Download The Caste System

Hinduism
The Ancient Caste System
Traditional Hindu Society
In traditional Hindu society,
Each person had a certain social position in life
All life was arranged as a hierarchy, from highest
to lowest
Performing good deeds and following their
assigned code of behaviour determined whether
people had earned the right to be born at a higher
level
Source: World Religions: A Canadian Catholic Perspective
Traditional Hindu Society
These traditional beliefs were expressed in
Hindu society’s division into castes.
Roles, jobs, social standing, and religious
structures were organized according to the
hierarchy of castes.
Source: World Religions: A Canadian Catholic Perspective
Rigid, hereditary membership into birth
caste
Marriage only among member of same
caste
Occupation choices restricted
Personal contact with other castes restricted
Acceptance of fixed place in society
Traditional Hindu Society
The caste system is said to have come to
ancient India around 1500 BCE, with the
Aryans. The caste system had four groups:
priests, defenders of the realm, business
people, and farmers.
More recently, another caste developed: the
Untouchables or outcastes. This is not a part
of Hindu philosophy and counter to the
spirit of Hinduism!
Source: World Religions: A Canadian Catholic Perspective
Members of a caste rely on each
other for support
Each caste is born out of Brahman (the creator)
Brahmins—
thinkers/knowers
Kshatriya—doers
Vaisya—provide
food for the belly
Sudra—do the work
The Castes
Brahmins: This is the priestly caste. Their
roles were to study and teach in matters of
faith, especially the Vedas. They lead most
key rituals.
Kshatriyas: This has been called the warrior
caste. Their roles were to protect the people
and run a fair government.
Purpose is to help
people of other
castes fulfill their
dharma
Perform rituals and
observe vows for the
sake of others
Responsible for
leadership of the
people
Often rely on
advice from
Brahmins
The Castes
Vaishyas: This caste consisted of producers –
traders, merchants, farmers, artists, and business
people. This group traditionally took care of the
economic needs of the community.
Sudras: This was traditionally the lowest caste.
Their main purpose was to serve the three higher
castes. This group included unskilled workers,
servants, and anyone doing menial work
Shopkeepers
who sell
products (unlike
the Shudra who
sell services)
Each subgroup of
this caste
performs a
specific service.
Jobs include
gardeners, potters,
and clothes
washers
The Untouchables
Also called ‘outcastes”, people in this group
were considered outsiders: they could not
interact in any way with members of the
four castes. Traditionally, they did the
dirtiest work in society and lived apart, in
small communities. The 20th Century saw a
change when quotas were put in place to
ensure that members of this caste had access
to better jobs.
Belong to no caste
Expected to do the
“dirty” jobs
Come in contact with
animal skins, dead
bodies and human
feces
Avoid contact with
“caste” Indians for
fear of “pollution”
How Caste is Determined
According to traditional Hindu belief, following
one’s dharma means strictly following rules of
caste. The best way for a person to move to a
higher caste in the next life is to act according to
one’s caste in this life. – Laws of Manu (smriti)
Acting above one’s caste in this life is seen as
ignoring dharma and generates bad karma, so it
hurts a person’s chances of being promoted in the
next life
The belief is that people are born into the lower
castes based on the karma of their previous lives
Reincarnation
A person is born,
lives, dies, and is
reborn again
many times. Souls
are reborn many
times until they
are pure enough
to be with the
creator, Brahman
Karma
A person’s social
position in the
next life is
determined by his
conduct in the
present life.
Dharma
Code of behavior
or set of moral
and ethical rules
that govern the
conduct of each
social class. Each
group has a
different set of
rules to live by.
Laws of Manu
Hindu book of
sacred law
Rules and
restrictions for
daily life
Is the Caste System…a thing of the
past?
Today in India, discrimination based on
caste or occupation is illegal. Many Hindu
teachers now argue that the Hindu sacred
writings never intended the social and
occupational discrimination of the caste
system.
Here in Canada, caste is no longer
important for many Hindu families.
INDIA UNTOUCHED (documentary)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM85zVt6
xCU&feature=related
Source
http://www.csuchico.edu/~cheinz/syllabi/asst001/spring98/16.htm