DAMODARAM SANJIVAYYA NATIONAL LAW

UNIVERSITY
SABBAVARAM
VISHAKAPATNAM, AP., INDIA

CASTE SYSYTEM IN INDIA

SOCIOLOGY

FACULTY NAME- PROF. (DR.) GANTA

SATYANARAYANA

SIDDHI VINAYAK
22LLB133

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

At the outset, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and thank my teacher, DR.
GANTA SATYANARAYANA sir for putting his trust in me and giving me a project topic
such as this and for having the faith in me to deliver. Thank you sir, for giving me an
opportunity to grow.

My gratitude also goes out to the staff and administration of DSNLU for the infrastructure in
the form of our library and IT Lab that was a source of great help for the completion of this
project.

SIDDHI VINAYAK
B.A L.L.B 133
1ST SEMESTER

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 ABSTRACT
Just about all Indians are members of one or more caste systems, which are ordered.
Everyone in most villages and towns is aware of the relative merits of each caste that is
locally represented, and this information continuously shapes how people interact with one
another. However, there is occasionally controversy regarding the true relative ranking of the
castes grouped in the middle, between the excesses of the very high and very low castes. The
caste system is predominantly connected to Hinduism in India, though it also exists among
some other Indian religious communities. Observing Muslim life in various regions of India
indicates the existence of caste-like groupings and a definite preoccupation with social
hierarchy, despite the fact that Muslims occasionally publicly deny having classes and claim
that all Muslims are brothers under God. Among Indian Christians, too, differences in caste
are acknowledged and maintained.
In this project I have tried to cover various aspects of caste system in india this project starts
from definition then it talks about purity and pollution then it shows some light on the history
of caste system .

Present condition of caste system is shown after that. Then social and legal premises are
touched. Social legitimation is the next point which is being discussed.

Finally demerits of the caste system is being discussed. Which throws light on various
negative points of the caste system .

Concept of Caste
Caste can be viewed both as a unit and as a system.  It can also be looked upon as a structural
phenomenon as well as a cultural phenomenon.  As a unit, caste can be defined as a ‘closed
rank status group’, that is, a group in which the status of the members, their occupation, the
field of mate-selection, and interaction with others is fixed.  As a system, it refers to
interrelated statuses and patterned in-traction among castes in terms of collectivity of
restrictions. In viewing caste as a system, there is a presupposition that no caste can exist in
isolation and that each caste is closely involved with other castes in the network of economic,
political and ritual relationships. As a cultural phenomenon caste may be viewed as a “set of

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values, beliefs and practices”.   Most of the scholars have viewed caste as solidarity and not
as a set of values and attitudes. 

Definitions:-

Bougle: He explained “caste as hereditarily specialized and hierarchically arranged groups”.

 Kroeber: He defined caste as “an endogamous and hereditary sub-division of an ethnic unit
occupying a position of superior or inferior rank or social esteem in comparison with other
such sub-divisions”.1

1
David G. Madelbaun : Society In India Vol:1

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

 Acknowledgements…………………………………………….….02
 Abstract ………………………………………………………. ….03
 Concept Of Caste
 Definition
 Objectives of the project………………………………………….
…..4
 Research methodology
1. Purity And
Pollution………………………………..6
2. History Of Caste
System……………………………8
3. Present
Position……………………………………..9
4. Social and legal premises...
………………………..11
5. Social
Ligitimation………………………………...12
6. Demerits of Caste System…………………………
13
 Major Findings……………………………………15
 Conclusion………………………………………...16

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OBJECTIVES
1. To study the Cast System in India
2. To understand the concept of purity and pollution.
3. To understand the history of Cast System In India
4. To Explain The present Position Of Cast System
5. To Explain It’s Legal And Social Premisis.
6. To Analyze it’s Social legitimacy.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1. This project has been pursued on the basis secondary sources of information. This
includes books, textbooks, and articles from newspapers and downloaded from
WebPages.
2. The project is based on analytical and descriptive study.

