"the southern plains. Unlike the Hindu caste systems prevalent in Khas and Madhesi societies, the existence and influence of Buddhist ""ex-monks"" from ancient times in the Kathmandu Valley added a ""double-headed"" element to the Newar caste system. While Rājopādhyāya Brahmins (or Déva-bhāju) occupied the highest social position in the Hindu side, the Vajracharya (or Guru/Gu-bhāju) formed the head among the Buddhists. For Hindu Newars, Brahmans had formal precedence with Kshatriyas, which included the royal family and the various groups now known as Srēṣṭha who ran the administration of the Malla courts. For Buddhist Newars, the non-celibate (gr̥hastha) priestly sangha class"
"always be ranked lower than the Kulins. Kulin Kayastha Kulin Kayasthas (কুলীন কায়স্থ) are a sub-caste of the Kayastha caste in Bengal, India. They are also known as the Kulina Kayasthas. The Kayasthas are regarded in Bengal, along with the Brahmins, as being the ""highest Hindu castes"". The Bengali Kayasthas are subdivided into numerous clans in that region, of which the ""Kulin"" is a high-ranking example. The social and religious patterns of Bengal had historically been distinctively different from those in the orthodox Hindu heartland of North India and this impacted on how the caste system developed there. Bengal, being"
"Kulin Kayastha Kulin Kayasthas (কুলীন কায়স্থ) are a sub-caste of the Kayastha caste in Bengal, India. They are also known as the Kulina Kayasthas. The Kayasthas are regarded in Bengal, along with the Brahmins, as being the ""highest Hindu castes"". The Bengali Kayasthas are subdivided into numerous clans in that region, of which the ""Kulin"" is a high-ranking example. The social and religious patterns of Bengal had historically been distinctively different from those in the orthodox Hindu heartland of North India and this impacted on how the caste system developed there. Bengal, being located east of the traditional Aryavarta region"
"levels. Lower castes are never able to climb higher within the caste system, limiting the economies progress from growing. The system divides Hindus into four categories - Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras. Brahmins consist of those who teach and educate such as priest and teachers. Kshatriyas include those who maintain law and order. Vaishyas consist of businessmen such as farmers and merchants. Shudras contain all skilled and unskilled laborers. The Brahmins from the Indian culture spread their religion to southeast Asia. By traveling to these countries they were able to inform others on their beliefs and spark the beginning"
"hierarchical system which distinguishes groups based on social status, rank, wealth, and occupation. Most of India still follows the caste system despite some problematic implications it may have. People who are Sikh are strictly against the caste system as it breaks their religious principles of equality. Guru Nanak believed the caste system to be evil and dispelled peoples ignorance by saying “""anas ki jat sabhe eke paihcanbo - recognise all of mankind as a single caste of humanity”."" Many Sikhs have dropped their caste name and have chosen to have the surname of “Kaur”(middle name for all female Sikhs) or"
"Bengali Kayastha Bengali Kayastha denotes a Bengali Hindu who is a member of the Kayastha caste native to the Indian subcontinent. In Bengal, Kayasthas, alongside Brahmins, are regarded as the ""highest Hindu castes"" that comprise the ""upper layer of Hindu society."" Bengali Kayasthas are considered an offshoot of the northern Indian Kayastha group who claim descent from the sons of Chitragupta. They claim lineage from migrants to Bengal from the ancient city of Kannauj who came at the request of Sena Dynasty kings in the 10th century. According to Tej Ram Sharma, an Indian historian, the office of Kayastha in"
"Indian caste system) named Yayati. Hypergamy Hypergamy (colloquially referred to as ""marrying up"" or ""gold-digging"") is a term used in social science for the act or practice of a person marrying a spouse of higher caste or social status than themselves. The antonym ""hypogamy"" refers to the inverse: marrying a person of lower social class or status (colloquially ""marrying down""). Both terms were coined in India in the 19th century while translating classical Hindu law books, which used the Sanskrit terms ""anuloma"" and ""pratiloma"", respectively, for the two concepts. Forms of hypergamy have been practiced throughout history, including in India,"
"social system which translates to ""types"" or ""order"". In olden times, the castes which were considered high in the Hindu caste hierarchy i.e. Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, Shudras. During the British Raj, some methods for upliftment of these lower castes were introduced by the British, progressive thinkers and Hindu reformers. These included reservations in the legislature and in government jobs. After independence, the Indian constitution introduced provisions for reservations for the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (SC/ST) in government institutions, to give a fair representation to the weakest sections of society i.e. Dalits and Adivasis. 22.5% of the seats (SC- 15%,"
