India: The Caste System

The Caste System

In ancient India, society was organized so that each specialized job was performed by a specific group, or caste. The interdependence of all of the various castes was recognized, and each one was considered necessary to the society as a whole. In the earliest known mention of caste, perhaps dating from about 1000 B.C.E., the metaphor (symbol) of the human body was used to describe Indian society. This metaphor stresses the idea of hierarchy as well as that of interdependence. The brahman, or priestly, caste represents society's head; the kshatriya, or warrior, caste are its arms; the vaishya caste—traders and landowners—are the legs; and the sudra caste—the servants of the other three—are the feet. These four castes—brahman, kshatriya, vaishya, and sudra—are the classical four divisions of Hindu society. In practice, however, there have always been many subdivisions (Jatis) of these castes.

1. THE FOUR VARNA: The word caste comes from the Portuguese word castas, meaning "pure." This Portuguese word expresses one of the most central values of Indian society: the idea of ritual purity. In India, however, the word varna, or "color," denotes the fourfold division of Indian society. The word varna may have been used because each of the four castes was assigned a specific color as its emblem. In Hindu religious texts, the dharma—the law, or duty—of each varna is described. It was thought that this dharma was an inherited, or inborn, quality. Consequently, people thought that if intermarriages took place, there would be much confusion as to the dharma of the next generation of children. As a result of such concerns, marriage between different castes was strictly prohibited. The practice of marrying only a person of "one's own kind" is called endogamy and is still a central rule in many Hindu communities.

The Brahmans. The brahman caste is assigned the highest status of the four varnas but also must live by the strictest rules. In their very name, brahmans are identified with the supreme being, and so are expected to uphold this high honor by their conduct. In addition, they must observe many detailed rules concerning ritual purity in their personal lives. They must avoid contact with dirt, for instance, and may not eat foods such as meat that are considered to be polluted. Because of the strict rules that the brahmans observe, they cannot perform many of the tasks necessary to everyday life. They cannot obtain their own food, for instance, or use violence to defend themselves. Thus, they must depend on other castes to perform these essential services. This is one way in which the interdependence of the castes is evident. Without the other castes, there could be no brahmans. In terms of occupation, the first duty of a brahman is to study the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India. A young brahman boy begins this period of study after going through a special ceremony marking his spiritual rebirth. Kshatriya and vaishya boys also go through this ceremony of "rebirth" at age 10 or 11. After the ceremony, each boy is given a sacred thread to wear around his neck as a symbol of membership in the "twice-born" castes. After ten or more years of study, a brahman may become a priest of a temple, or he may instruct boys of the twice-born castes in Sanskrit and the Vedas. If there is no employment available as a priest or teacher, a brahman may enter certain other occupations. He must be careful, however, to observe all of the rules and rituals of his caste.

The Kshatriyas. The kshatriya caste includes soldiers, generals, and kings. Their traditional role is to defend the society from invaders and robbers, and they are expected to be both brave and high-minded. The kshatriyas must study the ancient Hindu scriptures under the guidance of a Brahman teacher and are expected to follow many of the same rules of ritual purity that the brahman caste observes.

The Vaishyas. The job specialties of the vaishya caste are agriculture and cattle raising. The vaishyas also carry on trading activities; for example, they bring farm products to market and lend money to keep various enterprises going. Like the brahmans and the kshatriyas, the vaishyas are a twice-born caste.

The Sudras. In ancient law, the sudras were given only one occupation: to serve the members of the twice-born castes. As servants to the other three castes, the sudras performed many of the tasks that involve "pollution," such as agricultural labor, leather working, disposing of garbage, and laundering. In time, however, many sudras became wealthy farmers or artisans in their own right. When a sudrajati, or subcaste, improved its status in this way, it was also able to adopt many of the rituals and habits of the twice-born castes. Menial tasks then became the dharma of the "out-casts" of society—the untouchables, or harijans.