PURITY AND POLLUTION

In Indian civilization, many status inequalities are reflected in terms of ceremonial

cleanliness and pollution. The ideas of cleanliness and contamination are very complicated,
and they change widely between castes, religions, and geographical areas. However, in
general, high status is connected by purity and poor status is connected to pollution. A
member of a high-ranking Brahman or priestly caste is born with higher inherent purity than
a member of a low-ranking Sweeper caste. Some types of purity are inherent or inborn.

Ritual cleanliness is connected to purity; this includes taking daily baths in flowing water,
clothing in properly laundered clothes made of acceptable materials, eating only food suited
for one's caste, refraining from physical contact with those of lower rank, and refraining from
using ritually impure things.. Contact with the products of death or violence are typically
polluting and threatening to ritual purity.

A woman should avoid cooking, performing acts of worship, and touching anyone elder than
a baby when she is having her period. A lady typically spends this time "sitting outside" in a
shed or isolated chamber, sleeping. A Muslim lady should avoid touching the Quran while on
her period. Purity is restored at the completion of the time frame with a full bath.
Additionally, contamination is associated with both birth and death for the immediate family

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members of the mother and the newborn. Although some Bengali and Maharashtrian
Brahmans do eat fish, members of the highest priestly caste, the Brahmans, generally abstain
from eating meat because it is the result of violence and death.. High-ranking Warrior castes
(Kshatriyas), however, typically consume non vegetarian diets, considered appropriate for
their traditions of valor and physical strength.

Inherently unclean Shudras are thought to be born when they are born to Shudra parents.
Irrespectively matter how recently he took a bath, individuals higher in the social structure
than he believe the touch of his body to be dirty and will shun him. The Leatherworker
(Chamar) caste is assigned a very low rank in line with their affiliation with the caste
occupation of tanning and skinning dead animals. On the caste ladder, however, classes
associated with rule, combat, and human murders and deaths generally hold high positions.
When deciding caste status in these situations, lobbying power and riches supersede over a
history of violence.

Consuming drinks and food affects purity maintenance not just in terms of the food's
component but also in terms of who made it or touched it. In general, if a person receives
drinks or prepared meals from someone of a lower caste status than his own, he runs the risk
of causing environmental damage and reducing his own status. If he takes food or drink from
persons in higher caste ranks, his standing will be preserved.

The biggest defilement is typically caused by adopting water and regular food prepared in
water from castes below. As opposed to fine food prepared in butter or oils, which is known
as kaccha khana in North India, these foods are characterised asFine food can be accepted
from members of a few castes slightly lower than one's own. Local hierarchies differ on the
specific details of these rules. These and a great many other traditional rules pertaining to
purity and pollution constantly impinge upon interaction between people of different castes
and ranks in India. Although to the non-Indian these rules may seem irrational and bizarre, to
most of the people of India they are accepted as a part of life. Transgressions of these rules,
whether deliberate or accidental, are seen as having immediately polluting effects on the
person of the transgressor, means that every ordinary act of human life serves as a constant
reminder of the importance of hierarchy in Indian society.

There are many Indians, particularly among the educated urban elite, who do not follow
traditional purity and pollution practices. Well-educated individuals with various

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backgrounds frequently eat together at restaurants and in each other's homes, especially when
they are from the same social class. However, it is less unusual for educated urban coworkers
with widely diverse caste and religious backgrounds to get along and share a cup of tea.
Some high-caste liberals who take pleasure in their lack of "casteism" seek and take gifts
from very low-caste individuals or even go out of their way to marry someone who belongs
to a much lower caste or follows a different religion. Therefore, despite their denial, these
progressives confirm the continued importance of the traditional laws of cleanliness,
pollution, and hierarchy in the Indian caste system.

