What is Castes in India?

Caste means being born into a group that does specific jobs and has its own customs. In India, this system divides people into different groups, each with its own name, job, and way of life. You can not easily move between these groups, and each group is seen as separate and unique. The caste system in India started based on what job someone did and what family they were born into. It sorts society into different levels called castes, which are then split into smaller groups.

In Hindu society, there are four main categories: Brahmins (teachers and priests), Kshatriyas (warriors and rulers), Vaishyas (merchants and farmers), and Shudras (laborers). But in reality, there are many more smaller groups within these categories, which we call castes in India today.

List of Castes in India | Caste System in India

List of Castes in India: In Hinduism, there are four main groups of people called castes. These castes decide what jobs a person can do, their duties, and privileges. The four castes are Brahmins, Khatriyas, Vaishyas, and Sudras. There is also a fifth group called Dalits, who were traditionally seen as untouchables. The holy book of Hinduism, Srimad Bhagavatam, says that these castes should be based on a person’s skills, qualities, and activities. But in real life, castes often separate people based on their birth. Even though it is been 76 years of independence caste-based issues still exist. Discrimination and untouchability, especially in rural areas and small villages, are still problems today.

In this article, we are going to discuss the List of Castes in India in detail.

Table of Content

  • What is Castes in India?
  • List Of Castes In India
  • Main Features Of The Caste System In India
  • Factors That Contributed to The Changes In The Caste System
  • Caste-based Discrimination in the Present Times
  • Constitutional Provisions to Eradicate Caste-based Discrimination

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What is Castes in India?

Caste means being born into a group that does specific jobs and has its own customs. In India, this system divides people into different groups, each with its own name, job, and way of life. You can not easily move between these groups, and each group is seen as separate and unique. The caste system in India started based on what job someone did and what family they were born into. It sorts society into different levels called castes, which are then split into smaller groups....

List of Castes in India

As per the Indian context, there are so many castes and sub-castes. But majorly we can divide them into eight categories. Remember that, Equality Rights (Articles 14 – 18, Indian Constitution) are the same for all and we do not have the right to discriminate against them based on this category. It is just only for the knowledge purpose and to get a view of our ancient society....

Main Features Of The Caste System In India

In India, the society is divided into different groups called castes. If a person is born into a caste and can not change it based on what you achieve in life. Within these castes, there is a strict social order. Some are considered higher or lower than others, creating a sense of superiority or inferiority. People from different castes often can not eat certain foods together or interact socially. There are rules about what is acceptable for each caste. The idea of purity and pollution is a big part of the caste system. It decides how different castes can interact with each other. People usually marry within their caste, a practice called endogamy. This keeps the caste system strong. There are clear rules that dictate how people should behave within their caste. These rules shape social life. But this should be changed....

Factors That Contributed to The Changes In The Caste System

Over time, the caste system in India has changed due to various reasons as mentioned below....

Caste-based Discrimination in the Present Times

Discrimination and prejudice are still happening even though we are trying to stop them. Here are some reasons as mentioned below....

Constitutional Provisions to Eradicate Caste-based Discrimination

Here are the major Constitutional Provisions as mentioned below....

Conclusion – List of Castes in India

The caste system in India is still a big issue. Despite some efforts to fix it, discrimination continues because laws are not always followed, not everyone knows about it, poverty makes things harder, and some people still have unfair beliefs. To make things better, we need to keep working on education, awareness, and treating everyone equally, no matter what caste they are from....

FAQs – List of Castes in India

What are the 7 castes in India?...