How did the caste system divide Indian society into groups?

These varnas became known as the Caste System. A Caste System divided Indian society into groups based on their birth, wealth, or occupation. The caste to which a person belonged determined his or her place in society, including who that person’s spouse, friends, and occupation could be.

How does the caste system work within Indian society?

The Caste System of India. Caste not only dictates one’s occupation, but dietary habits and interaction with members of other castes as well. Members of a high caste enjoy more wealth and opportunities while members of a low caste perform menial jobs. Outside of the caste system are the Untouchables.

What is caste division?

The four classes were the Brahmins (priestly people), the Kshatriyas (also called Rajanyas, who were rulers, administrators and warriors), the Vaishyas (artisans, merchants, tradesmen and farmers), and Shudras (labouring classes).

How did Aryans divided people?

Under the caste system, Aryans divided people, into castes, or groups, according to their occupation. Aryans created four main castes. The top castes were made up of priests, kings, and warriors. The lowest caste was made up of workers who served the higher castes.

How did caste system start in India?

According to the social historical theory, the origin of caste system finds its origin in the arrival of Aryans in India. The Aryans arrived in India in around 1500 BC. The Aryans who conquered and took control over parts of north India subdued the locals and made them their servants.

How is caste not just a division of Labour?

The Caste System is not merely a division of labourers which is quite different from division of labour—it is a hierarchy in which the divisions of labourers are graded one above the other. In no other country is the division of labour accompanied by this gradation of labourers.

How is a caste system similar to a class system?

A class consists of a set of people who share similar status with regard to factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation. Unlike caste systems, class systems are open. People are free to gain a different level of education or employment than their parents. In a class system, occupation is not fixed at birth.

What is the caste system in India?

India’s caste system is among the world’s oldest forms of surviving social stratification. The BBC explains its complexities. The system which divides Hindus into rigid hierarchical groups based on their karma (work) and dharma (the Hindi word for religion, but here it means duty) is generally accepted to be more than 3,000 years old.

How did the Mughal Empire affect the caste system?

Caste system in India. The collapse of the Mughal era saw the rise of powerful men who associated themselves with kings, priests and ascetics, affirming the regal and martial form of the caste ideal, and it also reshaped many apparently casteless social groups into differentiated caste communities.

Why do lower castes tend to have darker skin?

The lower castes tend to have darker skin, which is seen as less desirable by many. “ If it sounds awful, it was: The caste system trapped people into a social stratification they couldn’t escape from. These images come from the manuscript Seventy-two Specimens of Castes in India.

How did the colonial government harden the caste-driven divisions in India?

Eleanor Nesbitt, a professor of History and Religions in India, states that the colonial government hardened the caste-driven divisions in British India not only through its caste census, but with a series of laws in early 20th century.