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The Caste System

The Caste System. Exploring differences in society. Foundations of Indian Civilization 1500 B.C.E-300 C.E. Subcontinent=South Asia 3 topographical zones Northern mountainous zone Indus and Ganges basins Peninsula Subtropical climate Monsoon=three harvests in a year Rice in Ganges Delta

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The Caste System

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  1. The Caste System Exploring differences in society

  2. Foundations of Indian Civilization1500 B.C.E-300 C.E. • Subcontinent=South Asia • 3 topographical zones • Northern mountainous zone • Indus and Ganges basins • Peninsula • Subtropical climate • Monsoon=three harvests in a year • Rice in Ganges Delta • Wheat, barley, and millet elsewhere • **All of this geographic diversity made it difficult for any political power to unify all of India for any length of time

  3. The Vedic Age • Indo-European warriors migrated into India after fall of Indus-Valley civilizations • Organized into patriarchal families or kinship groups and herded cattle in northwest • After 1000 BCE began to push into the Ganges Valley • Used iron tools to cultivate land and knock down trees • Oral Tradition • Light-skinned Aryas (Indo-European lang.) • Dasas-dark skinned (Dravidian lang.) • Aryas pushed Dasas south in central and southern India

  4. Aryan Movements

  5. The Caste System • (Varnas (color) and Jatis) => Social Classes Brought by the Aryans in 1500 B.C. • Forced the Indians (Dravidians) to become their servants • As a result, the caste system originated based on ethnic, social and economic distinctions • Today there are hundreds of sub-castes and four main castes. • There is also a fifth group.

  6. Brahmins: Priestly class and cultured elite. Kshatriyas: Warrior class and ruling aristocracy Vaishyas: Farmers, merchants, and professional class. Shudras: Low status laborers and artisans. Known as the servant class. The Main CastesPeople divided by birth and hereditary occupation.

  7. Harijans: Untouchables • Considered to be so lowly that • they do not have a caste. • Perform the despicable tasks like killing animals, tanning hides, sweeping and cleaning. • Gandhi called them “the children of God’ • 1950 Indian Constitution abolished untouchability…but still exists

  8. Brain MonsoonImagine the caste system in our country. • Place the following occupations in order 1-10 • (1 being the highest or most pure, 10 being the lowest) • Doctor • Web designer • Politician • Movie Star • Fast Food worker • Teacher • Homemaker (domestic issues: cooking, child rearing) • Professional athlete • Farmer • Newspaper delivery • Be able to explain and defend your choices

  9. Caste Facts • Once born into a caste, you stay in the caste • Usually marry within caste, but that is changing • Each caste has its own rules and duties (dharma) • Differences in class exists in each caste. • Ex. poor Brahmin and a rich Kshatriya. Wedding Brahmin

  10. What effects did the caste system have on India? (+ & -) (+) Created order, stability and interdependence (-) Yet harsh life & segregation for lower groups

  11. Weakening of theCaste System • Education • Move to cities • Constitutional changes: • right to vote. • Gandhi • Industry and Technology Cities Gandhi

  12. Continuing Caste Strength • Still strong in the villages (change is slow) • Hard to separate from the Hindu tradition…it is entrenched!

  13. What connection is the between the Caste System and Hinduism? Your place in the Caste System is linked to Karma (actions) and Dharma (duty)

  14. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZRsg2oYUJw

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