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The Indian Caste System - An Introduction

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For Kids: The idea of the caste system in ancient India began after the Indus Valley Civilization disappeared and a new people arrived, the Aryans. The Aryans were nomads from the north. They brought with them some new ideas. One of those ideas was Hinduism, which is now a world religion. Another was the idea of a caste system. A caste is a life-long social group into which a Hindu is born.

The Vedas are the Sanskrit writings that are the earliest sacred texts of Hinduism. The Vedas suggest the caste system in India. There were four social classes in the ancient Aryan society. These were the brahmins (priests & scholars); warriors & nobles; artisans & merchants; and on the lowest level, farm workers, laborers, servants

Once the Aryans settled down and began to grow their food instead of being just herdsmen, they started developing a caste system. The caste system started with just four castes. In order of importance and power these castes were priests, warriors, traders and farmers, and finally paid workers. The caste system grew progressively more strict until finally you were born into your caste and could not move or marry out of your caste.

The caste system really wasn't part of Hinduism, at first. The caste system began at about the same time as Hinduism. The caste system remained in place in India for thousands of years, long after Aryan rule was replaced by other leaders. But over the years, the caste system became intertwined with Hindu India. When Buddhism began in India, Buddhists did not recognize castes. That made Buddhism very attractive to the lower ranks in India's society. But in spite of the introduction of Buddhism and other religions, most ancient India people remained Hindus, and thus the caste system continued.

Top Caste: The Brahims: The top caste was made up of scholars, priests, teachers, judges, and landowners. They were know as the Brahmin caste or Brahmins. Many Brahmins lived in temples, removed from society. Others spent a great deal of time in contemplation and meditation. Some were quite social.

The Kshatriya: Kshatriyas were the warriors. Rulers of towns and cities mostly came from the Kshatriya caste. Any decision they made, however, could be overruled by a member of the Brahmin, the caste above them.

The Vaishyas: Vaishyas were skilled farmers, merchants, and craftsmen. Vaishyas could hold office in village government. They might live in very nice houses. Even though they were three down on the social scale, they still had good clothes and ample food. They might not be the top leaders, but they were certainly a respected part of society.

Bottom Caste: The Sudras: The Sudras were the unskilled workers. They might find a job on a farm or a non-skilled job in a home or business like cleaning. They were the bottom caste.

The people without a caste, the Untouchables: There was one other social rank in ancient India. People who were born into this social rank were called Untouchables. These were the people who were considered the lowest in society in Hindu India, so low that they were not part of the caste system. They had no rights. If they had a job at all, other than begging, it was a degrading job that no one else wanted to do. If your parent was an Untouchable, so were you. Untouchables could not move up or marry out of their social rank.

Since 1950, the Indian Constitution has forbidden discrimination.
The Caste System in India (Mr. Dowling) Caste System (video, BBC)
Religion in ancient India

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For Kids: The idea of the caste system in ancient India began after the Indus Valley Civilization disappeared and a new people arrived, the Aryans. The Aryans were nomads from the north. They brought with them some new ideas. One of those ideas was Hinduism, which is now a world religion.

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Social class system is a group of terms and concepts followed to incorporate social sciences and political theories in the society centered widely for social stratification. People used to be divided and grouped into a properly managed set of hierarchies' social categories. This system was widely spread in the world for many centuries.

Even India was immensely influenced by the social class division system. In actual practice, India once used to be referred to as a class society country. Some people were considered superior while some inferior. Ancient India social hierarchy was broadly divided in four major categories and these were:

The division was not based on the power but based on purity. Moreover, this kind of division streamlines the society, as the tasks to be done by all the groups were clearly defined.

Now if we consider the appropriate ancient Indian social hierarchy then this structure can be organized in a well-customized order. The order is described below starting with the top most level of the hierarchy and then proceeding forward in descending order.

Brahmins

Well this group of people were categorized on the top of the ancient Indian social hierarchy. These were not the most rich or powerful people of the time but were very respectful and prestigious people. Even the kings used to listen to the Brahmins.
These people were engaged in attaining the highest spiritual knowledge and adhered to different branches of Vedas, the holy books of India. Being a Brahmin was described to be a difficult path of discipline of body, mind, and intellect.

Kshatriyas / Rajputs

The next level in the ancient Indian social hierarchy is of Kshatriyas or Rajputs. Kshatriya basically means a warrior. They were the people who used to be the king and belonged to royal families normally.

