What Are The 4 Social Classes Of India?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The caste system divides Hindus into four main categories –

Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras

. Many believe that the groups originated from Brahma, the Hindu God of creation.

What are the 4 caste in India?

It is referred to frequently in the ancient Indian texts. The four classes were

the Brahmins (priestly people)

, the Kshatriyas (also called Rajanyas, who were rulers, administrators and warriors), the Vaishyas (artisans, merchants, tradesmen and farmers), and Shudras (labouring classes).

What are the social classes in India?

In the system, Hindus are divided up into four classes based on the principle of “varna,” which literally means “color”: the Brahmins (the priestly class); the Kshatriyas

(the ruling, administrative and warrior class); the Vaishyas

(the class of artisans, tradesmen, farmers and merchants); and the Shudras (manual …

What are the 5 social classes of the caste system?

The caste system is basically a way of dividing people into different social classes, beginning with Brahmins as the highest (Priests and teachers), Kshatriyas (warriors and rulers),

Vaisyas (farmers, merchants, and artisans)

, and Sudras (laborers); see Figure 1.

How many castes are there?

Sr. No. State/Union Territory Number of Castes 9 Himachal Pradesh 57 10 Jammu and Kashmir 13 11 Jharkhand 22 12 Karnataka

101

What are the 5 social classes in India?

  • Upper Class – Elite.
  • Upper Middle Class.
  • Lower Middle Class.
  • Working Class.
  • Poor.

What are the 4 levels of the caste system?

The caste system divides Hindus into four main categories –

Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras

. Many believe that the groups originated from Brahma, the Hindu God of creation.

What is the OBC category?

Other Backward Class (OBC) is a collective term used by the Government of

India to classify castes which are educationally or socially disadvantaged

. It is one of several official classifications of the population of India, along with General Class, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SCs and STs).

How many caste are there in India?

The Indian constitution, in Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 lists

1,108 castes

across 25 states in its First Schedule, while the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 lists 744 tribes across 22 states in its First Schedule.

What are jatis Class 7?

Jati or caste

established a social hierarchy

. Ranking of a person in the society was determined by the caste to which he/she belonged. On the basis of jatis, jati panchayats were formed. Jati panchayats had the responsibility to control the conduct of their members as per the rules framed by them.

Are Brahmins a single homogenous group?

While

all Brahmins belong to the same varna

, they certainly do not belong to the same jati. Brahmins were divided into numerous communities, of variable hierarchy, who did not intermarry. The earliest division was on the basis of which Veda they were responsible for memorising.

Which is the richest caste in India?

  • Sikh. …
  • Kayasth. …
  • Brahmin. …
  • Banias. …
  • Punjabi Khatri. …
  • Sindhi. …
  • Rajput. The Rajput group is typical of India’s ancient warrior or Kshatriya category. …
  • Christians. Christianity is the country’s wealthiest faith.

What are the 3 most important pillars of Indian life?


The village, the caste system, and the family

are considered the three pillars of Indian society. Historically, India has been comprised of small villages that had autonomy, or the right to self-govern.

What are the 5 castes in India?

  • Brahmins: the priestly caste. After their religious role decreased they became the caste of officialdom.
  • Kshatriya: warrior caste. …
  • Vaisya: the commoner caste. …
  • Sudras: represented the great bulk of the Indian population. …
  • Untouchables: descendants of slaves or prisoners.

Which caste is smallest?

The lowest caste was

the Dalits, the untouchables

, who handled meat and waste, though there is some debate over whether this class existed in antiquity.

Which is largest caste in India?

Share of caste demographics India 2019

The formation of these groups is a result of the historical social structure of the country. As of 2019,

Other Backward Class (OBC)

constituted the largest part of the Indian population accounting for more than 40 percent.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.