The Untouchables, or Harijans. Inevitably, there were certain people who failed to live up to their caste dharma or who violated the rules concerning marriage between castes. Such people and their children were considered outcasts from Hindu society. They had to live apart from other castes and were given the jobs that no one else wanted to perform. Because of their contact with things considered unclean or polluted, the outcasts were believed to be deeply tainted. They came to be thought of as "untouchable" because people believed that their touch—or even the sight of them—would compromise a brahman's purity. The untouchables were not admitted into Hindu temples and instead formed religious sects of their own. Over the centuries, they also organized into sub-castes much like those of orthodox Hindu society. In the 20th century, Mahatma Gandhi made it one of his life's goals to bring the untouchables back into Hindu society. He renamed them the harijans, or "children of God," and tried to convince orthodox Hindus to admit them into their temples and their everyday lives. However, other leaders doubted that upper-caste Hindus would ever treat the harijans as equals. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, a distinguished scholar who had been born an "untouchable," was a leading spokesman for this view. He used the term scheduled castes when referring to this group, for he believed that the term harijans was demeaning. The scheduled castes, he said, should withdraw from Hinduism altogether and join another religion, such as Buddhism, which does not recognize caste distinctions. After India became an independent nation in 1947, its new constitution outlawed the practice of "untouchability." The constitution also established affirmative action programs to ensure that the scheduled castes would have access to higher education and better jobs. In contrast to similar legislation in the United States, these clauses actually guarantee that a certain percentage of university and job openings will be assigned to disadvantaged groups. Because of these programs, there has been a marked improvement in the status of the scheduled castes. Yet discrimination continues, and the condition of the former "untouchables" is still a major social issue today.

2. THE HIERARCHY OF JATIS, OR SUB-CASTES: While the term varna refers to the classic, or ideal, division of society, people use the word Jati when speaking of the thousands of sub-castes that exist in practice. The jatis perform the many specialized jobs that are considered essential to society—farming, metalworking, pottery making, carpentry, weaving, laundering, marketing, and many others. Relations among these various castes are governed by elaborate rules. Each one is very much aware of its status and duties in regard to- the others. The members of each jati are believed to inherit the caste dharma necessary to carry out their role in society. In practice, however, each person becomes aware of all the complicated rules regarding dharma during childhood—usually by observing the behavior of family members. These rules concern not only the caste specialty but also the many other services and courtesies that are owed to other castes. The quality of ritual purity is the most important factor in determining the rank of a jati in society. If a jati is to maintain or improve its status, its members must accept food and water only from people of their own caste or a higher caste. (For this reason, brahman priests are often employed as cooks during religious festivals.) A jati must also avoid contact with castes who are considered to be pollution-prone.

Mobility of Castes. In practice, there have always been more possibilities for upward (or downward) movement within the caste system than the classic rules of varna would suggest. To achieve a higher place in the social hierarchy, the members of a jati often take the following steps: enter an occupation that involves less contact with pollution; follow stricter rules of purity in daily life; and learn Sanskrit, the classic language of the holy scriptures.

3. THE CONTINUITY OF THE CASTE SYSTEM: Countless reformers have attempted to abolish or reform the caste system. However, these reform movements have had little effect. Today, the caste system continues to be the main form of government in villages throughout India. In large part, its continuity depends on two central concepts: caste dharma and karma. In Hindu society, caste dharma is considered to be a divine law. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, caste dharma is "the duty one has to perform" and "the law of one's being." Many Hindus believe that this obligation tends to enhance the spiritual development of the individual. Because of it, each person learns from an early age to overcome selfish desires and instead focus on group goals and ideals. The concept of karma helps to explain differences in status that might otherwise be considered unfair. Because one's caste membership is thought to be a result of actions in a previous life, a person tends to accept this status rather than complain about it. By the same token, a successful performance of caste duty will improve one's
karma and perhaps lead to improved status in the next life. The caste system also returns certain practical benefits to the individual. Being a member of a jati gives each person a sense of identity and of belonging to a well-defined group within society. The members of a jati have much in common. They share a job specialty and abide by the same rules concerning diet and religion. Because of the rules of endogamy, each jati is also an extended family, for most members are related by blood.
Caste in India's Cities. In the modern cities of India, people daily come in contact with hundreds of strangers in public transportation and in the workplace. In this context, the traditional caste rules of the villages cannot be observed. But many city dwellers nevertheless retain a strong sense of caste identity. Thus, one phenomenon of modern India is the device known as "compartmentalization." During the day, a person may learn to be unconcerned with caste rules. But at home, and in the company of other caste members, the ancient ceremonies and rules continue to be respected.

