The Caste System

India
 Caste System
• The word caste is derived from
the Portuguese casta
meaning lineage, breed, or
• race.
The caste system is a social
hierarchy in which society is
divided into groups. These
groups determine what labor
you can do and your level
of spiritual purity.

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 Caste System
• Placement in this social
hierarchy is based upon one’s
birth. Essentially, you fell into
the same caste as your BRAHMIN

parents.
• People cannot move up or KSHATRIYA
down to different castes
or levels in their lifetime.
• It was believed that your VAISHYA

righteous life and good karma

brought about reincarnation
to a higher caste and a
wicked life sent you lower in SUDRA
the caste system.

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 Caste System
• The system is based upon the assumption that all people are not
created equal and is practiced today throughout Asia (e.g. India, Sri
Lanka) and Africa (Senegal, Rwanda, Nigeria).

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 Origins of the Caste System
• The Indian caste system is rooted in the religion of Hinduism.
• It was also utilized by Aryan invaders four to five thousand years
ago to enforce social control in India.
• It is still a powerful influence of Indian life today in shaping
economics, politics and culture.

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 Caste System - Levels
• Brahmins
– These are the priests, scholars, and philosophers who teach and
study.

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 Caste System - Levels
• Kshatriyas
– These are the warriors, rulers, and
those concerned with defense and
administration of the village or state.

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 Caste System - Levels
• Vaishyas
– These are the traders, merchants and people involved in
agricultural production.

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 Caste System - Levels
• Sudras
– These are the peasants and
common folk who make up
the laborers and servants
for the other castes.

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 Caste System – In Practice
• It defined a person’s social
universe
– Enforced restrictions on inter-
marriage
• It defined a person’s standard of
conduct
– Each caste had it’s own set of
rules

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 Caste System – In Practice
• It defined a person’s expectations
– Determined what kinds of foods one may eat
• It defined a person’s future
– Determined specific job or vocational roles

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 Caste System – In Practice
• Because of the law of Karma, people do not resist the caste system.
• They believe they are there because of their actions in previous
lives.
• This encourages the individual to fulfill his role or duty of his or her
caste, because their position in the next life is sure to improve.
• If you did something outside your caste, you could be
excommunicated from your caste. That would cut you off from doing
any work to support yourself because you could only do the jobs
allowed by your caste.

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 Caste System – Another
• Level
The “Untouchables”
– These are a group of people who had no caste at all. They are
outcast from the rest of Indian society.

BRAHMIN

KSHATRIYA

VAISHYA

SUDRA

“UNTOUCHABLES”

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 Caste System – Another
• Level
The “Untouchables”
– The untouchables were also
made Unseeable,
Unapproachable and
Unhearable. They live
separately from caste Hindus
in slums. These slums are
rarely recognized as formal
settlements by the government
and so lack basic services
like education, health, water
hygiene, and no legal means
of forcing the government to
take action.

B. Lietzke 14
 Caste System – Another
• Level
The “Untouchables”
– These people had no surname, could not choose their children’s
names and could not enter a Hindu temple.
– They perform the most menial of jobs, such as dealing with dead
bodies and cleaning toilets and sewage by hand. This “work” is
attributed to the lowest of the low.

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Caste System – Another
Level

“Untouchables”

Navsarjan
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