Final answer:
The caste system in India was created by the Aryans and is tied to Hindu religious beliefs. It established a rigid social hierarchy which determined an individual's status at birth. Despite legal dismantling, the effects of the caste system linger, especially in rural India.
Step-by-step explanation:
India's caste system was created by the Aryans. The Aryans, powerful nomadic warriors, appeared in northern India around 1500 BCE and established the caste system by organizing society into separate groups based on profession and social order. The caste system reflected Hindu religious beliefs, ensuring that people performed their proper roles in life based on their actions in past lives. An individual's status within this hierarchical structure was largely determined by birth and remained constant throughout their lifetime. Although the system has been dismantarily dismantled, its influence persists in various aspects of Indian society, particularly in rural areas.
The laws preventing upward mobility protected the privilege of elites, keeping the low-born from escaping a cosmic justice that allowed for a gradual spiritual advancement over a series of lives. Over time, from the four primary castes, the system grew to encompass approximately 3,000 subcastes along with further subdivisions. Despite modern efforts to combat caste discrimination, including the establishment of merit-based hiring by corporations, the legacy of the caste system remains evident.