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SOCIAL CLASS  

Caste system in India 

I will be discussing caste system peculiar to India, according to the BBC (2016), the Indian caste

system is one of the world’s oldest social stratifications, it is more than 3000 years old and

divides people based on their karma (work) and dharma (duty). According to Manusmriti, a

book on Hindu law, the caste system is the basis of order and regularity in this society. It divides

people into Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras. Brahmins are the teachers and

intellectuals of the society, believed to have descended from Brahma’s head; Brahma is the

Hindu god of creation. The Kshatriyas descended from Brahma’s arms and are usually warriors

and rulers, Vaishyas are traders who are believed to have been created from his thighs. The

Shrudras descended from his feet and exist as the brunt of society, they did all the menial jobs

and are usually the poorest. The upper and lower castes live in different sections of society and

do not share basic amenities, they do not intermarry, most privileges are bestowed on the upper

castes while the lower castes are mostly subjugated. 

Changes in the caste system

The most prominent form of change in the caste system occurred when the British colonized the

country and created hard lines between each caste so that they can easily govern them (BBC,

2016). This made it difficult for transitions from lower to upper castes. When India gained

independence in 1950, the government introduced legislation to ban discrimination based on

caste and introduced job quotas for disadvantaged groups. Secular education and urbanization

have also helped to minimize this stratification, some Indians only use one name because their
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second name indicate the caste they belong to. A prominent figure who was able to break away

from India’s caste system is KR Narayanan who became the nation's first Dalit president in

1997. Mr. Narayana was born in Uzhavoor, a tiny village belonging to the lowest caste, he

obtained his bachelor's degree in 1943 and traveled to New Delhi where he worked in

government office as a journalist before getting a scholarship to study political science at the

London school of economics, on his return in 1949, he worked in Indian foreign service and

became the ambassador of India to China. He also served as India’s ambassador to the United

States (Anthony, 2005). He joined politics and won three successive elections to parliament in

1984, 1989 and 1991. He served as vice president from 1992 to 1997 and as president from 1997

to 2002 (Josh n.d).

My social class in relation to race and ethnicity

There are five social classes in Nigeria based on occupation, they are public office holders,

professionals, business class, minor white-collar workers, and the laboring class (Smythe, 1958).

The public office holders are either elected or selected by elected office holders, these set of

individuals wield enormous influence, examples include; the president, legislators, judges etc.

The professionals are experts in certain field and are usually heads of industries and other sectors

of the economy, they include medical doctors, engineers, lawyers, bankers etc. To occupy this

position, an individual needs to be highly trained and experienced in the given field. The

business class are wealthy businesspeople, the minor white-collar workers are civil servants who

either work with the governments or other private sectors. Examples are teachers, clerks,

receptionists etc. The laboring class occupy the runt of the society and are usually uneducated
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and work with their hands (Smythe 1958). I belong to the business class because I own a

cosmetics and fitness business. Nigeria is a multiethnic country and government allocations

follow a quota system based on the population of and contribution to the national revenue of

each ethnic group. As a Hausa lady from the north, where the population is high and whose

natural resources are not being explored, it means we contribute little to national revenue as such

amenities here are scarce. Since most Nigerians are blacks, the question of race does not arise in

issues of social class.

My social class will change as my business grows and I get relevant training and experience to

be elected or nominated into public office.

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References

BBC. (2016). What is India’s caste system?Links to an external site. Retrieved from

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35650616 

Hugh H. Smythe (1958). Social Stratification in Nigeria. Oxford University Press.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2572801 

K. R. Narayanan Biography: Birth, Education, Career and Personal Life (jagranjosh.com) 

P.J Anthony (2005). K.R. Narayanan -- broke caste barrier as India's president. SFGATE.
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/K-R-Narayanan-broke-caste-barrier-as-India-s-
2561301.php