https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1UWQoh8hPYG5pOCf4aXhi5STvHqV5OO50RsfJa5K4vqg
Activity
Worksheet
Name: _________________________________ Date___/___/___
The Caste System
The caste system is a system of social stratification, or the ranking of people. It is based on Hindu beliefs and has long been a part of Indian society. Although the Indian constitution banned discrimination on the basis of caste in 1950, the system still influences many people’s lives.
Traditional Indian society rested upon four main varna, or occupational groupings.
• Brahmins, a religious class of priests
• Kshatriyas, a warrior class
• Vaisyas, a class of landowners, merchants and herders
• Sudras, a laboring class of servants, or peasants
The harijans were a group of people outside the caste system known as the “untouchables,” or outcasts. They were not considered one of the varna.
Thousands of subcastes have developed within the four varna. The castes into which people are born affect their occupations, marriage partners, and rights and duties within society. The caste system is an important aspect of belief in Hinduism, India’s primary religion.
1. What is the caste system? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Define VARNA: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What are the four main varna? Draw a pyramid to represent the four varna.
4. What are the harijans? Was it good to be in this group? Why or why not? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. How does the caste system affect the people of India? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