"been common in the history of Buddhism. Though largely overlooked, the Govigama caste have historically incorporated south Indian migrants. Ancient texts such as the ""Pujavaliya"", ""Sadharmaratnavaliya"" and ""Yogaratnakaraya"" list the four caste categories as Raja Kshatriya, Bamunu Brahmana, Velanda Vaishya, and Govi in descending order. However, the current caste system in Sri Lanka disempowers the Raja, Bamunu, and Velanda castes, and establishes the Govigama caste as the highest extant caste in the hierarchy (Govi, Karave, Durava, Salagama, etc.). The ""Pújavaliya"" also says that a Buddha could be been born into the Govi caste, although in reality he was born into"
"and born village administrators. Mudiraja Muthuraja Mutharacha In the feudal Hindu society, the Kshatriyas used to occupy the 2nd top slot in the hierarchy of four caste groups. As per the definition of MANU, who was believed to be the architect of caste codification of the Hindu society, it was divided into four major caste groups i.e. (i) Brahmana, (ii) Kshatriya, (iii) Vaishya and (iv) Shudra. (ii). The Kshatriyas: These were the people of warrior class in the society and considered to be the hands and shoulders of the society. They were the people, who had the basic instinctive warrior"
"Kayasthas has been a subject of debate. According to some accounts, they are a literate and educated class of Kshatriyas, and they have been referred to as a twice-born caste. In Bengal, Bengali Kayastha, alongside Brahmins, have been described as the ""highest Hindu castes"". After the Muslim conquest of India, Bengali Kayasthas absorbed remnants of Bengal's old Hindu ruling dynasties - including the Sena, Pala, Chandra, and Varman - and, in this way, became the region's surrogate Kshatriya or ""warrior"" class. During the British rule, the Bengali Kayasthas, along with the Bengali Brahmins and Baidyas, were considered as ""Bhadralok"", a"
"Hindu Ghosi The term Hindu Ghosi (or Ghoshi, Ghosee, Ghosi Thakur, Ghosi Yadav) refers to a community of the Hindu Ahir caste. In the few Western districts of Uttar Pradesh, the Ghosi Ahirs have been better than others, both in number and influence and hence have attracted the attention of the present political parties. Politicians often plan and expect a split among the different Ahir groups, particularly the Ghosi and Kamariya groups. Kamariyas, who used to live a nomadic lifestyle, and unlike Ghosis were mostly uncivilized, are regarded as having lower status than the Ghosis. Ghosi trace their origin to"
"Dhedh Dhedh (also Dhed, Dhedha or Dhedhas) are a Scheduled Caste of India. Historically, certain upper caste communities have considered them to be an untouchable group, outside the Hindu ritual ranking system known as varna. The Dhedh community too observes untouchability in relationships with other low-status castes. The sociologist Sujata Patel says that in Gujarat the Dhedhs are considered to be a sub-caste of the scheduled castes whose traditional occupation was weaving. In the 1930s-40s, many depressed classes and communities were active in trying to change their caste name and elevate their social status to that of Rajput. These included"
"that the Hindu caste system was widespread. Chronicles mention more castes than the four basic castes in the Hindu social system known today, some as many as seven castes. One traveller's account mentions sixteen castes including the four basic castes of Brahmins, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Chandalas. One caste known as ""Zakaya"" or ""Lahud"" consisted of people belonging to communities specialising in dance and acrobatics. Intercaste marriages were uncommon except between highly placed Kshatriya girls and Brahmin boys. People belonging to such professions as sailing, hunting, weaving, cobblery, basket making and fishing were all accommodated into castes or subcastes. The ""Antyajas"""
"Bhatra, Amnit Bhatra Amnit Hold Highest Status, Halba , Dhurvaa, Muria and Bison Horn Maria. The Gonds of Bastar are one of the most famous tribes in India, known for their unique Ghotul system of marriages. Gonds are also the largest tribal group of central India in terms of population. The tribes of Bastar region are known for their unique and distinctive tribal culture and heritage all over the world. Each tribal group in Bastar has their own distinct culture and enjoys their own unique traditional living styles. Each tribe has developed its own dialects and differs from each other"
"3% were unsure or did not respond. Traditionally, Indian society is grouped according to their caste. It's a system in which social stratification within various social sections defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups are often termed ""jāti"" or castes. Within a ""jāti"", there exists exogamous groups known as gotras, the lineage or clan of an individuals. Caste barriers have mostly broken down in cities but still exists in some form in rural areas. Hinduism is the majority in most states; Kashmir and Lakshadweep are Muslim majority; Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya are Christian majority; Punjab is a Sikh majority with"
"Baidya Baidya or Vaidya () is a Hindu caste community of Bengal. The Baidyas have generally claimed Brahmin status, but some have been associated with the Ambashtha caste or sub-caste. In the pre-colonial era of Bengal, Baidyas were regarded as the highest Hindu castes along with Brahmins and Kayasthas. Historian Bijay Chandra Mazumdar suggests that the Baidyas owe their origin to the Vellala Vaidyas, known for their military prowess in Southern India, who started functioning as Brahmins some time earlier than the 10th century CE, and originally got the designation 'Vaidya' on account of their knowledge and study of the"