Being a Kshatriya or a Rajput was considered to be a matter of respect and proud. Bravery was the perfect word to describe these people. The Rajputs eventually came to occupy the place in society of the Kshatriyas. They possessed special rights and powers in the society. This class was the governing body of the society and protection of the society was their duty.

Vaisyas

Vaisyas are the next level in the ancient Indian social hierarchy. According to the Hindu mythology, the Vaisyas are required to rear cattle and perform the productive labor, pastoral tasks, trade and agriculture. This class includes the common people. They were provided with little rights of their own.

Shudras

This was the lowest class of the ancient Indian social hierarchy. Eating anything or talking to these people was prohibited in the society to people of other classes. These people acted and worked as servants to the other three classes. These people were provided with very little or almost no rights and power of their own.

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Ancient India Social Hierarchy Chart | Hierarchystructure.com

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Social class system is a group of terms and concepts followed to incorporate social sciences and political theories in the society centered widely for social stratification. People used to be divided and grouped into a properly managed set of hierarchies' social categories. This system was widely spread in the world for many centuries.

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It was very hot in the Indus Valley so people spent a lot of time outside. Most people had small homes which were also used as workshops. There was not much space to relax.

Richer families had courtyards. These were nice open spaces. Children could play there with toys or with pets, such as monkeys and birds.

People who did not have a courtyard would still have a flat roof. These roofs were strong enough to walk on. Families used them as an extra room. It was a cool place to sleep on a hot night and somewhere you could sit with friends.

Click around to find out more about daily life in the Indus Valley

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Click on these Indus people to find out about their jobs

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What was everyday life like in the Indus Valley?

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What was daily life like in the Indus Valley? Learn about jobs and what it was like to grow up in the Indus Valley with this BBC Bitesize KS2 History guide.

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The Indus Valley was home to one of the world's first large civilisations. It began nearly 5,000 years ago in an area of modern-day Pakistan and Northern India.

There were more than 1,400 towns and cities in the Indus Valley. The biggest were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. Around 80,000 people lived in these cities.

The names Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were given to the cities in later times. We do not know what the Indus people called their cities, because nobody has been able to translate their ancient language.

The Indus people lived on the banks of the Indus river, the longest river in Pakistan.

The Indus river begins high up in the Himalayan mountains (the tallest mountain range in the world), and flows nearly 3,000 kilometres to the Arabian Sea. As the river moves downstream it carves out a valley. This is where the Indus people settled.

The first farmers liked living near the river because it kept the land green and fertile for growing crops. These farmers lived together in villages which grew over time into large ancient cities, like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.

The Indus people needed river water to drink, wash and to irrigate their fields. They may also have used water in religious ceremonies. To the Indus people, their river was 'The King River'.

Find out more about some of the cities in the Indus valley

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The Indus civilisation seems to have been a peaceful one. The cities were built with strong walls and gateways, which usually means they needed protection. However few weapons have been found and there is no evidence of an army.

Often ancient writings can tell us about civilisations, but no one has been able to translate the Indus writings. We have to look for other clues.

Sometimes you are able to see changes in ruins that indicate wars or battles, but the Indus Valley seems to have stayed the same for hundreds of years.

However, archaeologists have recently found some skeletons that suggest that the Indus valley might not have been such a peaceful place after all. When they looked closely at the skeletons, they saw that they might have died in a pretty nasty way - being beaten with a heavy club.

The Indus cities were neatly planned. They had straight roads which criss-crossed in a grid pattern to form city blocks.

The main streets were almost 10 metres wide - wide enough for two bullock carts or elephants to pass each other. Drains ran along the edge of the streets to carry rubbish away and wells were dug for clean water.

Some cities, like Mohenjo-Daro, had high walls. These walls had gateways so people could come and go. Some city districts inside were raised on mounds. The highest mound was known as the citadel, which might have been where the priests or rulers lived.

Most Indus buildings were made from mud bricks. Over time, people built new houses on top of old ones. So, over hundreds of years, the cities grew higher and higher. Some houses were seven metres above the old houses at the bottom!

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Where was the Indus Valley? Learn about the Indus civilisation and their main cities in this BBC Bitesize KS2 History guide.

