Final answer:
The four varnas of Hinduism originated with the ancient Aryan peoples in India and were first described in the Vedas. The classes include the Brahmins, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra, defined by one's profession and adherence to dharma, evolving into a rigid birth-based system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The four classes, or varnas, of Hinduism, originate from the ancient Aryan peoples who arrived in India around the third millennium BCE, and their traditions eventually developed into what is known today as Hinduism. These classes were part of a caste system, detailed in the Hindu scriptures known as the Vedas, specifically the Rig Veda, which tells of a primordial being named Purusha whose body parts became the different classes. The four major varnas are the Brahmins (priests and scholars), Kshatriya (warriors and rulers), Vaishya (merchants and farmers), and Shudra (servants and laborers).
According to these traditions, a person's varna was initially determined by their profession and by their adherence to dharma and the karma they accrued. Over time, the caste system became more rigid, with one's varna being determined by birth, and this system was maintained through religious sanctions. This societal structure had deep roots in Hindu beliefs about karma and reincarnation.