HISTORY OF CASTE SYSTEM

However, the caste structure that was in place and was used then and now is dissimilar. The
caste system is said to have a divine foundation and approval. The chaturvarna system is
where the stratification of caste in Indian society first emerged. The Brahmins, Kshatriyas,
Vaishyas, and Sudras were the four basic varnas that made up Hindu civilization, according
to the chaturvarna theory. The division of labour and occupation was a major component of
the varna system, which predominated during the Vedic era. The four groups were created by
the "Supreme Purusha," or "lord," according to the Rigveda. The Lord's mouth given way to
the Brahmins. the Sudras from his thighs, the Vaishyas from his arms, and the Kshatriyas
from his arms. from his feet. Each class was allotted specific functions to perform and they
were rated in the society according to the task they performed.

Intermarriage and interdating were not outlawed in the Vedic era, according to the available
data. In fact, regulations on food and marriage for Brahmins were considerably less severe in
300 BC than they were in early medieval times. The several castes now present in the land
must possibly be a result of the intercaste unions that had occurred. The antiquated system of
classes (or varnas) was organic and based on a person's work rather than their date of birth.
There is little similarity between the four varnas, which were initially based on race, culture,
character, and profession, and the caste system that is still in use in India today and places a

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strong focus on birth and heredity. However, the spirit of restriction, sense of superiority, and
pride that separated Aryans from non-Aryans had an impact on the division and subdivision
of humanity into the several jatis that are now ubiquitous in Indian society due to differences
in occupation, sect, and other factors. Untouchables, a condition unique to Hindu society,
were created when the spirit of seclusion and exaggerated perceptions of ceremonial purity
that were applied to non-Aryans in connection with blood sacrifice were carefully expounded
and extended to other groups.

PRESENT POSITION

The division which was initially made for the smooth functioning of the society, in due
course of time, turned into a rigid and water tight compartment. In the name of caste, the
society was thrown into an abysmally dark pit from where there was no respite. When India
gained her independence, the caste system was at the zenith of its darkest phase. The leaders
of the independent movement realized this and felt that the entire society was at stake and it
eroded the credentials of the people. This aspect of the Indian society undermined the very
principles of democracy. The framers of the Constitution never aspired for a country that was
torn because of internal rift which was purely man made. The newly-born country continued
with the democratic ideologies, a legacy which they had inherited from the British.

Democracy aims to protect and promote the dignity and fundamental rights of the individuals,
instill social justice and fosters economic and social development. In a democracy, the people
are able to choose their representatives, as they have the right to participate in the political
process of the country. Hence, the Preamble of the Constitution states that the people of India
resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Democratic Republic and to secure for all its
citizens the following objectives namely liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith, and
worship, equality of status and opportunity, fraternity, asserting the dignity of the individual
and the unity of the nation.

There will be no democracy in India unless there is strong and integrated national society.
Due to historical reasons, India has been a meeting place of many races and cultures. While
maintaining its separate identity, it is imperative that the diverse cultural groups live in
harmony, have an emotional identification with the national society, and participate actively
in strengthening its bonds. As soon as the British stepped out of Indian soil, the binding knot
of national unity began to loosen itself, and the narrow loyalties to caste, sect, or language
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groups began to raise its head. The future of Indian democracy will depend on the way it can
meet the challenges arising out of the various social problems arising in the Indian
subcontinent because of the people's misconceptions and false affinity to cling to the
traditional past.

To alleviate the wrongs done due to blind faith and support to the caste system, the
Constitution has adopted various measures. The Constitution by incorporating various
articles, guarantees equal opportunity to all citizens in all matters relating to employment or
appointment to any office under the State. It specifically lays down that no citizen shall, on
grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence, or any of them, be
ineligible for, or discriminated against in respect of any employment or office under the State.

The Constitution also forbids the practice of untouchability in any form. The right to non-
exploitation guarantees freedom from forced labor. Through the incorporation of these
articles, utmost attempts have been made to establish equality among all sections of the
society. Through the implementation of the articles incorporated in the Indian Constitution,
the major thrust has been shifted from the caste to the individual as the unit of Indian society.

Caste bonds are very strong in rural India. People in rural areas are often guided by caste
interest rather than political or economic interest. Political parties fully exploit this feeing and
there by direct the voting pattern in the villages. The candidates also often seek the support of
the religious leaders who can exercise a commendable influence over their jatis.

