfortablein
stratifiedendogamousgroups,andhavebeeninancienttimes.

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