What is the definition and importance of caste system in ancient India?

Caste system In ancient India, a strict caste system was implemented. The caste system mainly exists in Hinduism, which has different degrees of influence on Islam and Sikhism.

In ancient India, because India was a slave society at that time, * * * had four classes, namely:

Brahmins (mainly responsible for religious ceremonies) serve as priests at different levels. Some of them participate in politics and enjoy great political power)

Khrushchev (level of military and political power)

Vedas (civilians, engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry and commerce)

Sudra (engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, hunting and other occupations that were considered low at that time, and some of them lost their means of production and became employees or even slaves).

This is because Brahmanism advocates the supremacy of Brahman caste, saying that Brahma made Brahma with his mouth, Kashatri with his hands, Vedas with his legs, and sudra with his feet, and stipulated social occupations for them, which will never change. Ethnic groups are not allowed to marry, and people at the lower level are not allowed to engage in occupations at the upper level. This strict hierarchy is regarded as a symbol of ancient Indian civilization, just as the hanging garden in ancient Babylon is a symbol of ancient Babylonian civilization. Brahman Brahman, as the first rank, has a head honor in society; All other ranks of Khshatriya, including the king, should respect and be polite to Borneo. Brahmins are composed of clan nobles who are in charge of religious sacrifices. They will become priests of Brahmanism in the future, and they can also manage other industries, but they just talk and don't do it, that is, as owners and management leaders. They not only monopolized religious and cultural rights, but also participated in the rule. They often served as advisers to the king, using divination, chanting and other magic to influence the king's actions, and even went out with the army. Brahmins own a lot of land and slaves. In addition to these exploitative incomes, Brahmans' formal supplementary income is to receive alms. Charity from kings and nobles is actually the distribution of war gains and state taxes by the ruling class, which is often manifested as a large number of gifts. Brahmins are also the richest class. Kshatriya

As the second level, Khrushchev is composed of the royal family and the military administrative aristocratic group, who are regarded as the arms of society, that is, the people who are in charge of the state machine by the ruling class. In theory, Brahman is superior to Khrushchev, but as the highest system

The ruler's king belongs to Khrushchev hierarchy, which inevitably leads to the confrontation between the two castes. Therefore, some documents also say that Khrushchev is superior to Brahmins, but it is only a minority. This struggle is sometimes ideological.

Cultural expression. Khrushchev, like Brahmins, is a ruling class with a large number of land and slaves, and even richer than Brahmins, because war plunder and national income are directly occupied by them. Vaisya

The third-class Veda is the provider and supplier of the whole society, which means to feed the workers, peasants and working people of the whole society. Vedas were originally composed of members of Aryan general communes, and later they were used to include those engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, industry and commerce.

Ordinary people. Due to the polarization of small producers, there has also been a polarization between the rich and the poor, and some people in the Vedas have become rich and even engaged in usury activities. Under the rule of Brahman and Khrushchev, Vedas have no political rights at all, only

Duty to pay taxes, serve and support rulers. But compared with the fourth stage,

They still have a high social status. According to the theory of Brahmanism, Vedas, Khrushchev and Brahmins all belong to high castes and can be reincarnated as human beings after death, so they are called rebirth. Sudra in the fourth grade is a non-renewable family, so

Vedas can participate in religious sacrifices hosted by Brahmins and listen to teachings, but sudra can never. In fact, the boundary between regeneration and non-regeneration was formed in the past by Aryans and conquered aliens, members of Aryan commune and non-commune.

However, the judge has other reactions. A member of sudra.

Sudra is the fourth grade, which refers to the working people at the bottom of society. They were originally composed of conquered non-Aryans, and later included Aryans who fell to the bottom for various reasons. he

Children have lost all their political, legal and religious rights and are in a humble position without protection and injustice. They engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, hunting, and all kinds of occupations that were regarded as lowly at that time, and a few of them went it alone.

Craftsmen, but most of them become servants and slaves. Sudra, as the lowest rank, has almost the same status as slaves, and some of them are slaves. Once the caste system is fixed, all classes of occupations cannot

Change it at will. In principle, marriage between different castes is prohibited. The essence of the caste system is to protect the privileged position of the upper caste. Through religion, law, social customs and other means, it put a sacred and noble aura on Brahma and Khrushchev's two ruling classes, Varna, and let the Vedas and sudra support and serve them. Because the caste system became more and more serious in the later period, it has always been a heavy yoke of the Indian people. History and the formal caste system have a history of more than 3,000 years, which began to sprout as early as the end of primitive society. Later, in the process of class differentiation and slavery, the division of labor in primitive society became hierarchical and fixed, and gradually formed a strict caste system.

Caste is hereditary. For thousands of years, the caste system has had a profound impact on people's daily life and customs, and racial discrimination has not been eliminated, especially in the vast rural areas.

After independence, the Indian government has taken many measures to eliminate caste discrimination. The first is to formulate relevant laws and regulations. 1948, the National Assembly passed a bill to abolish the caste system. Later, the constitution and state laws also made corresponding provisions to protect the interests of the lower castes. The government has also provided a lot of help to the lower castes in education, employment and welfare.

With the progress of society, India's caste system is also changing. For example, the internal marriage system in the caste system has been hit. For example, women with high castes are now married to men with low castes. People's views on occupation have also changed, and the measurement of occupation rank is no longer based on religious thought, but on money and power. In the city, people of all surnames have strengthened exchanges and contacts.