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http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/religion/buddhism.htm

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Buddhist worship at home or at a temple. Worshippers may sit on the floor barefoot facing an image of Buddha and chanting. It is very important that their feet face away from the image of Buddha. They listen to monks chanting from religious texts and take part in prayers.
Home
Buddhists will often have a shrine. There will be a statue of Buddha, candles, and an incense burner.
Temple
Buddhist temples come in many shapes. Perhaps the best known are the pagodas of China and Japan. Another typical Buddhist building is the Stupa (upside down bowl shape). All Buddhist temples contain an image or a statue of Buddha.

Buddhist Temples in Thailand
How to Buddhists Worship?
Buddhist worship is called puja. People chant to show their love for the Buddha. They make offerings of flowers, candles, incense and pure water at a shrine. People thank Buddha for his teachings.

When Buddhist worship alone they usually meditate and read from the Buddhist holy books.

Every month. most Buddhists have special religious days. These are often days when there is a full moon. Many Buddhists go to temples to worship on these special days.

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Understanding Buddhism for Children doing their homework

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https://ancienthistory.mrdonn.org/Buddhism.html

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Buddhism and the Buddha for Kids

A very long time ago, in ancient India, a new baby was born in the royal palace, a boy. His parents named him Prince Siddhartha Gautama. His parents loved him very much. All his life, growing up, his parents gave the prince excellent food to eat, fine clothes to wear, and good servants to wait on him. When he became a man, his parents gave him a different palace for each season of the year. The prince and his wife were blessed with the birth of a baby, a new son, who was strong and healthy. You might say the prince had everything!

But all the prince could see was suffering. It had bothered him greatly, all his life, that pain and old age, and sickness and death were all part of life. The thought of this had always made him very unhappy.

One day, the prince met a monk. That changed his world. He could not believe the monk could find happiness in a world that held such misery. The prince made a startling decision. He decided to leave his parents, his wife, and his newborn son, and become a monk.

The prince traveled ancient India, in search of peace and calm in the face of suffering and sadness. He traveled for six years, as a monk. He was beginning to despair. Perhaps there was no answer. Perhaps all his life he would be unhappy. It was a miserable thought.

It was when he was resting under a fig tree that the way to end all suffering occurred to him! That was the day the monks began to call him "the Buddha", or the Awakened One.

Four Noble Truths: What Buddha has realized, while resting under the fig tree, is that life is ruled by four truths, truths the Buddha called the Four Noble Truths. Those truths are:

Life is filled with suffering

Suffering is caused by people's wants.

Suffering can be ended if people stop wanting things, like more pleasure or more power.

To stop wanting things, people must follow 8 basic laws, called the Eightfold Path.

Eightfold Path: These are the eight basic laws that all people must follow if they wish to end suffering:

To know the truth

To intend to resist evil

To not say anything to hurt others

To respect life, property, and morality

To work at a job that does not injure others

To try to free one's mind from evil

To be in control of one's feelings and thoughts

To practice appropriate forms of concentration

The Middle Way:Buddha realized that people could not follow rules if the rules were too strict. That's why the Eightfold Path is also called The Middle Way. The rules demand a certain behavior, but it is behavior that costs nothing except effort and care.

Buddha continued to travel around India, telling everyone he met about the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Many people listened. They too had trouble finding happiness in a world full of suffering. Some who listened became monks, and helped to spread the word.

Proverbs: The rules of the Eightfold Path are simple to list, but are sometimes difficult for people to follow. To help people better understand and remember the rules, Buddha's teachings were written down as proverbs many years ago. Here are two proverbs written down around 2,000 years ago:
As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind,
even so the wise are not ruffled by praise or blame. Hatreds never cease by hatred in this world;
by love alone they cease.
This is an ancient law.
Many statues of the Buddha show him laughing. The Buddha is laughing to remind us that we need to greet each day with joy.

Another goal of Buddhism is to become the greatest person in the world. This teaching is often misunderstood. It does not mean that you are better than everyone else. It means that you are the best person you can be. The famous example that Buddhists use is the story of the ant. When an ant puts his best effort into carrying a grain of rice, the ant is no longer just an ant; he is the best ant he can be, and thus the greatest ant in the world. But, when a horse carries a grain of rice, it is not much of an achievement.

The Growth of Buddhism: After a time, many people began calling the prince "the Buddha". Buddhism spread rapidly throughout Southern and Eastern Asia.

Today, Buddhism is a world religion. People who follow Buddha's teachings are called Buddhists. There are over 500 million Buddhists in the world. Buddhists value goodness, self-control, wisdom, calm, and love.

