The evolution of cast in India:-

The topic The evolution of caste in India is always debatable and open ended
topic. To go and discuss about it we should know how it has been evolved ...
spreaded... followed by... and its impacts ....

The religion Hindu is the oldest religion of this world. All other religions and
their subdivisions came after it. Though Christianity and Islam have been
followed by many people and placed to be first and second number in world
for the widely followed religion. Hindu religion is the oldest amongst all and it
is unquestionable and undebatable. Its roots have been reached to Arya
sanskriti or Vaidik Sanskriti. The Puranas and Vedas are its prooves. According
to which there were four caste and according to Sanskrit language VARNA in
India which were divided according to their tasks/occupation they follow.

Brahmin:- Priests, scholars occupying highest position

Kshatriya :- warrior, ruler

Vaishya:- Mainly business

Shoodra:- Serving other three class in hierarchy

This was the hierarchy of society at that point of time which is in followed even
today in little or so. Each of these caste carried their individual special rituals.
Hence the custom untouchability came in to existence due to this sort of
hierarchy where each upper level believed others as backwards. As such there
is no direct evidence of untouchability in any Hindu scriptures or Vedas as it
was merely outcome of mindset rather than its practical existence. Where they
have connected touchability or untouchability with the occupation of oneself.
Means priests are at the top most of hierarchy and blacksmiths, goldsmith,
barbers etc were eligible to preclude themselves in lower order. These all
happened on the name ritual purity and impurity. Most of the times these
untouchables were known as non aryans. Which includes Nishadas, Ayogava,
Paulokasha etc. These Nishadas plus four other above mentioned Varnas had
made Panchajanah.

This purity and impurity were extended to the eating habbits also where
brahmins were pure and vegetarians considered to be Ahinsak and the one
who ate non vegetarian were impure. Here author is suggesting a new sect/Jati
parallel to Brahmins and others as Scheduled casts as on contemporary
scenario. Due to which occupation, diet, clothes everything was ranked and
conveying message to everyone locally but there also existed paradox where a
jati - a sect was not conceded by its neighbours. Also along with the ritually
ranked jatis there exists another ranking system based on land ownership.
Where barter economy came into existence due to minimal usage of cash to
the serving families such as barber, blacksmiths, carpenter and potters etc.
These casts were known as serving casts. Besides them there were several
casts which was known to serve whole village considered to be very low. Their
land owners were enjoying their power by forming factions and slowly and
gradually they became ruler for their local community and became dominant
caste. Even today we can't imagine Indian politics, Indian states or locality
without these dominant sect or group. The latest example is Patidaars in
Gujarat. whereas Gurjars are also examples of Rajsthan. These all are of
ancient India or post British rule. The British rule had made dynamic change in
Indian society or had severe positive impact over narrowing down caste
systems. There were systematic changes in Indian castes due to radical
measures taken by British rule. One of the shocking number revealed by
Mandal commission in 1980 leaving tribes aside and included only Muslim,
Christian and Hindu jatis exceeding 4000 jatis in India. These all were few
decades aback pervaded to local site only. But in last hundred years they with
the same occupation level have came together by falling down subcasts with
the endogamous field became enlarged. This is due to increasing level of
education .... eventually thaughtprocess and mind set and of course scarcity of
resources. Here one of the important thing to note about modernization and
education is that people or jatis tend to change their occupation according to
their convenience, education and know how. So this mobility takes on Varna
expression. Thus varna system became relevant in all India in mobility context
means it made jati ranking of one region more meaningful in all India terms.
Which some time turned into distortion also. This is mainly due to the ditch
happened in between truly needy or back ward people and dominant or
oppressors. These oppressors were busy dominating and oppressing needy
people by divided them in to MORE and MOST needy ones. As a result we see
today how ones mindset and thoughts can change the whole motive, purpose
and as a result benefits of individual who are not even part of these rituals
become victims of these rituals.

Conclusion:-

The Caste custom was basically occupation based division of people in ancient
India. Which has nothing to do with purity-impurity or touchability -
untouchability. Even ancient Indian scriptures, Vedas and Puranas don't
support these. They just evident four Varnas on the bases of occupation. The
extended version of these caste resulted into more or less into distortion of
societal values by creating upper and lowerism, purity-impurity and
touchability and untouchability. Most importantly its economic impact was the
worst resulting in to oppressors and sufferers. Which had created societal
ambiguity in terms of views, opines, thoughts and most importantly social
status. No doubt British rule had made many positive and radical changes in
Indian society by implementing educational, political and societal views trying
to nullify caste system and tried to make all equal but still its hard remove
enrooted thousands years old matters from human mindsets and their day to
day life and habits. Especially when it comes to their survival with scarcity of
resources.

Soluiton:-

1. Upliftment of one's education through which thoughts and mindset

change .
2. positive acceptance of one's survival and way of survive.
3. Go global and see development instead making and being frog of a well.
4. Oppressors and sufferers ratio now days should be narrowed down for
the development of individual, caste and nation. Here oppressors mean
politicians now days for betterment of different people.
5. Caste has wide impact over societal, political, educational and
economical area. Where the third party has been always a victim. So
people themselves should be aware of and should stay away from this
casteism.