"but they continued to be considered as lower castes by higher ranked communities, including the Saint Thomas Christians. Caste system has been observed among Muslims in India. They practice endogamy, hypergamy, hereditary occupations, avoid social mixing and have been stratified. There is some controversy if these characteristics make them social groups or castes of Islam. Indian Muslims are a mix of Sunni (majority), Shia and other sects of Islam. From the earliest days of Islam's arrival in South Asia, the Arabic, Persian and Afghan Muslims have been part of the upper, noble caste. Some upper caste Hindus converted to Islam"
"culture. By the late 19th-century, the caste system of Kerala had evolved to be the most complex to be found anywhere in India. There were over 500 groups represented in an elaborate structure of relationships and the concept of ritual pollution extended not merely to untouchability but even further, to unapproachability. The system was gradually reformed to some degree, with one of those reformers, Swami Vivekananda, having observed that it represented a ""mad house"" of castes. The usual four-tier Hindu caste system, involving the ""varnas"" of ""Brahmin"" (priest), ""Kshatriya"" (warrior), ""Vaishya"" (business person, involved in trading, entrepreneurship and finance) and"
"Shudra Shudra is the fourth varna, or one of the four social categories found in the texts of Hinduism. Various sources translate it into English as a caste, or alternatively as a social class. It is the lowest rank of the four varnas. The word ""Shudra"" appears only once in the ""Rig veda"" but is found in other Hindu texts such as the ""Manusmriti"", ""Arthashastra"" and ""Dharmashastras"". Theoretically, Shudras have constituted the hereditary labouring class serving others but in reality they have shared occupations with other varnas, including being traders and warriors. In some cases, they participated in the coronation"
"Shudra Shudra is the fourth varna, or one of the four social categories found in the texts of Hinduism. Various sources translate it into English as a caste, or alternatively as a social class. It is the lowest rank of the four varnas. The word ""Shudra"" appears only once in the ""Rig veda"" but is found in other Hindu texts such as the ""Manusmriti"", ""Arthashastra"" and ""Dharmashastras"". Theoretically, Shudras have constituted the hereditary labouring class serving others but in reality they have shared occupations with other varnas, including being traders and warriors. In some cases, they participated in the coronation"
"Chandala Chandala is a Sanskrit word for someone who deals with disposal of corpses, and is a Hindu lower caste, traditionally considered to be untouchable. Varna was a hierarchical social order in ancient India, based on the Vedas. Since the Vedic corpus constitute the earliest literary source, it came to be seen as the origin of caste society. In this Brahmanical view of caste, varnas were created on a particular occasion and have remained virtually unchanged. In this ordering of society, notions of purity and pollution were central, and activities were delineated in this context. Varna divides the society into"
"Kshatriya Kshatriya (Devanagari: क्षत्रिय; Gujarati: ક્ષત્રિય; Gurmukhi: ਖੱਤਰੀ; from Sanskrit ""kṣatra"", ""rule, authority"") is one of the four varna (social orders) of the Hindu society. The Sanskrit term ""kṣatriyaḥ"" is used in the context of Vedic society wherein members were organised into four classes: ""kshatriya"", ""brahmin"", ""vaishya"" and ""shudra"". Traditionally, the kshatriya constituted the ruling and military class. Their role was to protect their interests by fighting in wartime and governing in peacetime. The administrative machinery in the Rig Vedic period functioned with a tribal chief called ""Rajan"" whose position was not hereditary. The king was elected in a tribal"
"Kshatriya Kshatriya (Devanagari: क्षत्रिय; Gujarati: ક્ષત્રિય; Gurmukhi: ਖੱਤਰੀ; from Sanskrit ""kṣatra"", ""rule, authority"") is one of the four varna (social orders) of the Hindu society. The Sanskrit term ""kṣatriyaḥ"" is used in the context of Vedic society wherein members were organised into four classes: ""kshatriya"", ""brahmin"", ""vaishya"" and ""shudra"". Traditionally, the kshatriya constituted the ruling and military class. Their role was to protect their interests by fighting in wartime and governing in peacetime. The administrative machinery in the Rig Vedic period functioned with a tribal chief called ""Rajan"" whose position was not hereditary. The king was elected in a tribal"
"Vishwakarma (caste) The Vishwakarma community, also known as the Vishwabrahmin, are a social group of India, sometimes described as a caste. The community comprises five sub-groupscarpenters, blacksmiths, bronze smiths, goldsmiths and stonemasonswho believe that they are descendants of Vishvakarman, a Hindu deity. They worship various forms of this deity and follow five VedasRigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda, and Pranava Veda. The communal name of ""Vishwakarma"" is of fairly recent usage. The British Raj misunderstood the Indian caste system as being an inflexible concept based on varna, ignoring all evidence of caste creation and disintegration caused by processes of social fission and"
