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The Caste System Shapes Indian Society The Caste System Shapes Indian Society

The Caste System Shapes Indian Society - PowerPoint Presentation

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Uploaded On 2017-07-23

The Caste System Shapes Indian Society - PPT Presentation

Origins of the Caste System Early Aryans had divided society into 4 groupsnonAryans held lowest jobs Learned this from the Vedas collection of hymns chants ritual instructions During Vedic Age class divisions will reflect social and economic roles rather than ethnic difference ID: 572447

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Presentation Transcript

Slide1

The Caste System Shapes Indian SocietySlide2

Origins of the Caste System

Early Aryans had divided society into 4 groups—non-Aryans held lowest jobs

Learned this from the Vedas (collection of hymns, chants, ritual instructions)

During Vedic Age class divisions will reflect social and economic roles rather than ethnic difference

Complex Caste system will emergeSlide3

What is a Caste?

Castes---social group in which people are born into which can rarely be changed.

Each level represented a function within society

Levels known as

VarnasSlide4

Caste System

Highest Level—Brahmins—priests

2

nd

Level—Kshatriyas—rulers and warriors

3

rd

Level—

Vaishyas

—peasants and traders

4

th

Level—

Shudras

--laborersSlide5
Slide6

The Dalits

Known as “untouchables”

Referred to as

Dalits

in modern times

Outside of the Caste System

Regulated to the lowest jobs in Indian society

Forced to live apart from rest of castes and even had to sound a wooden instrument to warn of their approachSlide7
Slide8

Caste System linked to Hinduism

Basic Beliefs of Hinduism:

Everything is part of the unchanging, spiritual force called Brahman

Every person has an essential self (atman)

Ultimate goal is to achieve

Moksha

—union with BrahmanSlide9

Continued..

To achieve moksha a person must free themselves from selfish desires.

Most people cannot achieve moksha in lifetime, and reincarnation allows people to continue working towards moksha.Slide10

Continues…

A person can come close to moksha by obeying laws of

Karma.

To escape wheel of fate, Hinduism stresses

dharma

—the religious and moral duties of an individual.

Ahimsa

—principle of non-violenceSlide11

Caste system linked to Hinduism

To Hindus-people in different castes were different species of beings.

Highest Caste—purer and closest to moksha

To ensure spiritual purity caste rules emerged to govern ways of life—

Laws of Manu

Laws of Manu

- established laws for where people could live, what they could eat, what a person could wear, how a person could earn a living, and even whom a person could marrySlide12

Untouchables

Untouchables had the most impure jobs (grave diggers, street cleaners, or turning animal hides into leather)

Other castes feared contact with the untouchables because of their impurity.

Felt they had done something in their past life to be born into such a low casteSlide13

Caste Affects Social Order

Caste did ensure social stability

People believed that the law of karma determined their caste

Wanted to live a good life to achieve a higher status in the next

Different castes depended on one another for basic needsSlide14

Castes affect social order

Over time additional castes and

subcastes

have emerged

New castes form out of new occupations and religions

In modern times there are thousands of major castes and

subcastes