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CASTE SYSTEM

CASTE SYSTEM. India’s Caste System. What is a Caste? social group that someone is born into and cannot change How many of you have felt excluded from a group of people at one time or another? How did that make you feel? Why were you excluded?. Rules, rules, rules….

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CASTE SYSTEM

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  1. CASTE SYSTEM

  2. India’s Caste System • What is a Caste? • social group that someone is born into and cannot change • How many of you have felt excluded from a group of people at one time or another? How did that make you feel? Why were you excluded?

  3. Rules, rules, rules… • Being in a caste means that you have no say in: • the job you have • whom you can marry • who your friends can be • Nobody in India called the system a caste- they call it jati. • Many jati still exist in India’s society today.

  4. Brahmins • Top varna • Made up of priests • Only people who could perform a religious ceremony

  5. Kshatriyas • 2ndvarna • Made up of warriors • Ran the government and the army

  6. Vaisya: merchant varna

  7. Sudras • Lowest varna • Manual laborers and servants • Had very few rights • Most people in India belonged to this varna

  8. The Untouchables • One group of people who did not belong to any caste • Called “the Untouchables” • Collecting trash, skinning animals, handling dead bodies • Very hard life • Most people thought living near an untouchable was bad for them, so they lived apart from most of society • Had to tap two sticks together when they traveled so everyone could hear them coming

  9. Why was a caste system created? • Caste systems were probably created because of skin color. • Aryans had lighter skin than the native Indians (darker skin). • Caste systems were probably created to keep the Aryans in power(1500-500 bce). • Because the Aryans had more people, they made the caste to stay in charge of all the smaller groups. • Could also control everyone’s behavior and make rules this way. • Think Hunger Games (Districts)!

  10. How did the belief in reincarnation/karma/dharma uphold the caste system? • Three beliefs are necessary to understand why the caste system was so influential in India. • Reincarnation • Dharma • Karma

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