The Caste System Of India

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caste system, though a fifth is sometimes included in this system:

Brahmans,3 the priests, who are charged with ritual functions and the preservation of sacred texts within oral traditions

shatriyas, the warriors and rulers, who are known for physical strength and power

Vaishyas, the agriculturalist-stockbreeders, who focus on the attainment of material wealth. Merchants, artists, and other professions are included here.

Shudras, the servants, are charged with supporting the other three classes

Although servants are mentioned in earlier verses, a reference to the caste of the shudras first appears in a relatively late Rigvedic passage. This famous passage describes the creation of the four castes from the fallen body of Purusha, the Hindu cosmic man.

Although technically outside the caste system, another group called dalits (once referred to as "untouchables") are regarded as lower than the entire caste system.

The first three castes are often referred to by the ...

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