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Old indian caste system
Essay on caste system in india
Old indian caste system
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The Caste system in India By Ruchita Patel Professor Weingart Religions of the World 11 November 2014 The Caste system in India India is known for the diversity of the Caste System with different languages, different religious traditions, practices and a system of beliefs. The Caste System is very important part of the Hindu tradition because it is a historically important aspect into which people live in India, follow different religions, tribes, languages and belief. Nowadays, there are so many sub-caste systems in India. Caste identity is determined based on social status, given the rank based on hierarchical order and social stratification of the caste system. Caste identity is also associated with social advantage or disadvantage …show more content…
The caste system was enforced with the help of law book and the dharma. It remains through many forces such as tradition, hereditary, caste rule, marriage and wealth etc… 1) Tradition: Every caste follows their own tradition, ritual practices and groups of social symbolism. Tradition means to follow their ancestor religious practices, beliefs and values. They have different food, clothes, languages and festivals. 2) Heredity: The caste system decides based on their own birth and inheritance from their ancestor. No one can change their caste. No inter caste marriage is allowed because children inherit the caste of their father. 3) Caste rules: Everybody must follow their caste rules. Caste rules contain the policy, rules and duties for their tradition. The success of the caste are based on the caste rules and it depends upon the performance of duties prescribed for each caste. Caste rules are different for all castes. If you break the rules then you can be punished. For example, my caste has a rule that allow only inter caste marriage, we all must follow that rule. Some castes have the rules that all women should cover their head when men near around them. In India, the caste system has many …show more content…
Caste system creates the differences, injustices and disabilities among the people. Higher castes takes all advantages and rule over the lower caste negatively. Higher caste never touch, create any physical contact and adopt the occupation with the lower caste people (Untouchable) (Shudras). So, the lower caste people feel the depression and are always insulted by the upper caste that always treat lower caste as lesser human beings. Nowadays, the caste system divided into many groups and follow their own tradition so it creates conflict between them. The caste system creates the political wars because higher castes contain all the position and power and always make law in favor of them. The country cannot take any advantages from the caste
Daily life was influenced in both Ancient India as well as in Ancient China by religion and philosophies. Their caste system, their beliefs, and their well being affected the religion and philosophies.
There are four main castes and one in which they consider to be the outcastes. The four main castes are the Brahmin, the next is the Kshatriya, the third is the Vaishya, and the fourth is the Shudra. The outcastes are in the group called Dalits. Each caste has a purpose in life, the Brahmin are considered to be the priestly caste in which they are teach the Veda, and are to “sacrifice for others and receive alms” (Institutes of Vishnu 5-10, pg. 44). The Kshatriya is considered the warriors or the ruler caste, they have constant practice in battles, and they are to protect the world from harm. The Vaishya are to be the merchants and the farmers, they tend to the cattle, they, “engage in farming, keeps cows, trades, lends money at interest, and grows seeds” (Institutes of Vishnu 5-10, pg. 44). The Shudra are the manual laborers who according to the Institutes of Vishnu under the Four Castes, are to serve the twice born men who are to sacrifice and to study the Veda, the Shudra also engage in all the different duties of craftsmanship (5-10, pg.44). In case of a crisis, each caste is allowed to follow the occupation of the caste that is below them in rank. The duties in which all four of these castes, whatever gender or stage of life, are to follow and hav...
Thousands of years ago, Indian society developed into a complex system based on different classes. This system is known as the Caste System. It separated Indians into different castes based on what class they were born into. As thousands of years went by, this system grew larger and became further complex (Wadley 189). This system caused frustration for the Indian citizens because they were receiving inequality.
We all have traditions in our lives, but most of them vary between us. Where we are the same is that we have a genetic history of traditions. So what defines a tradition? A way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, culture, etc., for a long time. An inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior. Also a belief or story or a relating to the past that are commonly accepted. This information should help us to understand that we are more tradition oriented that we think. Since the beginning of time there have been traditions that exists in our genetic makeup. From the mammals, animals, and fish that migrate every year to humans celebrating the changing of the seasons or making sacrifices to their Gods. They all are traditions that are followed year to year and generation to generation, most altering only slightly through the years. This helps to establish a tradition of traditions in all species.
