A caste system divides people based on inherited social status, with rigid expectations of marrying and interacting within the same social class. India has a well-known example, but various forms exist in other cultures. Endogamy and limited caste mobility are common, with upper castes holding political power. The roots of the Indian caste system can be found in Hindu scriptures, and while technically discrimination is not allowed in modern India, remnants of the system persist.
A caste system is a type of social structure that divides people based on inherited social status. While many societies could be described in this way, within a caste system, people are rigidly expected to marry and interact with people of the same social class. India has a well-known example of a caste system, although various forms of caste systems can also be found in many other cultures.
Several characteristics distinguish a caste system. The first is the tendency towards endogamy, meaning that people marry exclusively within the same caste. Caste mobility is also extremely rare; one cannot transform oneself from a worker to a scholar except in very rare circumstances, for example. The upper castes traditionally hold all political power and castes can be further divided across language, culture and economy. Within a caste system, each member generally knows her place, and your social status is usually apparent to others as well.
Although people associate the caste system with India, the word is actually borrowed from Portuguese. By 1555, English speakers were using the word to refer to a race of men, adopting the Portuguese word caste. While the word was used in English to describe race or breeding, in Portuguese it was more widely used to refer to the stratified society of Portugal. When the Indian social system was first encountered in the 1600s, it was described as a caste system in the Portuguese sense.
The roots of the Indian caste system can be found in the Hindu scriptures, although the caste system has also been adopted by other religions in India. According to scriptures, Indian society could be divided into several groups, known as Varnas. Brahmins, the highest caste, were scholars and priests, while Kshatriyas were warriors, rulers, and landowners. Vaisyas were merchants, while Sudras were manual workers. Beyond these four Varna bases are the Untouchables or Dalits, and the system also has a place for outsiders and foreigners who don’t conform to the system.
Within each Varna are hundreds of Jati, individual endogamous groups. India’s highly refined and complex caste system began to be reformed during the push for independence, and technically discrimination on the basis of caste status is not allowed in modern India. However, the remnants of the caste system can still be seen in the way Indians move about and interact with their society. Many lower caste people, for example, face legal barriers and difficulties when trying to enter Indian politics.
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