What are the difference castes in India?

Answer 1

Although Mahatma Gandhi tried to outlaw castes, these social classes have a very long history in India. In Hindu tradition, you were born into a particular social class, and could only leave it by observing your religious duty (your dharma) during your life, at which time, you would be reincarnated into a higher caste. The four castes were: the Brahmins (top caste, making up the elite and most educated in India); kshatriyas (soldiers or military); vaisyas (merchants and businesspeople) and shudras (laborers). Below them all were the lowest of the low, the Untouchables (today called Dalits); they often were given the most menial jobs, such as cleaning toilets or sorting garbage.

For centuries, only the Brahmins were considered worthy of a good education and a leadership role in society. On the other hand, the untouchables were not only given dirty jobs: they themselves were considered unclean, such that upper class people would not touch them or eat with them or even be in the same general proximity. While Gandhi and others made sincere efforts to improve the life of the Untouchables, to this day, there are still Hindus who regard them as unclean and will not be near them. But on the other hand, the good news is that today, some of the rigidity of the Caste System has indeed broken down. This is thanks to making education more widely available, and also to the impact of globalization on India: there is a new and thriving middle class, and not all of its members are from an elite background. In fact, in certain parts of India today (especially big cities), we do see more social mobility, even for women, who have historically faced cultural discrimination. But it should be noted that the social classes do still persist, as do stereotypes that members of these classes still have about those who are lower on the societal ladder than they are.