To elaborate, the caste system was created to maintain order and separate different kinds of people. For example, it is similar to the food pyramid, but it is separated into four different groups of social classes. For example, the charioteer says, “The duties of priests, of warriors, of laborers, and of servants are apportioned according to the gunas that arsie from their inborn nature.”(190). Although Bhagavad Gita is faithful to the idea of the caste system, it also explains the three gunas. The gunas are sattva, rajas, and tamas and throughout the book it describes more than several ways individuals live their life. For example, someone who is considered sattva is free from sorrow and someone who is tamas is ignorance-born or
Dictionary.com defines a caste system as “a system of rigid social stratification characterized by hereditary status, endogamy, and social barriers sanctioned by custom, law, or religion” This means someone born into a low caste cannot move up to a higher caste because of this system. Although a caste system is not a set of laws, it is almost never broken because the caste system has been in place for so long.
For example, Vedic India’s caste system was placed in the following order from top to bottom: the brahmins, warriors, middle class people, the low ranked civilians. The civilians were the ones who did the majority, if not all, of the back breaking work that allowed the land to flourish and feed the population. Although this class name isn’t part of the caste system, there is group that is considered so low that they cannot be part of the caste system, called “untouchables”. The untouchables know their place as well as everyone else so no one else interacts with them. In China, The social order works by keeping everyone in their designated category to avoid disorder as a whole because they are one huge family that cooperate together. Social order functions to keep everyone from causing a chaos and telling everyone the duties they fulfill. (BP#2: How social order works/
"Traditions" refers to the specific charge of what is inherited from the past, including all linguistic and symbolic elements that can be transmitted. Traditional is a formal concept, while traditions are material concepts about payload of a traditional. We have always been heir of traditions; we are always preceded by the things that have been said to be
In The Laws of Manu the caste system is described in great detail. It explains everything one must do to be a part of their caste. In Hinduism each social class (varna) has its own dharma, or social law. The concept of dharma regulates all parts of life for Hindu’s and outlines their duties. However, there are different levels of dharma for people in the twice-born varnas, which includes the Brahmin, Ksatriya, and Vaisya. The different levels of dharma are based on the stage of life that an individual is at. The four stages an individual can be at are a student, a householder, a forest-dweller, or a sannyasin. A sannyasin is the lowest stage one can be in and one reaches that stage when they have cut all of their ties to society. In the text from The Laws of Manu it is stated that a householder may “never, for the sake of subsistence, follow the ways of the world: let him live the pure straightforward, honest life of a Brahmin” (Smart & Hecht 214). The Hindus believed in living a very simple life and being very honorable. The Laws of Manu states that no Brahmin should “attach himself to any sensual pleasures” (214) and also to “avoid all (means of acquiring) wealth which impede the study of the Veda” (214). In The Laws of Manu the idea of final liberation is brought up very frequently. Final liberation is the goal of all Brahmins. A Brahmin lives his whole life striving to reach final liberation and he does so by following dharma. He does not challenge dharma at all and believes that if he follows it, he will reach final liberation.
Caste System is a social system based on ascribed statuses, which are traits or characteristics of people at birth. The ascribed status includes race, gender, nationality, body type and age. The caste system ranks people so rigidly. A person cannot just change his caste any time he wants.
Tradition is defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as “an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (such as a religious practice or a social custom)”. The role of tradition played an important part in the lives of the characters in Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth. It especially shaped Wang Lung’s life as he followed certain practices, but defied others that he felt were not so meaningful. As a result, the lack of importance he placed on some beliefs influenced the way that Wang Lung related to his father and uncle and affected his daily life.
Owing to India’s diversity, these identities are determined by caste, ancestry, socioeconomic class, religion, sexual orientation and geographic location, and play an important role in determining the social position of an individual (Anne, Callahan & Kang, 2011). Within this diversity, certain identities are privileged over others, due to social hierarchies and inequalities, whose roots are more than a thousand years old. These inequalities have marginalized groups and communities which is evident from their meagre participation in politics, access to health and education services and
The current manifestations of the caste system are now far more generalized across the Indian subcontinent than was the case in former times. Caste as we now recognize has been endangered, shaped and perpetuated by comparatively recent political and social developments. This is evident even i...
It is these ideas that that sometimes promote the wrong image to Indian society. By promoting the ideas of caste people may be influenced to do the same in real life which can result in an array of situations. People may run away from home, or even commit suicide as a result of not being allowed to be with whom they please.
India sits in the middle of the scale and can be considered both individualistic and collective. There is great need for belonging to a bigger social framework. In Indian culture family is highly stressed. They strive to increase and preserve their family’s riches, by working hard in order to maintain the family’s dignity and insure the longevity of their offspring.. On the other hand the individualistic aspects of Indian culture are influenced by the major religion in India, which is Hinduism. Hindus believe in reincarnation where past lives are seen as affecting and determining the present life, as a result of this individuals are responsible for how they live their lives and how that will impact their next lives. Since aspects of both individualism and collectivism are present, India scores intermediately in this dimension. (Cultural tools, n.d.)