Question

What is the order in which the caste system has changed in India? Place the first development at the top and the most recent developments the bottom

Answer 1

A system of social classes based on birth evolved;

Castes are a prominent part of people's lives, but people may have been able to move around;

Castes are rigid and inflexible; people are born into a caste and cannot leave it;

Discrimination based on caste is determined to be illegal;

*In the future, be sure to add the choices, otherwise you will end up with direct answers to the question that may not match or be helpful, especially if using Connexus.

Answer 2

India's caste system is the system which divides Hindus into hierarchical groups. It is a system which dictated almost every aspect of Hindu social life and religion. Rural communities were set at the bottom castes. Upper and lower castes lived in separated communities, they were only allowed to marry within their group, they did not share water wells, or food and drinks.

The system divided Hindus into four main categories:

Brahmins: they were mainly teachers, and intellectuals.

Kshatriyas: they were warriors and rules.

Vaishyas: they were traders.

Shudras: they were mainly those who did unskilled work.

Even though the Independent India's constitution banned any kind of discriminatory practice based on caste, caste identity still remains strong, and people still associate last names with the status a person belongs to.

In 1950, quotas in jobs and education were given to those belonging to the lower castes, in an attempt to correct the injustices the system had placed. In 1989, quotas were extended to a group called OBC (Other Backward Classes), a group between the lower and the upper classes. In recent years, other communities have demanded to be recognized as OBCs, leading to protests in 2015 and 2016.