Modern India

Modern India
The Beginning of the Caste System
The Aryan nomadic warriors
came into northern India
They divided the indian people
into separate castes
the castes that they made were
unchangeable
the caste system reflects the
Aryan way of thinking: First
came the priests, then the
warriors and then the
merchants
The Aryans put themselves on the top of the
Caste System, and the people that lived there
on the bottom
How the caste system prospered
each caste was expected to fulfill their duty
in order to have the other castes prosper as
well.
It was held by law for the
subcontinent and lasted two
or three thousand years
It was supported by marriage,
royal support, caste rules, and
preferential treatment
They thought that a Hierarchy was natural, and
that they needed to define purity and impurity.
Both Buddhism and Jainism tried to
reformat the Caste System but both
religions failed
The Hindus in the Caste System
Hindu rulers were a giant force, and if you were
willing, you would be inducted into the caste
system
The only time that the Hindu military was not at
the highest power was when the british and the
turks came in
The 4 Varnas were adopted
by the Hindus
They made it so many of lifes choices
were made for you like jobs and
marriages
Occupations in the Caste System
General Information
Within each Varna there is "Jet" in
which each family passes down that
specific occupation to their future
generations.
Each Varna needs to fulfill their duty, the
Hindus believe it is what makes the
universe function
The 4 Varnas: Created by
the Hindus
Vaishyas
they are landlords and
businessmen of the
society
They are motivated by material objects
The Brahmins
They are priests and
educated people of the
society
Like the Kashatria and the Vaisia,
they are considered "twice born
people".
They are motivated by knowledge
Kshatriyas
they are the ruler and the
aristocrats in the society
They are motivated by power
Shudras
They are the peasants and
working members of society.
Even though they are the lowest of the
4 Varnas, they work in clean
environments.
They did not have the same social and
economic rights as the other 3 Varnas,
just as the Untouchables
They are "unmotivated" people
Outside of the 4 Varnas
The Untoucahbles
They are not have contact with the other
4 Varnas, they do not get the same job
opportunities
They were people that worked in unclean
environments, they were seen as polluting and
unclean people
Panchamas
these are outcasts in India, they
chose not to be part of the caste
system
they have caused serious crimes against the
caste regulations that led to them being kicked
out of Hindu society.
The Sannyasins
they are not part of the caste
system on purpose.
They have decided to focus on
selfrealization
some have become swamis who choose to
not care about any orders of the caste system
Caste System in Modern India
History of the transition from a
caste system to modern day
Industrialization first
encouraged mobility
between castes
this encouraged urbanization,
more people moved to the cities
even in cities today that have low and high class
people, low class people are not allowed to be
buried there because there ghost will pollute the
area
The British government tried to get more rights
more people in the lower class, but could not
break the system
On November 29, 1949, the Indian
constitution was passed that finally broke the
caste system
How the old Caste System still
affects people today
The Untouchables in communities today
this includes not getting the
same jobs as others, limited
education, and having less
resources
In most low class areas, one
household of women may only own
one dress
villagers that go into the city to look for jobs
are usually encountered with people that
desire to hurt them like mofia gangs
A highly educated brahmin doctor will still
wrap a Dalit with cloth before touching
him/her
There has been another term
given to define
Untouchables,Harijan
There are two kinds of Indians,
the rich and the poor
India's growing economy has made
a clear line between the two
groups.
Today, people are not limited by who their
family's are, they can work their way up to the
job they desire.
90 percent of poor Indians are
Dalits and 95 percent of
illiterate Indians are Dalits
those once artificial barriers between castes still
has an affect on people today because the caste
system played a huge role in society
NonHindus in the Caste System
Christians
Christian missionaries have been known to
assist Indian Dalits with resources and
education
3 percent of India's population is Christian,
they make up 50 percent of the Dalit
population
Christian leaders in India provide a sense
of protection for the Dalits, many on the
NCM
Upperclass Christians
The upper class christians
discriminate against lower class
christians
Dalit christians do not go to the same church
as them, or they sit in a different section of
pews
they do not grant Dalits with
education from the nuns or priests
Many Dalits have spoken out against
the discrimination of the Catholic
Church
Foreigners
All the people that are not hindu or not
part of the 4 Varnas are considered
"Untouchable"
Anyone that lives in India
and comes from a different
ancestry are part of a
Rajput community
Jews
The Western Jews ( also
called the Bene Israel)
had a low status in
India
Orthodox Hindus considered
Jews Untouchables because they
were nonHindu
Jews in Southern India,
(Cochini Jews) had a higher
class in India
There are three main groups of Jews in
India: The Baghdadis, the Bene Israels
and Cochinis.
Muslims
They were treated as
Untouchables, but had a strong
military force
They tried to force their
religion on the Indians.
They developed a two tier
hierarchy: Ajlaf Jat, Sharif
Jat
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