Revealing the Indian caste system

In recent weeks, large-scale mass protests broke out in India due to caste problems. The "Jat" caste group is dissatisfied with the caste quota system, which is not conducive to the Jat people seeking jobs in government departments and public educational institutions. Violent protests left at least 18 people dead and hundreds injured. How complicated is India’s caste system? The BBC will come with you.

India’s caste system is one of the oldest existing social stratification models in the world.

This system classifies Hindus according to Karma (occupation) and Dharma (belief in Hindi, but obligation here) and puts them into a strict hierarchy. It is generally believed that this system has a history of over 3,000 years.

How did caste come into being?

Manu Code is generally regarded as the most important and authoritative Indian law book, and its writing date can be traced back to at least 1000 years before Jesus was born. The code "recognizes and maintains the caste system as the basis of social order and rules".

The caste system divides Hindus into four classes-Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Many people believe that caste comes from Brahma, the Hindu god of creation.

The highest caste is Brahman, which originated from Brahma’s head. This caste is mostly teachers and intellectuals. The second level is the Khrushchev, which probably originated from Brahma’s arms, mostly warriors and state rulers. The third level is the Vedas, which come from Brahma’s thighs and are mostly composed of businessmen. The lowest caste is sudra, who comes from Brahma’s foot. People of this caste are engaged in all kinds of menial jobs.

The four castes are subdivided into 3000 castes and 25000 sub-castes according to the specific occupations people are engaged in.

In addition to the caste system, there are "untouchables", also known as Dalits or "untouchables".