Source: India: Its Culture and People. Anne Ferguson Jensen. New York: Longman Publishing Group, 1991, pp. 31-36.



A late hymn from the Rig-Veda, a classical Hindu poem:

When the gods made a sacrifice with the
Man as their victim . . . .
When they divided the Man, into how
many parts did they divide him?
What was his mouth, what were his
arms, what were his thighs and his
feet called?
The brahman was his mouth, of his arms
were made the warrior.
His thighs became the vaishya, of his
feet the sudra was born.
With Sacrifice the gods sacrificed the
Sacrifice, these were the first of the
sacred laws.
These mighty beings reached the sky,
where are the eternal spirits, the gods.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What do you think the author means by the term caste dharma? (#3 - "in Hindu society, caste dharma is considered to be divine law")

2. What different castes are described in the article? Describe in detail the defining characteristics of each caste.

3. Does the caste system still exist today in India? Explain.

4. Read the poem at the bottom of the article. How does it use metaphor to describe the caste system in India?

1. Caste Dharma is the Dharma, duties and responsibilities consisting specific of a person's caste position. If you obey all the rules of a untouchable if you are one, then you will be obeying your caste Dharma. These rules could include not marrying outside of your caste, do your job efficiently whatever it is, or any other duty you must do socially.

2. A Brahmin Is the highest level of caste, which usually consists of high priests, noble families, and emperors. They are to be always trusted, as they are at the highest level of human wisdom. But they also need the other castes to do their essential things, like making food, and they are not aloud to use violence to defend themselves.
The Kshatiryas are responsible for protecting the people, they consist of warriors, and rulers of small areas. They are known to be at a high wisdom level and that is why I think they were given the responsibility to do the wars and control the violence needed for a organized way of life. They follow very similar rules as the Brahmin caste.
The Vaishyas are considered slightly feeble minded, that is why their job specialization consists of workers, either farming, scribing, or working for a company, and traders. As Brahmins and Kshatiryas they undergo a spiritual ceremony at a young age and refered to as being born twice.
The Sudras are disgraceful, their purpose in life was to forever in that lifetime serve the three upper twice born castes. They were servants, peasants, manual laborers and other terrible things. But over time sub castes within this area might get rich or wealthy and when this happened they would be considered a twice born caste as well.
Then the untouchables,AKA the Harijans are truly pathetic. They are so disgraceful that they were given the worse jobs, and they were not to be touched, or spoken to. These outcasts had to ring a bell when walking through a public street as not to accidentally touch someone! That is what was considered the most segregated caste group of all.

3. The caste system does still exist today and is a huge factor in village and Indian city life. It would almost be unhuman to take it away as it is part of the very Indian religion, with the lessons taught along side the ways of caste Dharma ( Gandi calls it law of one's being) it helps people loss their selfishness and care for dignity, duty, and honor. Many have tried to take this away because they believe it to be segregation, this is debatable.

4. This poem uses its metaphors to describe the caste system very simpily to one that already understands it slightly to amuse them. Brahman castes are considered the mouth of Brahman because Brahman castes are considered prophet like, as the law of the world speaks through them. They say the arms, that take action, that are strong and protect are the warrior castes (Kshatiryas). The vaishyas are the waist that holds up the two very important castes that depend on Vaishyas. And the impure Sudras are the feet, they are the bottom being walked on and serving all other castes.

In my opinion the caste system is bad yet it works. It is what we call at this modern age segregation, when some people are treated worse than others because of family of birth or how it was in the epic age race. Non Aryans were at lower castes than the Aryans. But the caste system works greatly, why? Because in every society you will have people at lower and higher states of life and varied job values, and the caste system gives reason for these things, it took away complaining and selfishness, and gave liberty and honor.

1. What do you think the author means by the term caste dharma? (#3 - "in Hindu society, caste dharma is considered to be divine law")
Caste dharma is said probably to describe the responsabilities and obligations/jobb the people had to do in their caste group.

