Caste and Class in India

Introduction of Caste system

Caste system is one of the basic pillars of the Indian society.
Caste is closely connected with the Hindu philosophy and
religion, customs and traditions, marriage and family ,
morals and manners, food and dress habits , occupations
and hobbies.
The caste system is believed to have a divine origin and
sanction
It is deep rooted and long lasting social institution of India
There are more than 2800 castes and sub-castes found in
India
Cont....
The term ‘caste’ is derived from the Spanish word
‘casta’ meaning ‘breed or ‘lineage’. It also signifies race
or a complex of hereditary qualities.
The Portuguese used the term ‘caste’ first to denote
the divisions of the Indian caste system.
The Sanskrit word for caste is ‘varna’ (colour)
Races and colour seem to be the bases of Indian caste
in addition to division of labour and occupation.
The popular equivalent term for caste in India is “Jati”
Origin of caste system
The caste system had its origin in the ‘Chaturvarna ‘
system. According to this system, The Hindu society
was divided into four main Varnas namely: Brahmins,
Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Shudras.
The Varna system of the Vedic period was mainly
based on the division of labour and occupation
The present caste system can be said to be the
degenerated form of the original Varna system
Varnas are four in number but castes are found to be
hundreds and thousands
Definition of Caste
Williams: “ Caste is a system in which an individual’s
rank and its accompanying rights and obligations is
ascribed on the basis of birth into a particular group.”
C.H. Coley:” When a class is somewhat strictly
heriditary, we may call it a caste”
MacIver: “ When status is wholly predetermined, so
that men are born to their lot without any hope of
changing, then class takes the extreme of caste.”
Characteristics of Caste
A hierarchical division of society
Segmental division of society
Restrictions on food habits
Restrictions on Social relations
Endogamy(restrictions on marriage)
Civil and religious disabilities
Restrictions on occupational choice
Sapinda and Sagotra Exogamy
 Caste system in Modern Times
Some changes have taken place in Caste system of
India after its independence . Traditional features
have been radically altered. So caste has assumed a
different form in Modern Times.
We will highlight the important changes in caste
system of India
Some changes in caste system
1. Caste is no more believed to be divine origin. It is
being given more a secular and social meaning rather
than religious interpretation
2. Restrictions on food habits have been relaxed in
urban areas but in rural areas this social taboos are
still found.
3. Caste is not very much associated with hereditary
occupations. Occupations are now more caste free
Cont...
Endogamy , the very essence of caste system is still
present though inter-caste marriages have legally
permitted by government
Civil and religious privileges which the Brahmins
enjoyed are no more enjoyed by them as Constitution
of India has removed all such privileges and
established equality in society
Most of the legal, political, educational, economic and
other disabilities suffered by lower castes have been
removed by Constitutional provisions
Cont...
Caste continued to be segmental division of Hindu
society. But the process of Sanskritisation and
Westernisation have made possible of social mobility
both within and outside of the caste framework
Caste Panchayats which used to control the
behaviour and customs of caste-members have
become weak
Distinction between ‘touchable and ‘untouchable’ is
not much felt in the community of educated
people . But in certain villages of India the instances of
untouchably is found but in different manner
Cont...
Casteism has become still stronger instead of
disappearing in the wake of modernism
The ‘Jajmani’ system which used to govern the caste
relations has become very weak and in some places it
has been disappeared
Caste has much of its hold over the social usages and
customs practiced by its members
Caste today does not dictate individual’s life nor
does it restrict newly valued individual freedom
and the progress of individual
Changes in the role of caste
Increase in the organisation power of caste due to caste
consciousness and every caste wants to safeguard its interests
Caste based politics- Caste has become an important aspect of
Indian politics
Protection of SCs and Backward classes through reservation policy
Backward classes movement
Increase in caste organisations to obtain loyalty of their members
and to strengthen caste-identity and solidarity .They have their
own bulletins, periodicals, monthlies ,papers etc.
Competitive role of castes
Sanskritisation and westernisation
Causes for the changes in Caste system
Uniform Legal system(all men are equal before law)
Impact of modern education
Industrialisation, Urbanisation and westernisation
Influence of modern transport and communication
Freedom struggle and establishment of democracy
Rise of Non-Brahmin movement by Jyotiba Phule ,
Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi etc.
Establishment of Backwad classes commission at the
central and State levels
Cont...
Social Legislations like Caste Disability Act,1872. The Hindu
marriage act,1955 ,The Untouchabilty offences Act of 1956
Social Reforms Movements by Satyasodhak Samaj, Brahma
Samaj., Prathna Samaj, Arya Samaj,Sri Ramakrishna
Mission(second half of 19th and early 20th centuries)for removal
of evil practices of India
Impact of the west- Influence of western ideas and thought like
rationalsim, liberalism,humanitarianism,egalitarianism,etc.
Threat of conversion-
Improvement of status of women and evolution of new social
classes
Critical Evaluation of caste System
Caste represents a harmonious division of society based
on division of labour and occupation. It defines the
economic pursuits of an individual
It promotes the spirit of cooperation and fellow feeling
among he members of same caste
Source of social stability and created an efficient
organisation of Hindu society without giving any chance
to class frictions and fractions(class struggles)
It helps in cultural diffusion as the caste culture is passed
from one generation to the next very systematically
Cont...
This system established so many evil practices. These are
as follows
It is an obstacle to national unity. According to Dr.
G.S Ghurye, “It is the spirit of caste-patriotism which
engenders opposition to other castes and creates an
unhealthy atmosphere for the growth of national
consciousness”
Cont...
It has divided Hindu society into mutually hostile and
conflicting groups and subgroups.
It has given scope to inhuman practice of
untouchability. According to Mahatma Gandhi,
“Untouchability is the hatefullest expression of
the caste”
The caste system is undemocratic as it denies equal
rights to all irrespective of their caste, creed, or colour
It has also prevented the proper growth of democracy
as democracy and caste can not go together
Cont....
It has retarded the growth of solidarity and brotherhood in the Hindu
society by separating one caste from another and denying any type of social
intercourse between them

