How Did Hinduism Contribute To The Rise Of India's Caste System

The Caste system has aroused much controversy than any other feature of India’s society. Every day, Dalits are butchered, assaulted, abused, raped, lynched, shot or openly mutilated without considering any consequences of the offenders. The deaths of pregnant women who are not able to pay the bribes at government hospitals, some boys with eyes raised completely out for falling in love with a girl of a superior caste, and horrid stories of employees boiled to death because of spewing out arguments with the boss are continuously reported in mainstream newspapers. After years of democracy, the social structure stands to practice the caste system disregarding abolishment laws. Every international or national effort to abolish caste differentiation and segregation has been proven ineffective. The caste system of India is a deeply inculcated social problem requiring immense commitment domestically and internationally in understanding what has stopped the measures to get rid of this ancient system and what measures are needed to complete elimination of the system.

When Indian caste system became stable it suddenly became rigid, and people stayed where they were born. Although hierarchy was rigid in both classical societies, they developed stable social classes that produced various kinds of people: the most important being the farmers.

Hindus were divided by their social status, called the caste system. This made Hindus fall under one of the varnas such as Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra and the Untouchables (Strayer, 150-168). Priests and teachers were classified as Brahmins, warriors and kings were Kshatriya, merchants and landowners were known as Vaishya, peasants and serfs were classified as Shudras, and those that didn’t have a place on the caste system were defined as the untouchables because they had no social status. Hindus were unable to change their position in the caste system, until after reincarnation (Strayer, 150-168). There are scriptures such as the sacred text, The Vedas, and it leads to the fact that Brahmins empowered and dominated the top of the caste system and played specific roles in the religious lives of the people even from the start of India’s influence. Hindus became adjusted with these scared texts and grew used to it. They learned to follow religious values and traditions to have a better after life.

The caste system has been extremely stable in India for over two thousand years. It is only since the more modern, independent state of India was formed that the system has come under any scrutiny at all. It is presently outlawed, but many of the practices, attitudes and traditions remain ingrained in Hindu society (University of Wyoming, 1997).

When we talk about caste system, one must talk about the southern and border states of the United States during the 1877 to mid-1960. These states primarily operated and upheld what is called Jim Crow laws. Under Jim Crow laws it legalized anti-black racism; it was a way of life for black citizens to live under a series of rigid anti-black laws. It was a system which was supported by beliefs that white citizens were superior to black citizens to include intelligence, morality and civilized behavior. Jim Crows laws suggested by mixing of the races would produce mongrel race that would destroy America, treating blacks equal would encourage interracial sexual relations and violence was the means to keep blacks at the bottom of the race hierarchy

As in China, another dominant developing classical civilization, India, (300 B.C.-A.D. 500) focused greatly on philosophy and religious progress. Implanted within Indian divine belief systems, social status dictated all. The caste system, provided order and stability in India. Based out of Hinduism, the caste system clearly determined social status between five different divisions. The top of the caste were Brahmins (priests), followed by the Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaisyas (merchants), underneath merchants were Shudras (peasants and laborers), and the lowest rank were Pariahs (untouchables). Hinduism and Buddhism, the two dominating religions in India share many of the same concepts, as well as some distinct differences. These two religions

Firstly, the caste system reflects the inequality of Indian society. Although religion in India is characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices, majority of Indian population follow Hinduism. Therefore, the dominance of Hinduism beliefs is common in India. There is a belief in caste system, as Brood said, “a system of hierarchical social organization”1. Hindu society is divided into four main classes; the priestly class, the warrior and administrator class, the producer class who is farmers and merchants and the servant class. The remaining group of people who is “outcastes” is called “untouchables” or dalit. Brodd recognizes “dalits continue to suffer terrible oppression, especially in rural communities in India”. I still could not imagine how terrible this bottom class suffers until reading Max Bearak article. All sufferings of Rohith Vemula, from the hardships of growing up poor, interactions with society in caste to scholarship revoke and suicide, happened tragically because he was born in a dalit family. This is the

The caste system began around 1000 B.C.E. to distinguish among the different individuals in early Aryan society, such as the warrior elite, priests, ordinary tribesmen, and conquered subjects. In the caste system there are four groups, reffered to as varna, Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra. The Brahman were priests, the Kshatriya were warriors and officials, the Vaishya were merchants and artisans, and the Shudra were peasants and laborers. Those who were not included in a caste were known as outcastes. These people belonged to no caste due to them either entering this social division later than others or violating rituals and losing their caste status. The outcastes were disdained because they made a living by foul jobs such as dressing

