What is India's caste system?

BBC ^ | June 19, 2019 | BBC

[wildcard_redneck]

India's caste system is among the world's oldest forms of surviving social stratification. The BBC explains its complexities.

The system which divides Hindus into rigid hierarchical groups based on their karma (work) and dharma (the Hindi word for religion, but here it means duty) is generally accepted to be more than 3,000 years old. How did caste come about?

Manusmriti, widely regarded to be the most important and authoritative book on Hindu law and dating back to at least 1,000 years before Christ was born, "acknowledges and justifies the caste system as the basis of order and regularity of society".

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.

Outside of this Hindu caste system were the achhoots - the Dalits or the untouchables.

Rural communities have long been arranged on the basis of castes - the upper and lower castes almost always lived in segregated colonies, the water wells were not shared, Brahmins would not accept food or drink from the Shudras, and one could marry only within one's caste.

The system bestowed many privileges on the upper castes while sanctioning repression of the lower castes by privileged groups.

Often criticised for being unjust and regressive, it remained virtually unchanged for centuries, trapping people into fixed social orders from which it was impossible to escape.

[maddogtiger]

Nothing more than skin complexion.

[wildcard_redneck]

"Another article on India’s caste system?
Why the obsession with India’s caste system?"

It's not an obsession, it is a warning. Have you worked with hundreds of Indians like I have over the past 20 years? I doubt it. The Klan with a Tan is a real thing and the more Indians you import the more of a caste system that you'll get.

You sound like the typical lefty Karen.

[wildcard_redneck]

So you are saying that you want a caste system i take it. Well vote for Viveck the Trojan horse and enjoy being in a lower caste, regardless of how intelligent you think you are aquila48.

[wildcard_redneck]

“I didn’t “hiss”” he lisped.

I’d suggest you leave your l animosities to white Americans getting colonized and shafted by their own government back in Pakistan and China or wherever you came from and learn to be an American.

[PeterPrinciple]

Some say the caste system would have disappeared by now if the fires were not regularly fanned by politicians.

At elections, many caste groups still vote as a block and are wooed by politicians looking for electoral gains.

As a result, what was originally meant to be a temporary affirmative action plan to improve the lot of the unprivileged groups has now become a vote-grabbing exercise for many politicians.

---

conclusion of article.

[PeterPrinciple]

A reminder that one of the unique aspects of the American Experiment WAS the ability to move up and down the social economic ladder.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

“I didn’t “hiss”” he lisped.

Your hysterics and general bitchy behavior confirm my suspicions. No American is going to act like this about some foreigner's grievances. Give it a rest and go back to the Pakistani or Chinese boards.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

So you are saying that you want a caste system i take it. Well vote for Viveck the Trojan horse and enjoy being in a lower caste, regardless of how intelligent you think you are aquila48.

This guy is obviously not an American - some crazed import from some nation that has a grievance against Indians.

[aquila48]

I imagine if you ask him he’ll probably tell you his caste.

It’s interesting that the AVERAGE IQ of Indians is quite low (82). The Brahmin’s is like 105. And they only intermarry within the caste, so that stratification becomes more pronounced as time goes by.

It also supports the theory that intelligence is largely hereditary.

[wildcard_redneck]

"This guy is obviously not an American - some crazed import from some nation that has a grievance against Indians."

How creepy leftist of you to attack the messenger personally when you can't argue against the facts. I can trace my ancestry all the way back to the Massachusetts colony in 1620, how about you?

[AnotherUnixGeek]

How creepy leftist of you to attack the messenger personally when you can't argue against the facts.

The facts are that every conservative candidate is being slandered and whittled down by people like you. First DeSantis and now Vivek - and we know that Trump is already under attack from all sides. Why is that?

[wildcard_redneck]

Since you're mad about me posting an article from 4 years ago regarding Indian racism against white people and other Indians due to the racist, evil Indian caste system, here's one from three weeks ago that I just posted:

You are welcome.

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/4173291/posts

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Since you're mad about me posting an article from 4 years ago regarding Indian racism against white people and other Indians due to the racist, evil Indian caste system, here's one from three weeks ago that I just posted

You're projecting - you are obviously quite wound up and upset about Indians, and you've been posting about them for several days now. I just question your motives and why you're trying to tear down an American-born conservative because he's of the same ethnic background as people in some other country going through some foreign social issue.

There's a pattern here of trying to tear down every conservative candidate - I don't see why anyone who claims to be a conservative would be so interested in smearing conservative candidates.

[wildcard_redneck]

"Reeeeee!"

[AnotherUnixGeek]

"Reeeeee!"

Yup - confirms what I think is going on with you. Anyone this interested in smearing American conservative candidates with stuff of no relevance in America is most likely not an American.

[conserv8]

“It’s interesting that the AVERAGE IQ of Indians is quite low (82). The Brahmin’s is like 105.”

I think that indicates opportunity and availability of instruction rather than innate ability.

But if those stats were reversed . . .

[conserv8]

Culture shackles

[kp2hot]

Count on BBC to twist everything beyond recognition for propaganda - for example, varnas and castes are two different things. Brahmins(intellectuals), Kshatriyas(warriors), Vaishyas(entrepreneurs) and Shudras(working class) are broader classifications called Varnas and not castes. Any civilization would need those 4 elements to survive and grow. India remains a civilization under seige - under Islamic and British colonial aggression, that has placed native institutions in a hardened and self-defensive postures.

[wildcard_redneck]

"Count on BBC to twist everything beyond recognition for propaganda - for example, varnas and castes are two different things. Brahmins(intellectuals), Kshatriyas(warriors), Vaishyas(entrepreneurs) and Shudras(working class) are broader classifications called Varnas and not castes. Any civilization would need those 4 elements to survive and grow. India remains a civilization under seige - under Islamic and British colonial aggression, that has placed native institutions in a hardened and self-defensive postures."

You're kidding right? The BBC loves Indians. And just because India has problems from past invasions - not from the US by the way, doesn't mean we need to import them.

You're pretty generous to surrender your own country and lose your heritage and culture out of white guilt.

[metmom]

If all you can resort to is name calling, I know I hit a nerve.

Thanks for confirming.