The history of the caste system in India

You might have heard that society in India is divided into social classes called castes, and that those in the poorest caste are called untouchables. But, what does this caste system have to do with Hinduism as a religion? The earliest information we have about social classes in the Indian subcontinent is this: the people who migrated here from the middle east in the 16th century BCE, brought their social system. In this everyone was divided into three groups: priests, rulers and warriors, and workers. The religious texts in the Veda appear during the middle of the second millenium BCE.

And in one of them – the Rig-Veda – there is one text talking about the Primal man Purusha. Purusha sacrifices himself in a fire, transforming his body into four groups of human beings: His mouth turns into the priests - brahmins, his arms turn into the rulers and warriors – rajanya, his hips turn into farmers – vaishya, and his feet into the workers - shudra. But many scholars believe that these ideas have been added to the Rig-Veda later to support the caste system, while others believe that this proves that the caste system was already in existence during the Vedic period. Somewhat later, these social classes are described in some texts of laws that discuss duties for different groups in society. These law texts also introduce the idea that people who have performed very bad actions are re-born outside the system of four castes.

They are excluded and called untouchables or outcastes. The four groups are called varna, which means order, colour, or class. These four varna are the same groups mentioned in the Rig-Veda, but the ruler and warrior class has been given a new name: Kshatriya. The four varna are also mentioned in the long epic poem the Mahabharata. All these mentions of social groups in the texts strengthen the power of the brahmins in society.

But the brahmins perform animal sacrifices, and this is something that is not to everyone’s liking. The brahmins also insist that everyone should do as they say, or they will never reach liberation from rebirth. Many believe that this is wrong. So in the sixth century BCE religious life changes. More and more people get tired of the brahmins, so they withdraw from society, live in solitude and poverty - in asceticism - and listen to their inner self.

They think that this is the way to liberation from rebirth. Two new spiritual leaders: Buddha and Vardhamana appear, and from their teachings two new religions are born: Buddhism and Jainism. This, the brahmins really don’t like. People are leaving their teachings to live in asceticism or some other religion! So the brahmins decide that for all men, life in the three top varna is to be divided into four stages – ashrama.

The four ashramas are: student, family father, hermit, and wandering recluse. In this way the brahmins are hoping that only middle aged and old men will remove themselves from the social system. This division into ashrama leads to even more dharma-rules within the social groups, and this in turn shapes the Indian caste system. But when we talk about the caste system of today, it’s not only varna we talk about. India also has a social division into other groups - jati.

Jati are social groups within which you marry, share religious denomination, culture, traditions, lifestyle, and often profession. Both words, varna and jati, are often translated into ‘caste’, but they mean different things and follow different rules. Since the 1950s, it’s forbidden to discriminate against anyone because of caste in India, but injustices still occur.