2. What different castes are described in the article? Describe in detail the defining characteristics of each caste.
-The brahman caste is the highest of all and is governed by the brahmin. That caste is the one that rules and gives orders. There are very clean and avoid being covered with dirt and avoid eating meat too. Therefore, they have very strict rules but sometimes use violence to defend themselves. The most important duty of a brahman is to study and learn ancient scriptures of India. After they have spent 10 years of study, a brahman may become a priest of a temple. I
-The kshatriya caste mainly includes soldiers, generals and kings. Their role is to defend the society/caste from any invaders or robbers. They have to be both brave and high-minded and study Hindu scriptures under the supervision of a Brahman teacher.
-Vaishya caste is specialized in the agriculture and the raising of catle.They carry on trading activities such as taking farm products to the market and lending money to enterprises. Like the two first castes, the vaishyas are a twice-born caste.
- Sudra had only one ocupation which was to serve the members of the twice-born castes. As servants to the three other castes, they worked in the agriculture, workin the leather , and disposing of garbage and laundering.Many of them became wealthy and became farmers.
-Unfortunately, the untouchables were the people who failed to live up to their caste dharma or who violated the rules such as marriage between castes. They were considered as outcasts from Hindu society. They had to live apart from the other castes and had given the jobs that no one else wanted to do and work at. Because they were in contact with things considered not clean, they were believed to be deeply tainted. They were called the "Untouchable" because people believed that their tough and the sight of them would, in a way, disrupt the brahmans' purity. The Untouchables were not accepted into all the temples, so they formed religious sects of their own. for this view.

3. Does the caste system still exist today in India? Explain.
Even though people have tried to abolish the castes system, it still exits now in the Indian government. In the modern cities of India, people come in contact with strangers in public transportation or at work. In this context, the traditional caste rules of the villages cannot be observed. Many people in the city retain a strong sense of caste identity. One phenomenon of modern India is the device "compartmentalization." In the day, a person may have the right to be unconcerned with caste rules. But at home, and with the other caste members, the ancient ceremonies and rules continue to be respected throughout the family..
4. Read the poem at the bottom of the article. How does it use metaphor to describe the caste system in India?

When the gods made a sacrifice with the
Man as their victim . . . .
When they divided the Man, into how
many parts did they divide him?
What was his mouth, what were his
arms, what were his thighs and his
feet called?
The brahman was his mouth, of his arms
were made the warrior.
His thighs became the vaishya, of his
feet the sudra was born.
With Sacrifice the gods sacrificed the
Sacrifice, these were the first of the
sacred laws.
These mighty beings reached the sky,
where are the eternal spirits, the gods.

I think that it describes it saying that gods made the man and then it divided itself again puting themsleves into a different power and rank. In the poem, it describes that each part of these ranks were parts of the human bodiy which at the end just represents the human as a divided person in society or evn itself.

Comprehension Questions:
1. What do you think the author means by the term caste dharma? (#3 - "in Hindu society, caste dharma is considered to be divine law")
I think the author means by the term caste dharma is the responsibilities, the duties of a person, and the laws. Caste dharma could be considered a divine law because of all the resposibilities and duties given to a person in each caste.

2. What different castes are described in the article? Describe in detail the defining characteristics of each caste.

There were five different castes. The most important caste were the Brahmans. They are in the highest class of the caste system, but they also have very strict rules applied to them. For example, they couldn't make contact with dirt and they could only eat foods made by people in their caste. They weren't allowed to eat prepared food from people in the lower class. Because of their strict rules, the Brahmans could not do things that average day people do in the average day life. The first duty of the Brahman was to study the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India. After ten or more years of study, a brahman may become a priest of a temple, or he may teach boys of the twice-born castes in Sanskrit and the Vedas.

Next on the caste system were the Kshatriyas, and in their caste there were soldiers, generals, and kings.Their usual role in their life was to defend the society from invaders and robbers. They are also expected to be brave people, and to be intelligent. They must also study the ancient Hindu scriptures taught by a Brahman teacher.

After the Kshatriyas are the Vaishyas. The Vaishyas are to work in agriculture and cattle raising. They also may trade goods and farm products. They can bring farm products to the markets and lend money to keep the business going.