It has also lowered the status of women as in a caste ridden society women
have only a subordinate position to play

It has also given scope for religious conversion(to christianity and Islam )
of lower caste people to be free from tyranny of upper castes

Last but not the least it has retarded the social and economic progress of
the country
Cont..
In summing up we can say that though the influence
of caste system is slowly decreasing in Indian society, it
continues as before as there is very little changes in
the attitude and mentality of the people.
The caste system is still a part of Hindu religious order
and enjoys the sanction of scriptures
The village, the heart of Hindu social organisation , is
the seat of caste , at its strongest.
Social Class
Social class is a type of Social Stratification in modern
civilised societies
Social class is a segment of society with all the members
of all ages and both the sexes who share the same
general status
Ogburn and Nimkoff- “ A social class is the aggregate
of persons having essentially the same status in a given
society”
MacIver and Page- “ A social class in any portion of the
community marked off from the rest by social status.”
Nature and Characteristics
Class is essentially a status group
An achieved status and not ascribed status
It is universal
Mode of feeling – Three modes of feeling
Element of Prestige
Element of stability
Mode of living
Social class- an open group
Social class- an economic group
Cont....
Classification of Classes-
Class consciousness and class struggle
Criterion of Class
A) Subjective Criteria-
1. Class Consciousness
2. Class solidarity
3. Class identifications
B) Objective Criteria-
4. wealth, property, income,
5. Family or kinship
6. Location of residence
7. Occupation
8. Level of education
9. Physical marks of difference such as skin or colour
Marxian Analysis of Class
Social class is those group of people who share a
common relationship to the means of economic
production
Those won and control the means of production are
dominant Class. They exercise power as they are the
owners of means of production
Means of production include factories, and the
machinery and raw materials for manufacturing goods
They are also called as Bourgeoise or capitalists or
owners of property
Cont...
Those who work for dominant class are called as
Subordinate class- Proletariat or the labour class
or working class or poor class
Members of this class own only their labour which
they hire out to the owners of industry in return for
wages.
They are the producing class
They were being oppressed and exploited
Cont...
The relationship between two classes is not only one
of dominance and subordination but also of
exploitation
They produce more wealth in form of food, manufactured
products and services than is necessary to meet their basic
needs(surplus wealth)
But they don’t enjoy the surplus wealth which was taken by
Capitalists (who are non-producing class)
This is the source of conflict between two classes
Marx and Angel have talked about class struggle and
communist revolution for the end of exploitation
Difference b/w Caste and Class
Caste Class
1. Particular and unique in India 1. Universal
2. Ascribed status 2. Achieved Status
3. Closed System(restricts social 3. Open System( provides for
mobility) social mobility)
4. Believed to have Divine Origin 4. Secular as it has nothing to
5. Purity and Impurity do with religion
6. Controls and Regulate s the 5. Feeling of disparity
relations of its members
6. Limits relations
7. Greater Social Distance
7. Less Social distance
Cont..
Caste
8. Conservative, orthodox and
reactionary
9. Endogamous Group
10. Complex system(2800 castes
and sub-castes )
11. Caste Consciousness
Class
8. Progressive
9. Not Endogamous
10. Simplicity( three classes)
11. Class consciousness