...ancient India, a social system was developed in order to divide people into a pattern of different classes. The system is called varn.a, or "color," where there are five different social levels. In English, this is known as a caste system. Within each level, there are sub castes that their people refer to as jâtis. These are subdivisions that make up the birth, life, or rank of people. Originating from Hinduism, this system has taken over the society of India. A person born into a class can never change or mix with other classes. People live, eat, and work with the other members of their group. The caste has been illegal in India for over 50 years, but still today continues to shape people’s lives. The different social levels are Brahmin, Kshatiya, Vaishya, Shudram and Harijans. The Brahmin is the class at the top of the system. They consisted of mainly priests, teachers, and judges. Peace, self harmony, righteousness, vision, wisdom, and faith are some of the characteristics of these people. They were the highest and the most important of all of the levels. The Kshatriyas were the people next after the Brahmins. They were the warriors of India. These people were said to have a heroic mind, inner fire, and courage. The Vaishya were mostly the merchants, but they also consisted of people involved in trade and agriculture. Everybody that did not fall under these categories was a separate class which, to most people, was separated from the system. People who had jobs...
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...CLASS AND CASTE- BACKWARD CLASSES AND DALITS The term Apartheid was coined to define the social and political policy of racial segregation enforced by the whites on the black natives of South Africa. Apartheid of India is ‘Casteism’. So, is India a replica of South African apartheid? Certainly not. The South African natives were segregated on the basis of laws, made by men in authority ,which were later dismantled by human efforts, again by men in authority. But in India, the discriminatory nature of class as well as race is duly recognised by the Constitution but not practised as the men in authority here are not distinct. Hence, the apartheid between Bharat and India is beyond the reach and ambit of human intervention. Class and caste discrimination in India is as old as the Himalayas. The enormity of human degradation, inequality, discrimination and untouchability is beyond comprehension and is enforced by scriptures which are held and hailed as sacred. Violation of scriptural ordinance is blasphemous and therefore unimaginable. It all started with the advent of the Aryans and the writing of the Vedas. The caste system has been there in India since then but it was merely a class system on the basis of division of labour. But it accelerated during the British Raj as they produced the Scheduled Caste List to enforce their ‘ Divide and Rule’. The colonial experience resulted in the obsession of Indians with fair skin colour. But even this inferiority complex fails to provide...
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...Earlier sources read described the importance of the caste system within Indian culture, and Hinduism. In earlier texts form the, Rig Veda: Sacrifice as Creation, a passage written suggests that not only was the very essence of the world created through the sacrifice of Purusha, but also India’s caste system with which the Brahmans so heavily relied upon to preserve their power and differentiate themselves among the lower classes, “His mouth became the Brahman; his two arms were made into the Rajanya; his two thighs the Vaishya; from his two feet the Shudra was born.” (Pg. 89). This passage, in a way, intertwines religion and politics into one, so either are hardly recognizable from one another. However, the caste system began to lose stride...
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...The caste system began around the year 1200 B.C., but it wasn't until 1947, just 63 years ago, that the caste system was outlawed. The caste system is similar to the class system we have in the United States, yet completely different. In the caste system, you are born into a caste that sets up the rest of your life and there's absolutely no changing it. While our class system, you can be born into poverty and work your way up to wealthier class. India made the right decision in taking away the caste system. The caste system is wrong just as segregation in the United States, The caste system segregates people a lot like the problem we had in the United States 60 years ago. Segregation in America was based upon the color of your skin. White...
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...special article caste in the 21st century: From system to elements A M Shah The argument that while caste as a system is more or less dead, individual castes are flourishing is widely accepted. However, the notion of “caste as a system” is derived mainly from studies of the rural rather than the urban community. In this article, individual caste is seen in the context of both rural and urban communities and its several aspects, particularly the rule of endogamy as its defining criterion, are analysed at some length and some implications of the analysis are pointed out. n 1955, M N Srinivas presented a paper, ‘Castes: Can They Exist in the India of Tomorrow?’, at a national seminar on “Casteism and Removal of Untouchabilty” in Delhi, attended, among others, by such distinguished persons as S Radhakrishnan, Jagjivan Ram, Govind Ballabh Pant, V K R V Rao, Kaka Kalelkar and Irawati Karve. The paper was published in the seminar report as well as in the Economic Weekly (1955). After a lifetime of scholarship on caste, in 1999, the last year of his life, Srinivas delivered a lecture under different titles in Bangalore, Delhi and Kolkata, on the passing away of caste as a system. It was published posthumously in 2003 in the Economic and Political Weekly under the title, ‘An Obituary on Caste as a System’. Srinivas expanded this title into a sentence, “While caste as a system is dead, individual castes are flourishing” (ibid: 459). He made this statement almost at the end of...