Our text book tells us that Aryans became dominant in north India. In Sanskrit text the Indo-Aryan developed the caste and the Brahman religion. The Brahman religion developed into Hinduism. (Beck et al.) India’s caste system there is 4 caste or social levels of people. At the top there is the Bhramin which are the priests and teachers. Second is the Kshatryia which are the leaders and warriors. Third is the Vaishya which are the merchants and landowners. Fourth is the Sundra which are commoners, peasants, and servants. Not considered in the caste system is the untouchables which are the outcasts. They held the lowest valued jobs such as street sweepers, latrine cleaners, and slaughter house workers. The caste system in India forbids people from mingling with other levels of castes. What caste level you were born into you were required to stay at that level. There was no

At this point in history, the social and economic diversity was a big part of India. The diversity was not only caused by a linguistic difference or a racial aspect, but also by the caste system. The caste system was a major factor in the ever-popular religion of Hinduism. With the country constantly growing and the surge in population, subcategories in the caste system came into existence; based on a person’s abode, occupation, and family. The caste system made sure everyone had a place in the social hierarchy; the system put you in a spot and expected you to stay there (Gilbert). When Buddhism and Jainism came around, their teachings challenged this idea. About this time, the political and economic situation of India was picking up speed and growing. When the religions began confronting the idea of the caste system, the Mauryan merchants joined in.

Hinduism is a religion with a majority of Hindus are found in the subcontinent of India, it also exist outside other subcontinents such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. In addition, it is also said to be one of the oldest religion. Unlike most other religion, Hinduism has no exact beginning or founder. I feel that Hinduism is compatible with capitalism and typical business practices and teamwork. Because the compatibility with capitalism is the aspect of the Caste System, according to the lesson, it states, “You have probably heard of the “caste system” in connection with India and Hinduism. In general, this term refers to a rigid social hierarchy based on birth, with strict rules limiting interaction between people in different

After the Aryans (a very patriarchal and militaristic group of pastoral nomads) invaded and destroyed the Indus River Valley civilization, they took charge. The Aryans already were superior -- they had demolished an entire settlement. This left the original settled people scared, and being scared, easily controllable. The Aryans then wrote the Lawbook of Manu, which is the origin of a caste system known as the Varna system that is still in practice today. The Varna system, which placed people into a social category, was a way to categorize and create, in the writers of the Lawbook of Manu’s eyes, a well-run society. In the Lawbook of Manu it states: “For the sake of the prosperity of the worlds, he created the Brahman, the Kshatriya, the Vaishya, and the Shudra to proceed from his mouth, his arms, his thighs and his feet…"2The four different groups of people were initiated to create a society in which everyone knew their place. the Brahman (the voices of society) were the religious leaders, the Kshatriya (the arms of society) were the warriors, the Vaishya (the thighs of society) the workers, and the Shudra (the feet of society), who “served meekly to the three other castes” and were generally the former Indus River Valley people. The last caste, the Shudra, didn’t have a religious

In old Hindu society your caste and assigned duty was the most important aspect of your life. No matter what caste someone was in, fulfilling their dharmas, or duties, that they were assigned to was their priority. These duties were innate, meaning that were inborn, or natural. These dharmas played a role in social order; everyone in the four castes had a role to play. Manu, the creator god, made “separate innate activities for those born” from him, in order to “protect this [his] whole creation” (40, 87). Brahmins were priests and were at the top of the caste system. Priests’ innate activities were to teach, learn, sacrifice for themselves and others, and giving as well as receiving (40, 88). If they did not perform these duties they were no longer considered priests. Even if someone performed their duty “without any good qualities” (43, 97), it was better than performing someone else's innate activity greatly. If someone were to do the duties of another caste, they would fall from their own caste immediately. For example, a priest would not be able to live as a priest performing the duties of a shudra, or a servant.

Ever since the religion of Hinduism was founded in 2800 B.C., India has upheld a social caste system that later evolved in its order and strictness. The caste system began when Aryan newcomers arrived in India, bringing with them a discriminatory mindset of racial separation. From this, varna, the Sanskrit word for caste, was born. Varna, also meaning color, placed the lighter-skinned Aryans at the top of the social pyramid and darker-skinned indigenous Indians at the bottom. Later, the Untouchables, or Dalits, were added to the system as outcasts and were immediately treated with nothing but distaste and inhumanity. These

The origin of the Indian caste system is related to the age of the Vedas. According to one long-held theory about the origins of South Asia’s caste system, Aryans from central Asia invaded South Asia and introduced the caste system as a means of controlling the local population. Also, many believe that all human originated from Brahma the Hindu God of creation.