The Indian subcontinent covers an area of 1,269,346 square miles (3,287,590 square

kilometers). It is the seventh largest country in the world, with a population that exceeds 1
billion, making it the second most populous country in the world after China.

Patterns of Life: Cast System Of India

Dharma- duties and obligations that a person has

The pattern of social classes in Hinduism is called the "caste system." The word caste derives
from the Portuguese casta , meaning breed, race, or kind.

The Indian Caste System is historically one of the main dimensions where people in India are
socially differentiated through class, religion, region, tribe, gender, and language.

The Indian Caste System is considered a closed system of stratification, which means that a
person’s social status is obligated to which caste they were born into. There are limits on
interaction and behavior with people from another social status.

There is no exact translation of caste in Indian languages, but varna and jati are the two most
proximate terms.

Caste System Started with the Aryan civilization and the varnas (classes) Caste system
developed over thousands of years Based on the idea that there are separate kinds of
humans –Higher caste people considered purer closer to moksha –Lower caste were
impure Divided people within each class until there were thousands of castes and sub-
castes

Varna

The word Varna, when translated into Hindi, literally translates into color. However, the Varna
system had nothing to do with the color of the skin of an individual. In fact, the Varna system
was devised to classify a person on the basis of his attributes or characteristics. However, the
system got degenerated with the passage of time and developed into the much maligned caste
system that is seen even today. This caste system meant that a person had no chances of
upward mobility in the society, and he remained in the caste that he was born into.

The original Varna system was devised to have harmony and cooperation between people living
in the society and people in different Varnas did not interfere in each other’s lives to compete.
It was when the Varna of a

The caste system is a classification of people into four hierarchically ranked castes called
varnas. They are classified according to occupation and determine access to wealth, power,
and privilege. The Brahmans, usually priests and scholars, are at the top. Next are the
Kshatriyas, or political rulers and soldiers. They are followed by the Vaishyas, or merchants,
and the fourth are the Shudras, who are usually laborers, peasants, artisans, and servants. At
the very bottom are those considered the untouchables. These individuals perform occupations
that are considered unclean and polluting, such as scavenging and skinning dead animals and
are considered outcastes. They are not considered to be included in the ranked castes.

Jati

The ancient Varna system did not have much of significance in the social order in the society. If one was a
Brahmin, it may have meant a lot to other Varnas, but inside his own Varna, he was just another individual with
no identity. The need for identity within a single Varna led to the development of Jati system inside the Varna
system. There was no Jati system in ancient India, and even the Chinese Scholar Hsuan Tsang has not
mentioned anything about it in his writings. The literal translation of the word Jati gives us the word birth.

Jatis developed much later in India to reflect the trade or profession of a particular community. So, while
Gandhi comes from Gandha which means smell, the community of Gandhis is the one that trades in perfumes.
Dhobi community came from the word dhona which meant to wash, and thus Dhobis were people who washed
other people’s clothes. Thus, a jati is a community engaged in a particular profession or trade. This system of
classification continued in modern India till recently, and a person’s surname was enough to let others know all
about his profession. However, with modern education system and no discrimination from the state, this caste
system or the Jati system is on the decline.