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...Globalization and the Caste System in India Mimi Winters Abstract India has experienced significant economic growth as a direct result of globalization even during the current global economic crisis. Yet many argue that this success does not reach all levels of Indian society. Indeed, some argue that globalization has actually had a negative impact on the lowest members of Indian society, the Dalits. This paper explores both sides of the argument by briefly explaining India’s 3,000-year-old caste system and its influence or lack of influence on the reduction of poverty among the Dalits. Globalization and the Caste System in India India is becoming one of the most significant players in the world economy today. Its rapid economic growth can be contributed to its increasing role in the global community. “Economic liberalization, including industrial deregulation, privatization of state-owned enterprises, and reduced controls on foreign trade and investment, began in the early 1990s and has served to accelerate the country's growth, which has averaged more than 7% per year since 1997” (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012, para. 3). India’s GDP was estimated at $4.463 trillion with a real growth rate of 7.8% and $3,700 per capita in 2011 (2012, para. 14). A majority of this success can be directly contributed to globalization. Although growth is expected to slow due to the global economic crisis, India is still experiencing...
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...INDIAN CASTE AND VARNA SYSTEM India is a diverse nation and one of the most prominent historical features of this country is its caste system. Under this caste system, people are divided and differentiated on the basis of region, class, place of birth, language, religion, tribe and gender. This caste system is seen as a tool to intricately stratified social hierarchy which plays a key role in distinguishing the culture of our nation from any other in this entire world. It has a history which is multi-dimensional and multifarious and is considered as the sole basis of a methodical ranking system on the basis of your occupation and inequality among the people, which is the root cause of the problem of inequality of the society. According to this caste system, the social standing of a person should be decided on the basis of the caste in which he is born in. To study the history of caste system in India, we must first study the history of Hinduism. The definition of ‘caste’ should be considered before studying about the Caste system of India. Caste can be defined as “a collection of families or groups of families bearing a common name; claiming a common descent from a mythical ancestor, human or divine; professing to follow the same hereditary calling; and regard by those who are capable to give an opinion as forming a single homogeneous community”. It can also be defined as an hierarchal division of different parts of the society on the basis of their occupation and place of...
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...brayhmayajina which is the daily study and chanting of the Vedas. Later on in the day the Brahmin must teach his disciples the Vedas. Near the end of the day a Brahmin must bathe again and perform madhyahnika. Brahmins must feel repentant if they fail to perform the rites they are bound to perform. They must devote the years of their life to the pursuit of their dharma. * Kshatriyas are responsible for defending Indian society and upholding justice. The caste held an essential monopoly on military education and defense training for generations. They were expected to marry other kshatriyas. * Vaisyas duties are to carry on trade, to lend at interest and to cultivate the land which was a vital part in keeping the economy going. They are allowed to wear the sacred thread and enter the temples * Sudras Sudras are not allowed to wear the sacred thread but they are allowed to enter all Hindu Temples * Untouchables are forbidden from entering Hindu temples and school or touching members of the other castes Step 3 1. * Brahmins ( Priests and teachers) * Ksatriyas (Warriors and Rulers) * Vaisyas (Farmers,Merchants,Artisans etc) * Sudras (Laborers) * Untouchables (Polluted Laborers) 2. * Brahmins are not allowed to eat meat and drink alcohol. They are usually expected to leave everything behind to focus on...
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...MERITS AND DEMERITS OF CASTE SYSTEM Merits of caste system: In spite of various demerits, caste system in India has been proved to be a stabilizing and interacting force. It cannot be denied that since its origin it has served the development and preservation of Hindu community. According to K.M. Panikkar, “The Hindu people constitute one of the oldest integrated societies of the world. For over two thousand five hundred years the Hindu have been a people. They had, broadly speaking, an organized social system the main characteristic of which were the same from Himalayas to Cape Comorin, No doubt the Dharma Shastras and the Griha Sutras which embody these principles applied only to certain dominant classes and beneath them were many communities professing a wide variety of customs and practices. And yet it is one of the miracles of history that loosely knit though it was, Hindu society has survived over two and half millions and remains today an active and vigorous society ready to make its place, in the world. Some of the principal merits of Indian caste system are mentioned as below: Harmonious Division of Society: Classification of society is indispensable in every country. In ancient India such classification existed in a perfect form. The whole society was divided into four classes namely. Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishayas and Sudras. These classes were not rigid and closed. No one was Brahmin by blood nor was any one Sudra by birth. Everyone was free to attain the...
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...Their Indian class set up is historically one of the main specifications in which people of india are socially separated through class, religious beliefs, location, group, sex, and spoken language. Even Though this or other forms of distinction appear in all the human communities, it might be an issue once one or more of these specifications cover one another and turn the only foundation of organized ranking and unequal entree towards valuable sources such as riches, earnings, power and ranking. The Indian class set up is thought of as a sealed setup of social stratification, which means that a individual's social state is required that class these people were born into. There are boundaries at discussion as well as conduct with individuals out of some other social standing. This document is going to be going through the various aspects of the Indian class setup as well as results in India today. The class set up is the group of individuals towards a few hierarchically rated classes named varnas. They're categorized in accordance to career and figure out use of riches, power, and opportunity. Their Brahmans, normally priests as well as students, are in the best. Following tend to be the Kshatriyas, or governmental rulers as well as military. They're accompanied by the Vaishyas, or sellers, as well as the fourth was the Shudras, who are normally employees, peasants, craftsman, as well as servants. At the very bottom part is the regarded as the untouchables. These people complete...
