The Hindu class system or “caste” system is a very different one than the class system we have in modern day American society. The caste system has been used for thousands of years in India. While today this system is not as strict as it has been in the past, much of the same characteristics can be found in rural areas. In Indian Society there are four main classes. First, there are the Brahmins which consist of priests, scholars, philosophers, and religious authorities. The Brahmins are the highest ranking caste in Indian society. Under the Brahmins are the Kshatriyas. The Kshatriyas consist of people in the military, and rulers. Basically, Kshatriyas were anyone who was concerned with the defense of a village or state. Next in line are the Vaishyas. The Vaishyas can be considered to be the middle class as they consisted of merchants, traders, and agriculture. And at the bottom of the caste system were the Shudras. It did not pay to be a Shudra as they were the laborers and servants for the other classes. If you thought that the caste system ended there you would be wrong. Under even the Shudras were the Untouchables. The Untouchables were s
uch a low caste that they weren’t part of the caste system at all. People that were an Untouchable had the worst occupations ever. They performed jobs like dealing with dead bodies or cleaning toilets.
Whichever caste a person belonged to was determined at birth. It depended on what caste the parents were apart of and that is the caste that a newborn would also be a part of. There was almost no way of changing castes. If a person did something outside their caste they would be excommunicated from their caste.
As you can see the Hindu caste system is very different from the class structure that we have in modern day American society. There are no strict lines between classes and there are no penalties for doing something outside your class. Also in American society a person can work hard and become part of another class, and are not constrained to one class.
uch a low caste that they weren’t part of the caste system at all. People that were an Untouchable had the worst occupations ever. They performed jobs like dealing with dead bodies or cleaning toilets.Whichever caste a person belonged to was determined at birth. It depended on what caste the parents were apart of and that is the caste that a newborn would also be a part of. There was almost no way of changing castes. If a person did something outside their caste they would be excommunicated from their caste.
As you can see the Hindu caste system is very different from the class structure that we have in modern day American society. There are no strict lines between classes and there are no penalties for doing something outside your class. Also in American society a person can work hard and become part of another class, and are not constrained to one class.
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