Knowra Caste Caste Caste is a hereditary system of social stratification that assigns groups unequal status and regulates social relations. Its forms and rules vary across societies and historical periods.
Jati : A birth-based social group in South Asia, often tied to local marriage networks and customary occupations. Jatis are the numerous local groups through which caste is commonly organized in South Asia.
Rigveda : An ancient collection of Sanskrit hymns, among the oldest surviving texts from South Asia. Its Purusha hymn contains an early textual account of a fourfold social ordering.
Dalit : A self-designation used by communities historically subjected to caste oppression and untouchability in South Asia. Dalit political identity has challenged stigma and asserted collective dignity against caste exclusion.
Class : A social grouping based chiefly on economic position, wealth, occupation, or relation to production. Class position can change through economic mobility, unlike caste’s emphasis on inherited group membership.
Constitution of India : The supreme law of India, adopted in 1949 and in force from 1950. It abolishes untouchability and authorizes measures addressing discrimination and historical disadvantage.
Varna : A fourfold classification in Hindu texts: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. The varna scheme supplies a broad ideological classification distinct from lived local groupings.
Purusha Sukta : A hymn in the Rigveda describing the cosmic being Purusha and the origin of four social classes from his body. This hymn became a prominent textual source for the varna hierarchy.
Caste discrimination : Unequal treatment or exclusion based on a person’s caste or presumed caste. It is the direct social harm produced when caste rank governs access, treatment, or opportunity.
Estate (social class) : A legally defined social order in which groups hold distinct rights, duties, and privileges. Estate systems resemble caste in ranked status but are organized through formal legal distinctions.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes : Constitutionally recognized categories of historically disadvantaged communities in India. These categories shape the legal administration of protections and affirmative-action policies.
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