Then, there are the Sudras. In ancient law, the Sudras were only given one employment which was to serve the members of the twice-born castes, which were the Brahmans, Kshatriyas, and the Vaishyas. They did agricultural labors, leather working, getting rid of the trash, and laundering. In time, many Sudras became wealthy farmers or artisans in their own right. When a subcaste improves their status, they can adopt many of the rituals and habits of the twice-born castes.

The final and lowest of the caste system are the Untouchables, or the Harijans. These people were considered outcasts from the Hindu society. They had to do the jobs that other people didn't want to do. They became known as the Untouchable because it was believed that if touched, or even the sight of them, would compromise a brahman's purity. Untouchables were not allowed in the Hindu temples. After India became an independent nation in 1947, its new constitution outlawed the practice of "untouchability." Unfortunantly, the discrimination continues and its a major social issue today.


3. Does the caste system still exist today in India? Explain.

Yes, the caste system still exists today in India. The caste system continues to be the main form of government in villages throughout India. They depend on two central concepts, which are caste dharma and karma. The concept of karma can be considered unfair, and it helps explain the difference in status today. In the modern cities of India, people come in contact with hundreds of strangers in public transportation and in the place they work, and because of this the traditional caste rules of the villages cannot be observed. During the day, people are unconcerned about the caste system but when their at home and in the company of other caste members the ancient ceremonies and rules continue to be respected.

4. Read the poem at the bottom of the article. How does it use metaphor to describe the caste system in India?
I think the poem uses metaphor to kind of show how people in the different castes were treated. They were treated differently, so the man being sacrificed could have been an Untouchable. Maybe, when the man was being sacrificed it was as if for that split second, that man was an equal in the caste system.

1. What do you think the author means by the term caste dharma? (#3 - "in Hindu society, caste dharma is considered to be divine law")
- In my opinion, the author means that each caste has a different set of rules, or dharma. If you think about it, each different caste had a different level of respect and importance in the Hindu society, so it would make sense that they also had a seperate set of rules to abide by.

2. What different castes are described in the article? Describe in detail the defining characteristics of each caste.
- At the top of the caste system sity the Brahman. The Brahman in Hindu culture is a godlike figure. Brahman is not a single thing, but he is in everything. Everything that you see or touch or think about is Brahman. This caste is the most respected one, and therfore has the highest level of importance, and is very respected.
- After Brahman comes Kshatriyas. This section of the caste system pertains to the people that were soldiers, generals and kings. Kshatriyas were very respected since they were supposed to be very intelligent and wise. It is also said that Kshatriyas learned the ins and outs of Hindu scriptures which was tought by a Brahman.
- Now come the Vaishyas. These people dedicate themselves to cattle raising and agriculture. They also take care of trade and farm products. Vaishyas also had the ability to keep markets running by supplying them with products and or lending them money.
- The Sudras are next in the caste system. It is known that in ancient laws, the Sudras only served for one purpose, and one employment. Their one employment was to serve the Brahmans, Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas. Just like the Vaishyas, the Sudras worked in the agriculture, but also helped out with leather-making, taking out the trash, and laundering or washing. If they were lucky, some Sudras became wealthy withing their own caste, but compared to the higher castes they were still labor workers, and poor.
- The Untouchables, also known as the Harijans, were a very special case indeed. They attained no respect what so ever from higher castes. When i say Untouchable, i mean UNTOUCHABLE. People in the Hindu religion were not allowed to touch the Harijans. They did not want to get "infected". Higher caste people would not be seen around, much less be with an untouchable because of how frowned upon they were. You would think that after India gained its independence in 1947, that this, in my opinion, vile discrimination would be stopped. Although laws don't say that Untouchables can't be touched, a lot of Hindus still believe and practice the discrimantion towards the Harijans.

3. Does the caste system still exist today in India? Explain.
- Sadly, the caste system still exists today. There are still visible distinctions between the different castes. The only reason that during the day, caste rules aren't obeyed is because everybody is forced to be in public transportation and come in contact with other people who belong in other castes. When people are at home with their families, caste rules are put in place. When Hindus go to the temple to pray, they are in their own caste cliques, and would never be seen with an Untouchable, if they knew that that person was one.