The caste system which has shown great resilience in the past, poses the greatest threat to
Indian democracy. Untouchability, the worst feature of the caste system, has been deeply
entrenched in the Indian society. Laudable efforts have been made from time to time from
various quarters to eradicate the system. A system which cuts off human beings from one
another is incompatible with the ideals of equality and social justice, which are enshrined in
our Constitution. It is a major stumbling block to national integration, economic
development, and moral regeneration of Indian society2.

2
http://www.hindu.com/2007/04/23/stories/2007042304190500

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 CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA AND ITS LEGAL PRINCIPLE
The internationally accepted principles of equality and non-discrimination have no place in a
caste-based society. For this reason, India’s domestic and international obligations under the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights is yet to be fully met. In fact, India has consistently
maintained that caste discrimination was a domestic issue that had nothing to do with
international human rights principles.

The practice of caste based discrimination is one based on descent; and falls clearly under the
definition of racial discrimination. India’s continued exclusionary stand regarding its millions
of lower caste citizens is a violation of their rights and its own responsibility to them. The
most acute manifestations of caste discrimination are the systematic denial of the rights to
food, health, education, freedom from bonded labor and ultimately, the denial of the right to
justice.

The situation of Golahanpur village in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh is indicative of many of these
rights violations. The approximately 40 Dalit houses in this village are situated outside the
village boundary, as dictated by upper caste villagers. This makes them unable to enjoy
public facilities such as roads, electricity and health care. The government school in the
village does not allow Dalit children to sit with the upper caste children. Furthermore, most
of the Dalit families do not exist in government records, as census officers refuse to record
their information. This deprives them of access to food and welfare programs.

The government has constituted a public distribution network under the Ministry of Food and
Public Distribution. However, this public distribution system (PDS) is plagued by rampant
corruption, causing it to malfunction. Corruption in the PDS system promotes starvation.
Coupled with the discriminatory practices in the government health service sector, the poor
often die from malnutrition and malnutrition-induced sicknesses. The continuation of feudal
practices in India is one more reason for starvation and food insecurity in India. The
landlords, often from the upper caste, force members of the lower caste to work for them.
Bonded labor is a common practice in the country. Most States in India are yet to legislate
and implement land reforms laws. Left with no cultivable land or work, the villagers are often
forced to work for the local landlords for practically nothing. The wages are often provided in

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the form of a daily meal. Entire families are forced to work in conditions equivalent to
slavery.

SOCIAL LEGITIMACY

With regards to social perception, the caste system is ingrained into the country’s mentality.
Government officials, politicians, law enforcement officers and ordinary citizens all follow
these practices. While many follow them for religious or cultural reasons, others follow them
to retain benefits and privileges, some of which they have become used to seeing as their
‘rights’ by virtue of descent. The AHRC routinely comes across cases for instance, where
police officers refuse to file complaints made by Dalits because ‘a Dalit has no right to
complain’. From a caste hierarchy perspective, Dalits deserve no better than what they get,
and have no right to make complaints about individuals from upper castes. On the other hand,
the police are given bribes by the perpetrators of abuse against Dalits to not file their
complaints and to harass them, and may even be related or on friendly terms with them.

Police and judicial officers practice untouchability in both their personal and professional
lives. The Indian government is in fact interested in maintaining the status quo, hence its
consistent refusal to acknowledge caste discrimination as a problem internationally.

