India Caste System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

India Caste System - Essay Example The Viashyas were merchants, farmers, carpenters while the Shudras were the tenant farmers, laborious. Towards the edge of the hierarchy were the untouchables’. The untouchables considered outcasts practiced activities such as scavenging and animal skinning. The untouchable activities were considered unclean and polluting. They were to be far away from other castes. For instance, if their shadows were within the visibility of the Brahmans then the Brahmans would be polluted. The Hindu laws insisted on only four castes excluding the untouchables and they would face criminal charges by their polluting presence. The Brahmans were allowed to give their food to people of other castes but would not be given food from other castes. This would be considered pollution. These barriers limited interactions (Singh 35). The caste systems shared some commonalities. For instant the castes were hereditary. Individual born in a particular caste belonged to that very caste and it was impossible to shift to other castes. Another commonality was that the systems were endogamous. Marriage was only acceptable between those of the same caste (Singh 34). Below the Varnas was the sub castes referred to as Jatis. Each Jati comprised of people of the same occupation. A person born from a particular Jati is a member of that Jati by the virtue of birth (Singh 35). The elements of the castes are hierarchical, hereditary and repulsion. The hierarchical element discourages and does not accommodate the rise of status of a group and mixture of occupation. There are rule that India caste system impose that if not adhered to may result into one status being lowered form one caste system to another. The most vital characteristic is endogamy and occupation restriction. Violation of the above rules results in excommunication from the family as well as caste. Another restriction is on diet and food habits of the members. According to castes only certain foods would be