Warm Up
What types of jobs
do you think the
people are doing?
Who do you think is
the most powerful?
Who do you think is
the least powerful?
Why?
Origins of the Varnas/Class System
• Varnas/class in India
was/is a system of social
hierarchy that determines
social status. All people in
India are born and ranked
into one of the four major
castes known as jatis.
• According to Hindu belief,
the four castes were
formed from the body of
the god Purusha
Varnas/
Class
Brahmin
Part of
Purusha
Jatis/Castes
Duties
head
Priests,
teachers
Teach people
about Hinduism
Kshatriaya
shoulders
Warriors,
rulers
Protect society
Vaisya
thighs
Commoners,
Farmers.
Merchants,
artisans
Work the land
Shudra
feet
servants
Serve classes
higher than
them
Not allowed to
hear, repeat the
Vedas
Outcastesthe
Untoucha
bles
Dalit
Noneconsidered
outside the
caste system
Did the work
that was the
most
unclean,
“polluted
labor”
Cremating
corpses,
handling skins
of dead
animals,
sweeping,
cleaning
Big Ideas
• The idea of different classes of
people is supported by Hindu ideas
of karma, dharma, and reincarnation.
Being born into a particular caste
was thought of as reflecting good or
bad deeds of the previous life.
• The class system allows people to
find a unique identity in Indian
society. But it also facilitated
exploitation of the poor by the
wealthy and powerful.
Changes Over Time:
The Caste System Today
• Article 15 of Indian Constitution,
passed in 1950, prohibits any
discrimination based on class.
• The government has set up the
“reservation” system (positive
discrimination) which sets up
quotas for certain jobs. However
this has led to protests as people
complain of reverse
discrimination.
Changes Over Time (con’t)
• The Untouchable/Dalit population
is about 16% of the total
population of India, around 165
million. There is still much
discrimination and crimes
committed against them.
Discussion Questions
• What are the patterns between the class system in India
to other systems of social hierarchy?
• How does the class system contribute to order in Indian
society?
• What are the major ethical issues of dividing people in
classes?
• Do you think that Hindus would have the same
perspective of the “fairness” of the class system as
Americans today would? Explain.