People living in India, can you explain to me about the caste system and untouchables?

Question

English television and documentaries do not provide much information...

Answer 1

Hi

I´m from india so i want to explain to you a little bit. There is just one problem my english is not so good, but i will try and hope you can read it.

The caste system in india is based on how much money you have, its like if you have no money at all and you live on the street thats the loest ... you dont have no saying in nothing. Then you have the people who have a little house ore something like that and maby a job on the field they own some money there in the middl. And of course the rich people you can imagine.. nice big house good jobs traveling a lot. The caste system is so bad. If 2 lovers fall in love like one from the rich and one from the poor they are not aloud to get marry.

It just shows that who is good and rich , and who is bad an poor.

Its like that when for india lets say something very good happens like the can have more clean water they will first give it to the rich, the loest in the caste system will get nothing.

I hope you understand what i mean. My family in india is from the very poor. i know what im talking about .

Answer 2

In the ancient Hindu society of India, the people were divided into 4 castes based on division of labour.

                          Brahmin(men learned in Hindu scriptures)

                          Kshatriya(monarchs and warriors)

                          Vaishya(the merchants,traders and peasants)

                          Shudra(common labourers)

In those times, the system was flexible and one could change one's caste by changing his occupation. However, the brahmins became extremely powerful, like the clergy of medieval Europe and resented the power and wealth gained by the vaishyas through trade and commerce. They set up laws which restricted the rights and diminished the importance of the lower 2 castes. Over a period of half a millenia, the lower castes were mistreated and beheld as 2nd class citizens. This has taken extreme forms when people of shudra caste were treated as "untouchables" i.e. upper caste people who touched them were considered to be spiritually "polluted". It is interesting to note that this system is a social system unique to India which has no backing in the Hindu scriptures, the Vedas. There are lower caste people among other communities in India as well. Eg. Dalit Muslims, Dalit Christians. The Government of India has outlawed the caste system and those committing atrocities against lower caste people are tried and severely punished.  

           I hope that helped.

Answer 3

caste system is the bane of india

since early times, the indian society, (hindus, i dont know about muslims)

has been divided into four castes

The caste layers most often quoted are:

    *

      The Brahmins -- those engaged in sacrifices, and priestly functions

    *

      The Kshtriyas -- Rulers and warriors

    *

      The Vaishyas -- Merchants, farmers, and tradesmen

    *

      The Shudras -- Laborers, craftsmen, service professions

The biggest concern for students of the caste system is the status of people, so called Dalits. For centuries, a segment of the India society was condemned as caste-less and were denied access to temples, water, and other civil amenities. Gandhi, who fought very hard for betterment of this segment, called them Harijans or Children of God. Over a period of time, even the word Harijan has become politically incorrect, and these days are referred to as Dalits or Scheduled Castes.

perhaps my answer has not been very accurate with respect to contemporary times,

although the influence of caste system has diminished a lot in recent times, intercaste marriages have only recently started becoming common

among the maharashtrians (which is what i am) we have brahmins( Considered as "scholars"), CKP's (meat eaters)

and other OBC or other backward castes(considered as "unrefined")

note: the things given in brackets are just popular public perception and are not necessarily true