The Caste systems is a division of society into distinct social classes that are created by birth or occupation

The Caste system was originally known as varna meaning “color”

The Caste system is mentioned in the Rig Veda

The Gita also mentions it: there are different types of people and they have their own way to achieve perfection- depending on their personality type and role in society.

The Caste system dissuades members of different castes from intermarrying

Members of society are divided into five main social classes:

1. The priest (brahmin)2. The warrior-noble (kshatriya)3. The merchants (vaishya)4. The peasants (shudra)5. The untouchables (dalit)

The highest castePerforms Vedic ritualsAct as a counselors Act as scholarsAct as cooks as well-

is seen as a natural extension of the priestly relationship with fire and sacrifice

May prepare food for people in all other castes as well as their own.

•Has the role of protecting society•The traditional caste of the aristocracy •Administrators •Arjuna was a warrior

THE MERCHANTS (VAISHYA)

This class includes merchants, landowner, producers, farmers, moneylenders, and artisans

Males of these three upper classes – brahmin (priets), kshatriya (warrior-noble), and vaishya (merchant) – receive a sacred cord during a ceremony in their youth and afterward are called “twice-born”

Does manual labor is expected to serve the higher castes. The origin of this caste probably goes back to the

Aryan subjection of native people, who were forced to do the work of servants

The peasant is called “once-born”

They do the dirties work Cleaning

toilets, sweeping streets, and collecting animal carcasses

What was an early concern for hygiene led to the separation of untouchables from the rest of society

Untouchables have been denied the use of wells used by other social classes and have even been forbidden from entering many temples.

Untouchables have been forced to live in ghettos and sometimes have been horribly mistreated

Gandi urged their inclusion in regular society and gave them a new name: Harijan (means “children of God”)