"with Brahmins. These three castes held major landholding and control over education and major professions. The terms ""Baidya"" and ""Vaidya"" also literally mean a physician in the Bengali and Sanskrit languages. Baidya Baidya or Vaidya () is a Hindu caste community of Bengal. The Baidyas have generally claimed Brahmin status, but some have been associated with the Ambashtha caste or sub-caste. In the pre-colonial era of Bengal, Baidyas were regarded as the highest Hindu castes along with Brahmins and Kayasthas. Historian Bijay Chandra Mazumdar suggests that the Baidyas owe their origin to the Vellala Vaidyas, known for their military prowess"
"upper caste people conducted by Kings, and used to get paid for that. Presently bari community just like all other backward communities has grown up and came out to do all sorts of jobs. Bari (caste) The Bari are a Hindu =caste found in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Rajasthan in India. The Bari community get their name from the Sanskrit word “vari” meaning water. They are also called Rawat and are a community of household servants and makers of leaf-plates. The Bari mainly speak Hindi and write in Devanagari, but also speak Awadhi in"
"and lead in every sector. Brahmin and Chhetri women have experienced less social and economic mobility compared to Newari women. Specifically, Brahmin women experience less equality due to their predominately rural living conditions which deprives them of access to certain educational and healthcare benefits. Bahun and Chhetri castes form the historical topmost state elites' circle with the significant majority of leadership in executive, legislative, judicial, constitutional, local administrative bodies, bureaucracy, political parties and social organizations. Hindu varna system highlights these castes as ""high castes"" and makes them favorable in higher social status due to favorable social norms, values, and laws."
"In the social hierarchy of Rajasthan, they are placed in the middle of the higher castes and the Harijans. They follow endogamy with clan exogamy. In Bengal Kumhars are one among the ceremonially pure castes. The Jagannathia Kumhars of Orissa, who provide vessels for the rice distribution in Jagannath temple, have much higher rank in the society than the Kumhars of Central India. The Kannuaja Kumhars are considered to be a Shudra caste in both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Although they sometimes use the term ""Pandit"" with their names, they do so as a suffix rather than prefixing it in"
"Jain Bunt The Jain Bunt are a Jain community from Karnataka, India. They are traditionally defined as a subdivision of the Bunt community. It is believed that the Jain Bunts also have the highest per capita income in India. They have a feudal and martial heritage, and many erstwhile royalty of the Tulu Nadu region were Jain Bunts. Some Jain Bunts are hereditary trustees and administrators of Hindu Temples, an example being at the Dharmasthala Temple, whose hereditary administrators are the Pergade family. Achieving moksha or liberation is the highest goal of life for the Jains. Jain monastics and renouncers"
"closer to the mainstream North-Indian Hindu virtues in comparison to other Newars). They have also maintained their higher-status through dining restrictions, as they do not partake cooked rice from the hands of anyone except their Chatharīya-status clans and/or the Brāhmans, suggesting their higher-caste status than all other Newars. The Pāñchthariyas, although are lower in rank to the Chatharīyas, nonetheless have socio-cultural and religious affinities with them and as the chief materially-endowed trading caste group, enjoy a considerable position of high-status in the eyes of other Newar castes. Both the Srēṣṭha caste groups are traditionally Hindus, often termed as Sivamargi in"
"caste system across religions. A lawyer named Sabu Thomas filed a petition to have the book published without the last chapter, which had graphic description of sexual acts between members of different castes. Thomas claimed the alleged obscenity in the last chapter deeply hurts the Syrian Christian community, the basis of the novel. Caste system in India The caste system in India is the paradigmatic ethnographic example of caste. It has origins in ancient India, and was transformed by various ruling elites in medieval, early-modern, and modern India, especially the Mughal Empire and the British Raj. It is today the"
"Priestly caste The priestly caste is a social group responsible for officiating over sacrifices and leading prayers or other religious functions, particularly in nomadic and tribal societies. In some cases, as with the Brahmins of Vedic India and the Kohanim and Levites of ancient Israel, the caste was a hereditary one, with a person's position as a priest depending on his biological descent. Zoroastrianism also has a hereditary priesthood, as does Alevism, Yezidism and Yarsanism. In Sufism, the spiritual guide is also often a hereditary leader, while the Sayyids of India, who claim descent from the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, have"