4. Read the poem at the bottom of the article. How does it use metaphor to describe the caste system in India?
- I think that this poem definately describes how the caste system worked. By saying that the mouth was Brahman, it is saying that the authority and person who speaks for all Hindus is Brahman. When the peom refers body parts to different sects of the caste system, you automatically understand that at the bottom, which are the feet, are the Sudras. The Untouchables were not mentioned in the poem since they are not classified as humans pretty much. Many Hindus believe that the Harijans are just THERE... Anyway, i think that the peom uses metaphor to relate the parts of a body to a sect of the caste system.

1. What do you think the author means by the term caste dharma? (#3 - "in Hindu society, caste dharma is considered to be divine law")
Well i think that the author means that the term 'caste dharma' is to obey and be responsable of your own actions, in your social class.
Ex. If a Sudras served the members of the twice-born castes then he is obeying to his caste dharma.

2. What different castes are described in the article? Describe in detail the defining characteristics of each caste.

There were 5 indian castes. Every caste had straight rules, and if you did not obey to them, you did not have a good karma.
The Brahmans.
The brahman caste is the most powerful. Brahmans are identified with the supreme being, and so are expected to uphold this high honor by their conduct. They must observe many detailed rules concerning ritual purity in their personal lives.
-They must avoid contact with dirt, and may not eat foods such as meat that are considered to be polluted.
-They cannot perform many of the tasks necessary to everyday life.
-They cannot obtain their own food, for instance, or use violence to defend themselves.
-They must depend on other castes to perform these essential services (This is one way in which the interdependence of the castes is evident).
Without the other castes, there could be no brahmans. In terms of occupation, the first duty of a brahman is to study the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India. After that they have a special ceremony marking their spiritual rebirth. After the ceremony, is given to them a sacred thread to wear around his neck as a symbol of membership in the "twice-born" castes. After ten or more years of study, a they may become a priests of a temple, or they may instruct boys of the twice-born castes in Sanskrit and the Vedas. If there is no employment available as a priest or teacher, they may enter certain other occupations. They must be careful, however, to observe all of the rules and rituals of their caste.

The Kshatriyas.
The kshatriya caste includes soldiers, generals, and kings. They have to defend the society from invaders and robbers, and they are expected to be both brave and high-minded. They must study the ancient Hindu scriptures under the guidance of a Brahman teacher and are expected to follow many of the same rules of ritual purity that the brahman caste observes.

The Vaishyas.
The vaishya caste is specilizatin in agriculture and cattle raising. They also carry on trading activities; for example, they bring farm products to market and lend money to keep various enterprises going. Like the brahmans and the kshatriyas, the vaishyas are a twice-born caste.

The Sudras.
The Sudras had just only one occupation: to serve the members of the twice-born castes. As servants to the other three castes, the sudras performed many of the tasks that involve "pollution," such as agricultural labor, leather working, disposing of garbage, and laundering. In time, however, many sudras became wealthy farmers or artisans in their own right. When a sudrajati, or subcaste, improved its status in this way, it was also able to adopt many of the rituals and habits of the twice-born castes.

The Untouchables, or Harijans.
Inevitably, there were certain people who failed to live up to their caste dharma or who violated the rules concerning marriage between castes. That people and their children were considered outcasts from Hindu society because they broke the rules. They had to live apart from other castes and were given the jobs that no one else wanted to perform. Because of their contact with things considered unclean or polluted, the outcasts were believed to be deeply tainted. They came to be thought of as "untouchable" because people believed that their touch would compromise the karma. The untouchables were not admitted into Hindu temples and they formed religious sects of their own. In the 20th century, Mahatma Gandhi made it one of his life's goals to bring the untouchables back into Hindu society. He renamed them the harijans, or "children of God," and tried to convince orthodox Hindus to admit them into their temples and their everyday lives. After India became an independent nation in 1947, its new constitution outlawed the practice of "untouchability." The constitution also established affirmative action programs to ensure that the scheduled castes would have access to higher education and better jobs. Unfortunately the condition of the former "untouchables" is still a major social issue today.

3. Does the caste system still exist today in India? Explain.
Unfortunately discrimination continues, because the caste system still exist today in India. It will be unhuman negate it to people because it is part of their lifes, traditions and religions. It helps people to care for duty, dignity and honor.

