Knowra Caste system in India Caste system in India A system of social stratification in India shaped by hereditary communities, endogamy, and historically unequal status and occupations. Its forms vary across regions and have changed over time.
Jati : A locally rooted, usually endogamous social group associated with shared ancestry, status, or traditional occupation. Jatis are the lived communities through which caste distinctions have commonly been organized.
Caste discrimination : Unequal treatment of people based on caste identity or perceived caste status. Discrimination turns inherited rank into unequal access and treatment in everyday life.
Purusha Sukta : A hymn in the Rigveda that describes the four varnas emerging from the cosmic being Purusha. Its creation image became a prominent textual account of varna's origins.
B. R. Ambedkar : An Indian jurist, social reformer, and political leader who fought caste oppression and chaired the Constitution's Drafting Committee. Ambedkar's scholarship and activism shaped the struggle against caste oppression and constitutional safeguards.
Varna : A fourfold classification in Hindu texts comprising Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, with groups outside the scheme. Varna offers a broad textual hierarchy, unlike the many regionally specific jatis.
Caste and marriage in India : The ways caste shapes partner choice, family negotiations, and marriage practices in India. Marriage practices help maintain caste boundaries between generations.
Manusmriti : An ancient Sanskrit treatise on social, legal, and ritual duties, influential in later debates about caste. Its prescriptive rules are frequently cited in arguments about caste hierarchy and social order.
Dalit : A political and social identity used by many communities historically subjected to untouchability and caste oppression. Dalit movements have challenged caste hierarchy and demanded dignity, rights, and representation.
Endogamy : The practice of marrying within a defined social group. Marriage within caste boundaries has helped reproduce group membership across generations.
Caste-based violence in India : Violence directed at people or communities because of caste identity, status, or assertion of rights. Violence can enforce hierarchy or punish challenges to caste-based power.
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