# data[].attributes.body
The Caste System of India. Caste not only dictates one's occupation, but dietary habits and interaction with members of other castes as well. Members of a high caste enjoy more wealth and opportunities while members of a low caste perform menial jobs. Outside of the caste system are the Untouchable. According to the social historical theory, the origin of caste system finds its origin in the arrival of Aryans in India. The Aryans arrived in India in around 1500 BC

# data[].attributes.headline
STRUGGLES TO ELIMINATE CASTE SYSTEM BY THE FATHER OF NATION

# data[].attributes.subject
STRUGGLES TO ELIMINATE CASTE SYSTEM BY THE FATHER OF NATION

# data[].attributes.body
Mahatma Gandhi has a lot of effort in eradicating the evil of caste system as he has campaignd against the inhuman institution of untouchability and it was gandhiji only to coined the term harijan and started a magazine called harijan in 1933 in which he assigned utmost importance to the removal of untouchability as untouchability according to him has no sanction in the Hindu scriptures

# data[].attributes.body
The religious theory claims that the Varnas were created from the body of the Brahma, the creator of the world. The Brahmanas were created from his naval; the Kshatriyas from his hands; the Vaishyas from his thighs and the Sudras from his feet.

# data[].attributes.body
"Caste is a state of mind. It is a disease of mind. The teachings of the Hindu religion are the root cause of this disease. We practice casteism and we observe Untouchability because we are enjoined to do so by the Hindu religion. A bitter thing cannot be made sweet. The taste of anything can be changed. But poison cannot be changed into nectar." ~ B. R. Ambedkar

# data[].attributes.body
The caste system is the Hindu social and religious hierarchy, created a few thousand years ago. Traditionally, a person's caste is determined at birth and channels them into that caste's occupation. At the top are Brahmins, priests and religious scholars.

# data[].attributes.body
Just trying to abolish the caste system and work against it will not produce results. People are still clinging together to the system mainly because of the social security it provides. It is very important that we bring a nationwide social security system and an education system which will transmit skills to everyone according to their aptitude. When this happens, the relevance of the caste system will completely disappear. Once that happens, I think caste system will die a natural death.

# data[].attributes.body
The four classes were the Brahmins (priestly people), the Kshatriyas (also called Rajanyas, who were rulers, administrators and warriors), the Vaishyas (artisans, merchants, tradesmen and farmers), and Shudras (labouring classes).Many believe that the groups originated. At the top of the hierarchy were the Brahmins who were mainly teachers and intellectuals and are believed to have come from Brahma's head. Then came the Kshatriyas, or the warriors and rulers, supposedly from his arms. The third slot went to the Vaishyas, or the traders, who were created from his thighs. At the bottom of the heap were the Shudras, who came from Brahma's feet and did all the menial jobs. from Brahma, the Hindu God of creation.

# data[].attributes.headline
CASTE SYSTEM IN THE EARLY VEDIC PERIOD (1500-1000 BCE)

# data[].attributes.subject
CASTE SYSTEM IN THE EARLY VEDIC PERIOD (1500-1000 BCE)

# data[].attributes.body
During the time of the Rigveda, there were two varnas: arya varna and dasa varna. The distinction originally arose from tribal divisions. The Vedic tribes regarded themselves as arya (the noble ones) and the rival tribes were called dasa, dasyu and pani. The dasas were frequent allies of the Aryan tribes, and they were probably assimilated into the Aryan society, giving rise to a class distinction. Many dasas were however in a servile position, giving rise to the eventual meaning of dasa as servant or slave.

The Rigvedic society was not distinguished by occupations. Many husbandmen and artisans practised a number of crafts. The chariot-maker (rathakara) and metal worker (karmara) enjoyed positions of importance and no stigma was attached to them. Similar observations hold for carpenters, tanners, weavers and others.

Towards the end of the Atharvaveda period, new class distinctions emerged. The erstwhile dasas are renamed Shudras, probably to distinguish them from the new meaning of dasa as slave. The aryas are renamed vis or Vaishya (meaning the members of the tribe) and the new elite classes of Brahmins (priests) and Kshatriyas (warriors) are designated as new varnas. The Shudras were not only the erstwhile dasas but also included the aboriginal tribes that were assimilated into the Aryan society as it expanded into Gangetic settlements. There is no evidence of restrictions regarding food and marriage during the Vedic period.

# data[].attributes.body
The caste system as it exists today is thought to be the result of developments during the collapse of the Mughal era and the rise of the British colonial government in India. The collapse of the Mughal era saw the rise of powerful men who associated themselves with kings, priests and ascetics, affirming the regal and martial form of the caste ideal, and it also reshaped many apparently casteless social groups into differentiated caste communities. The British Raj furthered this development, making rigid caste organisation a central mechanism of administration. Between 1860 and 1920, the British formulated the caste system into their system of governance, granting administrative jobs and senior appointments only to Christians and people belonging to certain castes. Social unrest during the 1920s led to a change in this policy. From then on, the colonial administration began a policy of positive discrimination by reserving a certain percentage of government jobs for the lower castes. In 1948, negative discrimination on the basis of caste was banned by law and further enshrined in the Indian constitution; however, the system continues to be practiced in parts of India.

# data[].attributes.body
In an early Upanishad, Shudra is referred to as Pūşan or a nourisher, suggesting that Shudras were the tillers of the soil. But soon afterwards, Shudras are not counted among the tax-payers and they are said to be given away along with the lands when it is gifted. The majority of the artisans were also reduced to the position of Shudras, but there is no contempt indicated for their work. The Brahmins and the Kshatriyas are given a special position in the rituals, distinguishing them from both the Vaishyas and the Shudras. The Vaishya is said to be "oppressed at will" and the Shudra "beaten at will."

Jain sources indicate that the varna system was an integral part of the Jain community during the times of Parshvanatha in the 8th century BCE. The Jain text Arhat vacana states:

It is by karma that one is brāhmaņa, it is by karma that one is kşatriya, it is by karma that one is vaiśya, it is by karma that one is śudra

# data[].attributes.body
Caste System in Ancient India

Brahmins (priests, gurus, etc.)

Kshatriyas (warriors, kings, administrators, etc.)

Vaishyas (agriculturalists, traders, etc., also called Vysyas)

Shudras (laborers)

Dalits, also known as "Untouchables," are members of the lowest social group in the Hindu caste system. The word "Dalit" means "oppressed" or "broken" and is the name members of this group gave themselves in the 1930s.

# data[].attributes.body
Cast System
The various social evil prevalent of caste system in societies are -
1. Untouchability - is due to poor and prospers sections of society.As earlier the Bhramans were the most learned and that of Shudras poor so due to this untouchablility also started.
2. Equality before law - In caste system there should be equality before law on the basis of their gender , caste , creed , religion etc.
3. Abolition of untouchability - In 1950 India abolished the practises of caste system and provided measures for affirimative action in both educational institutions and public services for bacward caste.

# data[].attributes.body
Castes are rigid social groups characterized by hereditary transmission of lifestyle, occupation and social status. The caste system in India has its origins in ancient India and was transformed by various ruling elites in medieval, early-modern, and modern India, especially the Mughal Empire and the British Raj.
The caste system divides Hindus into four main categories - Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras. Many believe that the groups originated from Brahma, the Hindu God of creation.The caste system in ancient India had been executed and acknowledged during, and ever since, the Vedic period that thrived around 1500—1000 BCE. The segregation of people based on their Varna was intended to decongest the responsibilities of one's life, preserve the purity of a caste, and establish eternal order