4. Read the poem at the bottom of the article. How does it use metaphor to describe the caste system in India?
Well, I think it means that even if there is this caste system, Indian people is unite, and it forms a only one thing. Like a body. Nothing is missing to indian caste system because it is right.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What do you think the author means by the term caste dharma? (#3 - "in Hindu society, caste dharma is considered to be divine law")
~Duties and responsibilities.

2. What different castes are described in the article? Describe in detail the defining characteristics of each caste.
~ The Brahman
The Brahman in Hindu culture is a godlike figure. Brahman is not a single thing. The things that you see or touch or think about is Brahman. This caste is the most respected one.
~Kshatriyas, people that were soldiers, generals and kings. They were supposed to be very intelligent and wise. Kshatriyas learned the ins and outs of Hindu scriptures which was tought by a Brahman.
~ Vaishyas are people that dedicate themselves to cattle raising and agriculture. They also take care of trade and farm products.
- The Sudras, known that in ancient laws,t hey served for one purpose, and one employment.The Sudras worked in the agriculture, but also helped out with leather-making, taking out the trash, and laundering or washing. Sudras became wealthy their own caste, but compared to the higher castes they were still labor workers, and poor.
- The Untouchables, also known as the Harijans, they had no respect what so ever from higher castes. People in the Hindu religion were not allowed to touch the Harijans. Higher caste people would not be seen around.

3. Does the caste system still exist today in India? Explain.
~I believe that the caste system still exists today, Its like a crippling disease for India. They depend on two central concepts, which are caste dharma and karma.

4. Read the poem at the bottom of the article. How does it use metaphor to describe the caste system in India?
When the gods made a sacrifice with the
Man as their victim . . . .
When they divided the Man, into how
many parts did they divide him?
What was his mouth, what were his
arms, what were his thighs and his
feet called?
The brahman was his mouth, of his arms
were made the warrior.
His thighs became the vaishya, of his
feet the sudra was born.
With Sacrifice the gods sacrificed the
Sacrifice, these were the first of the
sacred laws.
These mighty beings reached the sky,
where are the eternal spirits, the gods.

~Show how people in the different castes were treated, how they were treated differently, how the caste system worked. Parts of the human body, represents the human as a divided person in society or maybe even to itself.

1) Caste Dharma is the Dharma, duties and responsibilities consisting specific of a person's caste position. If you obey all the rules of a untouchable if you are one, then you will be obeying your caste Dharma. These rules could include not marrying outside of your caste, do your job efficiently whatever it is, or any other duty you must do socially.

2) There were five different castes. Brahmans are in the highest class of the caste system, but they also have very strict rules applied to them. For example, they couldn't make contact with dirt and they could only eat foods made by people in their caste. They weren't allowed to eat prepared food from people in the lower class. Because of their strict rules, the Brahmans could not do things that average day people do in the average day life. The first duty of the Brahman was to study the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India. After ten or more years of study, a brahman may become a priest of a temple, or he may teach boys of the twice-born castes in Sanskrit and the Vedas. Next on the caste system were the Kshatriyas, and in their caste there were soldiers, generals, and kings.Their usual role in their life was to defend the society from invaders and robbers. They are also expected to be brave people, and to be intelligent. They must also study the ancient Hindu scriptures taught by a Brahman teacher.After the Kshatriyas are the Vaishyas. The Vaishyas are to work in agriculture and cattle raising. They also may trade goods and farm products. They can bring farm products to the markets and lend money to keep the business going.
Then, there are the Sudras. In ancient law, the Sudras were only given one employment which was to serve the members of the twice-born castes, which were the Brahmans, Kshatriyas, and the Vaishyas. They did agricultural labors, leather working, getting rid of the trash, and laundering. In time, many Sudras became wealthy farmers or artisans in their own right. When a subcaste improves their status, they can adopt many of the rituals and habits of the twice-born castes.
The final and lowest of the caste system are the Untouchables, or the Harijans. These people were considered outcasts from the Hindu society. They had to do the jobs that other people didn't want to do.


3) The caste system still exist today Indian city life. It would almost be unhuman to take it away as it is part of the very Indian religion, with the lessons taught along side the ways of caste Dharma ( Gandi calls it law of one's being) it helps people loss their selfishness and care for dignity, duty, and honor. Many have tried to take this away because they believe it to be segregation, this is debatable.