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...SOC 308 Week 5 Final Paper Indias Caste System https://hwguiders.com/downloads/soc-308-week-5-final-paper-indias-caste-system SOC 308 Week 5 Final Paper Indias Caste System The Unique Caste System of India: Within India’s society there is a lot of controversy surrounding their Caste system. India’s daily events consist of Dalits that are assaulted, raped, butchered, abused, shamelessly mutilated and shot without any regard for the consequences of the people committing these violent acts. There are numerous deaths concerning women who are pregnant due to bribe non-payments at hospitals ran by the government, falling in love with a woman from a caste more superior from their own and even rumors of people being boiled to death for nothing more than an argument with their boss. India’s society has been one of democracy for many years, but the structure socially practices the caste system in terms of having no regard for law abolishment. Attempts have been considered useless after several efforts to abolish the caste segregation and adaptation through national and international means failed. The profoundly instilled caste system is a problem of social proportions that demand a vast commitment internationally and domestically. These commitments will help us understand why these practices are still in place and what specific measures will be needed for the removal of this system. Caste association in India has caused more than a million people within society to be plagued...
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...SOC 308 Week 5 Final Paper Indias Caste System https://hwguiders.com/downloads/soc-308-week-5-final-paper-indias-caste-system SOC 308 Week 5 Final Paper Indias Caste System The Unique Caste System of India: Within India’s society there is a lot of controversy surrounding their Caste system. India’s daily events consist of Dalits that are assaulted, raped, butchered, abused, shamelessly mutilated and shot without any regard for the consequences of the people committing these violent acts. There are numerous deaths concerning women who are pregnant due to bribe non-payments at hospitals ran by the government, falling in love with a woman from a caste more superior from their own and even rumors of people being boiled to death for nothing more than an argument with their boss. India’s society has been one of democracy for many years, but the structure socially practices the caste system in terms of having no regard for law abolishment. Attempts have been considered useless after several efforts to abolish the caste segregation and adaptation through national and international means failed. The profoundly instilled caste system is a problem of social proportions that demand a vast commitment internationally and domestically. These commitments will help us understand why these practices are still in place and what specific measures will be needed for the removal of this system. Caste association in India has caused more than a million people within society to be plagued...
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...devotees to their polytheistic system of beliefs. This ancient religion has spread across the Indian Sub-Continent from generation to generation. Hinduism had a huge impact toward the development of the caste system in India. The caste system was a determination, system of various social rankings or class. The caste system consists of five different levels, Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, and the Untouchables. Brahmins are priests; they have much importance for they are closest to god. Kshatriyas are warriors or kings; they are second in ranking for they protect the innocent...
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...Test Review Chapter 7 Domestic Scale culture: 50,000 BCE Refer to table on page 215 Government: when an issue arised all members had a discussion and decision- making process to resolve problems. Status based on: age, ability, position in kin group, and gender. Pop: 500 or less people in tribe or village. Animism- worshiped celestial bodies, nature, animals, and ancestors. Shamans: mediators between human and spirit world and healers. Family/ kin based. Nomads: Traveled with the seasons in small groups called bands and they would hunt and forage for food. Or Subsistent Economy: lived in settlements gardening small plots or herding domesticated animals. Had simple manual tools and knowledge of natural environment in order to produce enough food, clothing, and shelter for basic survival. Dress did not communicate individual identity because everyone knew each other as unique individuals because of how small the population was. For protection or to show kin group or rite of passage. Dress was minimal because they needed to be able to carry it on their backs. Body supplements include feathers lightweight transportable item. Amulets “ Modifications: body paints tattooing and scarification Subsisitent economies wore wrapped of preshaped items that could be folded easily and stored away. Anoraks or loincloths Between 20,000 and 15,000 bce the needle and thread were developed and tools such as fishing line, handles, nets, carriers, and dress materials textiles made...
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...the relationship we should be focusing on is the one between social class and education. Races and cultures that put a higher value on education tend to produce more members of society that move from a lower social class to a higher social class or retain their social class from one generation to another. Also, I believe that the movement between social classes becomes more available within a society that does not apply a caste system on its members. Ultimately, it is an individual’s personal responsibly to determine their outcome. This goes beyond race, social class, and culture. I believe America has equal opportunity, but not equal outcomes. As Martin Luther King famously said in his “I Have a Dream” speech, “be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” We are unique individuals and have an opportunity to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These rights are natural rights that are given to us by God. Today the President of the United States is of mixed White and Kenyan heritage. Any remnants of a caste system, perhaps from the days of Jim Crow and the laws of “separate, but equal” are but all behind us in America. If you look at the achievement gaps in the Jersey City, NJ public schools, there is a significant gap in the graduation rates of different ethnic groups; fewer Black and Hispanic/Latino students graduate than Asian and White students. Blacks are graduating at about 55%, Hispanic/Latino’s at 65%, Whites at 80%, and Asian’s...
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