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 DEMERITS OF CASTE SYSTEM
The analysis of the structure of the caste system has raised the question of its dysfunctional
and functional aspects.  The important demerits of the caste system have been described as
follows:-

 It acts as a barrier to social progress

Durkheim has suggested that the function of division of labour is to give an individual
more freedom because it substitutes mechanical economy with an organic economy.  The
caste system created the division of labour which denied freedom to an individual.  In the
rigid caste system, occupation was determined by the ascribed status instead of contract,
and transition from ascribed status to contract, according to Henry Maine, is an essential
feature of political progress.  The caste system did not make such transition possible
 It thwarts political unity 
According to Bougle patriotism for the Hindus consists of attachment to the caste
system.  Therefore, they are unable to unite except in the very culture pattern that divides
them.  Why are Hindus attached to caste so much?  This is because caste has a religious
sanction which prescribes that perfection can only be attained by a man who does not
deviate from the duties of caste.  Observance of caste duties is considered as Dharma in
Hinduism.  It is a moral obligation.  Thus, so long people give more importance to their
caste; the national unity is bound to suffer.
 It is responsible for the status of women
Caste imposes many restrictions on women; for example, on education, on
participation in religious discussion, on participation in politics, and so forth.  It
insists on the marriage even if widowed in infancy.
 It is responsible for the low status and unjust treatment of outcastes and low
castes people.
The upper caste people have deprived the low caste people of human rights and
privileges. In fact, it is in the treatment of the untouchable castes that the working of
the caste system is most open to criticism.  A toddy-drawer’s low status is because he
washes the dirty clothes.  The caste system treats all these castes as outcastes, so
much so that even their contact is supposed to involve pollution.  Their low position is
the result of prejudices and taboos.3

3
Vidya Bhushan, Dr. R. Sachdeva: An Introduction to Sociology

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 MAJOR FINDINGS

Concept of caste prevalent In India

 Caste as a unit
 Caste as a system
Concept of Purity and Pollution
 high status is associated with purity and low status with pollution
History of caste system
 The spirit of exclusiveness and the sense of superiority and pride which
differentiated the Aryans from non-Aryans did, however influence the division and
subdivisions of people into innumerable jatis based upon difference of occupation,
sect, and other causes which are now prevalent in the Indian society
Present Position
 Present position of caste system is very different from old times .though in villages
the caste system still holds a very strong place but The Constitution by
incorporating various articles, guarantees equal opportunity to all citizens in all
matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State. It
specifically lays down that no citizen shall, on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex,
descent, place of birth, residence, or any of them, be ineligible for, or discriminated
against in respect of any employment or office under the State.
Caste system in India and its legal and social premises
 The practice of caste based discrimination is one based on descent; and falls clearly
under the definition of racial discrimination. India’s continued exclusionary stand
regarding its millions of lower caste citizens is a violation of their rights and its
own responsibility to them.

Social legitimacy

 Even after so many years and many reforms With regards to social perception, the
caste system is ingrained into the country’s mentality.

Demerits of the Caste System

 Various demerits have come into light as it a social evil.

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 CONCLUSION

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was in opinion that the caste system had been rooted in the Hindu
Society.  The Hindu society was rigidly divided into four varnas. Shudras who are presently
known as dalits, backward class and Scheduled Castes were isolated and completely alienated
from the main stream of Hindu society. Ambedkar stressed that an inequitious society was
incapable of sustaining human values conducive to uninterrupted growth and development.
He wanted to reconstruct the Hindu society and make it adjustable democratic values.
         At the social level, castes continue to be important in terms in determining the style of
living as well as the rank positions of groups (caste) in which marriages are to be
settled.  Though the old ritual and occupational functions of castes are rapidly disappearing,
yet caste endogamy is still preserved and the idea of the structures sanctity has been retained
and adapted to the needs of modern social indexing.  It is also to be noted the elites of India
are overwhelmingly of high caste origins whereas the lower and menial classes display a
precisely opposite juxtaposition of castes.
        It may thus be concluded that the caste system will continue to be a reality in the years
and decades to come although its importance in everyday life might decrease.  

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 REFERENCES

BOOKS

 David G. Madelbaun : Society In India Vol:1, 18th Ed. Reprint 2010.

 Foundations of Indian Culture, G.C.Pande vol II
 Yogeh Atal, Changing Indian Society, India:
 Vidya Bhushan, Dr. R. Sachdeva: An Introduction to Sociology, 45th Ed. Reprint 2010

Internet

 http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/SC%20Lists.
 http://www.hindu.com/2007/04/23/stories/2007042304190500.

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