Beyond the Four Varnas: Integration

Social Differences: Within and beyond the Framework of Caste

The term “caste” refers to a structured system of social categories arranged in a hierarchical order. This hierarchy was outlined in texts like the Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras....

The “right” occupation

The Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras outlined the ideal “occupations” for the four varnas or categories. Brahmanas were expected to study and teach the Vedas, perform sacrifices, and engage in giving and receiving gifts. Kshatriyas were tasked with warfare, protecting people, administering justice, studying the Vedas, performing sacrifices, and making gifts. Vaishyas were assigned similar duties along with engaging in agriculture, pastoralism, and trade. Shudras, on the other hand, were limited to serving the three “higher” varnas....

Non-Kshatriya Kings

According to the Shastras, only Kshatriyas could be kings. However, the origins of several prominent ruling dynasties remain a subject of debate. The Mauryas, who established a vast empire, have conflicting descriptions in different texts. While Buddhist sources portray them as Kshatriyas, Brahmanical texts label them as being of “low” birth. The immediate successors of the Mauryas, the Shungas and Kanvas, were Brahmanas. Political power, however, was often acquired through support and resources rather than birth as a Kshatriya....

Jatis and Social Mobility

These complexities are reflected in the term “jati,” another social category mentioned in texts. While varna was fixed at four, there was no limit on the number of jatis. Brahmanical authorities assigned jati status to new groups encountered or occupational categories that didn’t fit neatly into the varna system. Jatis with common occupations were sometimes organized into guilds called shrenis....

Beyond the Four Varnas: Integration

In the diverse landscape of the subcontinent, there have always been communities whose social practices diverged from Brahmanical ideals. These groups, when mentioned in Sanskrit texts, were depicted as peculiar, uncivilized, or even animalistic. Among them were forest-dwellers, whose livelihoods relied on hunting and gathering, as exemplified by the nishadas, to whom Ekalavya is said to have belonged....

Beyond the Four Varnas Subordination and Conflict

While Brahmanas considered certain people as being outside the social system, they also intensified social divisions by categorizing certain groups as “untouchable.” This classification rested on the notion that certain activities, especially those related to ritual performances, were sacred and thus “pure.” Those who considered themselves pure avoided contact with those designated as “untouchable.” Activities like handling corpses and dead animals were deemed particularly “polluting,” leading to the designation of those performing such tasks as chandalas, placed at the bottom of the social hierarchy....

Chapter 3 Social Differences: Within and Beyond the Framework of Caste- FAQs

What is the significance of studying social differences within the caste framework?...