Great Links for Kids
The Buddha - story, explore, challenge game
Buddhism for Kids (from Mandy Barrow)
The 3 Teachings (Confucius, Taoism, Buddhism) for Kids
For Teachers
Free Presentations (PowerPoint format) about Buddhism Lesson Plans about Buddhism for Teachers

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Buddha & Buddhism for elementary and middle school Kids and Teachers - Who was the Buddha? - Ancient Civilizations for Kids and Teachers

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A very long time ago, in ancient India, a new baby was born in the royal palace, a boy. His parents named him Prince Siddhartha Gautama. His parents loved him very much. All his life, growing up, his parents gave the prince excellent food to eat, fine clothes to wear, and good servants to wait on him.

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2 min

Updated: 29th July 2021

Hindus believe in one supreme god, but have many deities (gods and goddesses). Hindus worship one or more of the deities - it doesn't matter which, as they are all seen as different aspects of the one supreme god.

Hindus believe that there are three great gods (Māhadevas) also called the Trimurti (the three aspects of the universal supreme God). These three gods are:

Vishnu - The god of preservation and protection. Hindus believe that he returns to earth during troubled times to restore the balance between good and evil.

Brahma - The god of creation. He has four arms and four faces, looking in the four directions.

Shiva - Shiva is the god of destruction. His role is to destroy the universe in order to recreate it. He is often shown with a third eye (which represents wisdom and insight).

The Tridevi are goddesses who are equally important. These three goddesses are:

Saraswati - Saraswati is the goddess (Devi) of knowledge and the arts. She is often shown with a swan or peacock.

Lakshmi - Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and purity. Hindus believe that she can bless them with fortune and success.

Shakti - Shakti is the mother goddess and is the source of all energy, power and creativity in the universe.

Other Hindu deities (gods and goddesses) include:

Ganesha - Ganesha is the son of Parvati and Shiva. Hindus believe he can bless them with wisdom and good fortune. He has an elephant's head and a human body.

Vayu - Vayu is the god of air/wind. He is also considered the god of life.

Indra - Indra is the God of Heaven. He is often shown carrying a lightning bolt.

If you've enjoyed learning more about the Hindu gods, why not get creative with these fun colouring sheets? They're completely free to download and print at home!

Or to learn more about the Hindu values and what each of the Hindu gods teach, take a look at this interesting PowerPoint.

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Who Are the Hindu Gods? - Twinkl Homework Help - Twinkl

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2 min Updated: 29th July 2021 Hindus believe in one supreme god, but have many deities (gods and goddesses). Hindus worship one or more of the deities - it doesn't matter which, as they are all seen as different aspects of the one supreme god.

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http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/religion/hinduism.htm

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What is Hinduism's Holy book?

The most ancient sacred texts of the Hindu religion are written in Sanskrit and called the Vedas.

Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several scriptures. The Vedas scriptures guide Hindus in their daily life. They also help to preserve the religious dimensions of family and society. Hindus have developed their system of worship and beliefs from the scriptures.

There are two main categories of the Hindu scriptures:

Shruti ("that which is heard") consists of the four Vedas and Upanishads scriptures.

Smriti ("that which is remembered") composed of traditional texts, including the Dharma Shastras (legal and ethical texts), the Puranas, and the folk/historical legends known as the Mahabharata and Ramayana.

The Hindu Holy Scriptures are mainly comprised of the following works written in the Sanskrit language:
1. The Vedas Rg-Veda (Rigveda), Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda, Atharva-Veda ( see further down )

2. The Upanisads - These consider the nature of the individual soul (Atman) and the universal soul (Brahman.) One of the Upanishads contains the earliest reference to the reincarnation of the soul in different bodies (transmigration) of the soul.

3. The Smrutis - ('tradition) are the Laws of Manu (250 BC)

4. Ramayana - Contains the story of Rama and his devoted wife Sita. She is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana but is later freed by Rama with the help of the monkey god Hanuman. The poem is about how good will always triumph over evil and Rama and Sita are held up as role models for the perfect husband and wife.

5. Mahabharata - An epic poem telling the story of a war between two branches of a family. The Bhagavad-Gita forms part of this and means "The Song of God."

6. The Puranas - A collection of ancient tales about the different incarnations and the lives of saints.

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Hinduism for kids doing their homework. Hinduism is the world's third most popular religion, with around 900 million followers.

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https://www.mapsofindia.com/history/ancient-india.htm