Caste: Change & Continuity

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What does this tell you about the caste system?

How does this theory about the origin of the caste system relate to early Indian history?

Is there social mobility within the caste system?

Yes, people can change their place in the social hierarchy

No, people are born into whatever place their family has on the social hierarchy, and can not change that.

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The Aryans introduced the caste system to India. The caste system is a complicated social hierarchy. People are traditionally not allowed to associate with members outside their caste and usually not allowed to marry outside it. Some believe the caste system came from a belief that society had two tiers, a top and a bottom. Others believe that the caste system developed from priests who divided society into three levels: priests, warriors, and ordinary people. Ultimately it has five levels (including the untouchables at the bottom). Looked at positively, the caste system was designed to preserve order and it virtually guaranteed that sons would be able to follow in their father's occupational footsteps. Looked at critically, it allows for virtually no social mobility based on merit or effort .... ***What positive reason for developing the caste system could there have been?

In the ancient religious texts, the Vedas, it says: “The Brahmin was his mouth, his two arms were made the Rajanya [Kshatriya, king and warrior], his two legs the Vaishya, from his feet the Sudra [servile class] was born.”

This shows an ancient religious connection to the caste system

This shows that warriors were the most powerful in their society

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"When we are working, they ask us not to come near them. At tea canteens, they have separate tea cups and they make us clean them ourselves. We cannot enter temples. We cannot use upper-caste water taps. We have to go one kilometer away to get water... When we ask for our rights from the government, the officials threaten to fire us. So we don’t say anything. This is what happens to people who demand their rights." — A Dalit (Untouchable) manual scavenger, Ahmedabad district, Gujarat, 1998 ***What do you think of this?

"Caste Hindus treat Untouchables [Dalits] as slaves so they can utilize them as they wish. They exploit them and make them dig graveyards for high-caste people’s burials. These are all unpaid services."— Manibharati, social activist, Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, 1998 ***What do you think of this?

"In the past, twenty to thirty years ago, Dalits (Untouchables) enjoyed the practice of “untouchability.” In the past, they enjoyed being oppressed. They weren’t educated. They didn’t know the world. They cannot afford to react, they are dependent on us for jobs." — A prominent upper caste Thevar political leader, Tamil Nadu, 1998 ***What do you think of this?

For what groups would the caste system be most beneficial, and why?

In India, what kind of influence has the past had on the present?

What can we learn from this?

Option 1

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