Indian+Caste+System

Indian Caste System by: Saranya Did you know that the Indian Caste system is one of the largest classified systems in the world? It has over three thousand different castes. Of course some are sub castes, or they form from another caste. But, this huge number didn't exist in the ancient times of India, the times of Kings and Queens, warriors and nobles. During this time, there were only five different castes, the Brahmins, or Brahmanas, Ksatriyas, Vaisyas, Sudras, and the Untouchables.   Brahmins or Brahmanas These people are the priests and teachers of the ancient ages. In India, teachers were essential for everyone. So, they were at the highest level, or class. Priests were much needed to worship the gods, so they also were at the top. The most famous Brahmin, or Brahmana, is Dronchaya. He was the teacher of the five Pandava Princes. These Pandava Princes were the valiant heroes of India's holy book, the Mahabharata. He taught the main hero, Arjuna, everything about archery, skill, and made him a true warrior. Brahmins, or Brahmanas, were and still are the highest caste.

Ksatriyas The Ksatriyas were the warriors and rulers. They were the second highest caste in India. They were the kings and nobles of ancient India. These people were usually the princes, or warriors, that fought in the wars or battles. The kings didn't usually fight in the wars. They used to send their son, or nephews if they had no sons, to fight for the kingdom upon incoming threats. Battles could take up to 300 years. This was true for the war called the Mahabharata. It was the battle between the good forces of the Pandavas and the evil Kauruvas. They fought and fought until Arjuna, the Pandava prince, defeated Duryodana, the evil Kauruva prince. The world was finally restored to its original state, peace and calmness, for many years. 

Vaisyas The Vaisyas were the farmers, merchants, and artesians, basically the middle class. They lived lives almost like us. Go to school, help at home, play with friends. They were, and still are, just... normal. Nothing big, but still their lives were just as busy. Farmers worked days and nights in the field, trying to produce a good harvest so they can sell some of their excess to the king. Merchants worked all day to attain the most precious gems to give to the king as gifts, hoping for a nice reward. Artesians, working all day to finish a portrait for the king so that he can feed his family tonight. Gardeners, working hard to keep the kingdom's gardens, clean and cut. Basically, their lives revolved around the kingdom, but still, their lives were simple and normal. 

Sudras The Sudras were the laborers, or servants. They were the people that had to work, or did the worst, underpaying jobs. They were the second lowest caste. They worked long hours without breaks, waiting throughout the day on their masters. They followed orders thoroughly for the fear that they would be beaten or slapped. That was true in the olden days, only waiting on he king was an even bigger challenge. If they ran into one little mishap, or forgot one little detail in the king's order, the punishment could be up to being put to death. If they were lucky, they were banished from the kingdom, but, luckily, that usually was the case. They could also be forced to complete certain tasks, like eating lime, or make fools of themselves, whatever the King ordered. This was a bad caste to be placed in because of the low respect. 

Untouchables These people were what they called the "tainted" laborers. They did the hardest, dirtiest, and lowest jobs in the world. They were not even allowed to visit places of worship, such as mosques or temples. If they came in contact with anyone of high rankings, they were immediately put to death. But, unlike they say, they were much like anyone else. They were constantly discriminated against for their menial jobs, though they were servants, like the Sudras, in the end. There is a famous story of a righteous prince who, when he was rescued by an untouchable that worked on a cremation ground, was so grateful that he gave them one wish. The untouchable told him that she would love to visit the temple just once. The prince went so far as to make the woman's wish come true that he, himself, was banished. That shows that it does not matter if they are "untouchable" or not, they are still people like us Visit these sites if you want more information. Their names are based on what they contain. [|Swiss Article] [|Indian Website on Castes] [|Easier to Understand Castes] [|More in Depth, Links Included]

Visit this site for more examples. [|Pictures of Castes]

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