4) I think that this poem uses many metaphors to kind of show how people in the different castes were treated. They were treated differently, so the man being sacrificed could have been an Untouchable. Maybe, when the man was being sacrificed it was as if for that split second.

1. What do you think the author means by the term caste dharma? (#3 - "in Hindu society, caste dharma is considered to be divine law") for me it means that each different cast has its own rule because every cast was rested differently. It would not be right if they all had the same rules.

2. What different castes are described in the article? Describe in detail the defining characteristics of each caste.
The highest level of the cast are the brahmins they were never questioned because they were considered the highest form of wisdom. they usually consisted of the priests. The next people on the cast were the Kshatriyas they were the warriors and rulers they were very honorable people in society. Next were the vaishyas the were the traders and they were the people who new how to write. sudras were the servants and manual workers they were of very little cared about. most people just ignored them. and the las ton the list were the untouchables they were the lowest you could get there jobs consisted of clearing dead bodes from the rode. cleaning the street. they were also the farmers. when they walked on the sweet they had to walk in the gutters and when they would pass people they had to worn them with a bell that they were coming.
3. Does the caste system still exist today in India? Explain.
In some parts yes. most parts have dropped it but others it is still ver important.
4. Read the poem at the bottom of the article. How does it use metaphor to describe the caste system in India?
it says that the higher u were on the gods body the more importance u had in the cast.
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1. In Indian society caste dharma was fulfilling the duties of your caste. If you are a Brahmin then staying pure and studying the Vedas would be fulfilling your caste dharma.
2. A. the first and purist caste is the Brahmin. The Brahmin have to uphold their honor and purity with many strict rules. From a young age they must study the Vedas. Also because they need to obtain their purity they cannot have too much contact with dirt, make their own food, eat meat because it is “dirty”, or use violence to defend themselves.
B. the second caste is The Kshatriyas. The Kshatriyas are the “Defenders” of society. They are usually soldiers, generals, or kings. They also have to study ancient Hindu scriptures, but only under the guidance of a Brahmin.
C. the next caste down is the Vaishyas. They are too twice reborn. Their main dharma and job specialties are to raise cattle, agriculture, and they are involved with trading since they bring their goods to the markets and sell them.
D. the Sudras was the next caste down. Their main dharma was to serve the twice reborn castes. They did things like laundering, cleaning, agricultural labor, and more. Also they could in time become wealthy farmers and try to practice some of the rituals of the higher castes.
E. the last caste were the Untouchables. They were the “outcastes” and considered the dirtiest. They were not allowed to mingle or be seen by the Brahmin because they thought it would compromise their own purity.
3. Yes the caste system still exists. It is not as strict but it presents still discrimination.
4. The poem describes the caste system as a man and how all the castes are necessary. Still some are more precious than others.

1. What do you think the author means by the term caste dharma? (#3 - "in Hindu society, caste dharma is considered to be divine law")
To answer the question we must know what dharma is. Dharma is the job,responsibilities and duties one has. Your caste dharma is the job,responsibilities and duties bestowed upon your caste, but more specificly your jatis.

2. What different castes are described in the article? Describe in detail the defining characteristics of each caste.
A) The untouchables the most ignored dishonered of the castes. They are land laborers and the poorest people of the Hindus.
B) The Sudras are peasants and laborers as well as the untouchables. Except more respected, more wealthy and touchable.
C) Vaishyas are traders, farmers and venders. They are average, not disrespected, but just ignored and not important.
D) The warrior caste are the second most honored. This caste is called the Kshatryas, they are generals, soldiers and rulers. They are important, their opinon matters and you do not deny a Kshatrya anything if you are in a lower caste.
E) Brahmins, these are the highest of intelligence,importance and relevence. They are closest to Moksha and you can see how their name; Brahmin resembles Brahman. The Brahmin are priests and scholars.

3. Does the caste system still exist today in India? Explain.
The caste system has adjusted a bit, to take in to account new jobs and technologies. Some places in India are still very srtict with the caste system though.

4. Read the poem at the bottom of the article. How does it use metaphor to describe the caste system in India?
The caste poem describes a relationship between parts of the body and their value, and the castes. Like the head makes descisions, and is vital, this would be the Brahmins.