1. India’s Caste System
Modified from

2. Warm Up What types of jobs do you think the people are doing?
Who do you think is the most powerful? Who do you think is the least powerful? Why?

3. Origins of the Varnas/Class System
Varnas/class in India was/is a system of social hierarchy that determines social status. All people in India are born and ranked into one of the four major castes known as jatis.
According to Hindu belief, the four castes were formed from the body of the god Purusha

5. Varnas/
Class
Part of Purusha
Jatis/Castes
Duties
Brahmin
head
Priests, teachers
Teach people about Hinduism
Kshatriaya
shoulders
Warriors, rulers
Protect society
Vaisya
thighs
Commoners, Farmers. Merchants, artisans
Work the land

6. Shudra
feet
servants
Serve classes higher than them
Not allowed to hear, repeat the Vedas
Outcastes- the Untouchables
Dalit
None- considered outside the caste system
Did the work that was the most unclean, “polluted labor”
Cremating corpses, handling skins of dead animals, sweeping, cleaning latrines (toilets)

8. Big Ideas
Tied to Hindu ideas of karma, dharma, and reincarnation.
Being born into a particular caste was thought of as reflecting good or bad deeds of the previous life.
Positive: a unique identity in Indian society.
Negative: facilitated exploitation of the poor by the wealthy and powerful.

9. Changes Over Time: The Caste System Today
Article 15 of Indian Constitution, passed in 1950, prohibits any discrimination based on class.
The government has set up the “reservation” system (positive discrimination) which sets up quotas for certain jobs. However this has led to protests as people complain of reverse discrimination.
The Untouchable/Dalit population is about 16% of the total population of India, around 165 million. There is still much discrimination and crimes committed against them.

10. As you read “India’s Eternal Inequality,” jot down:
Ways the caste system has changed?
Ways the caste system has not changed?
Your reaction/opinions/questions

11. Discussion Questions
What are the patterns between the class system in India to other systems of social hierarchy?
How does the class system contribute to order in Indian society?
What are the major ethical issues of dividing people in classes?
Do you think that Hindus would have the same perspective of the “fairness” of the class system as Americans today would? Explain.