The Varna and Caste System in India
Around 1600 BCE, about 500 years after the ancient Indus River Valley Civilization fell, historians believe that nomadic Indo-Aryan people migrated into northern India. These Indo-Aryans were originally hunters and herders from Central Asia. When they migrated to the Indian subcontinent, they learned agriculture and began developing settlements and cities. This led to the development of new civilizations in India.
These people had a religious tradition that they developed from their sacred texts called the Vedas. The Rig Veda is a Vedic text that describes the mythological creation of the world and the sacrifice of the first human, a giant named Purusha.
The texts state that Purusha was separated into four parts by the gods. These four parts became the four varnas of people in Aryan society. Purusha’s mouth became the Brahmins, his arms became the Kshatriyas, his legs became the Vaishyas, and his feet became the Shudras.
The highest varna in society were the Brahmins, which included priests, scholars, judges, teachers, and landowners. The Brahmins were believed to understand the Dharma, or spiritual laws that governed the universe. Many Brahmins lived in the temples apart from the rest of society.
The next varna included the Kshatriya who were the rulers and warriors. They made everyday decisions and ran the government. The third varna was made up of peasants, farmers and traders called Vaishyas. Sometimes Vaishyas held some leadership positions in smaller villages. The last varna was made up of laborers and known as Shudras. They mostly worked on farms owned by wealthier people in their community.
In addition to the varna system, there were also groups known as Jāti. A Jāti is a like a tribe or community, typically associated with an occupation or geography. This usually provided an identity but also allowed for change. However, one's Jāti was usually the community within which one married and spent most of one's personal life.
Over time, the varna and Jāti system, which both focused more on jobs and the functions of society, developed into a "caste system" that emphasized heredity and distinct classes. Ruling elites during the Mughal Empire, and especially the British Raj, created a strict caste system to administer society.
The Caste System turned into an important aspect of life in India. People were born into their caste and remained there for life. Their caste membership determined the work they did, the man or woman they could marry, and the people with whom they could dine. Cleanliness and purity were also regarded as very important. Those considered the most impure because of their work as butchers, gravediggers, and collectors of trash lived outside the caste structure. These people, known as “Dalit” had few rights and could not move up or marry out of their caste.