Twain Ashley A.

Del Rosario
Grade 11- Optimistic (HUMSS)

“Is Nobility applicable to Caste System in India”

Much of what the western world knows about the caste system in India happens to
be seen in a negative light. Information on how the castes have been developed and
continue to work is highly misinterpreted and misunderstood. Although it is an essential
element of the Hindu Religion (Sanatan Dharma), much of it has been painted in a bad light
throughout the ages. To understand this setup of the original system, one has to look back
into history. Nobility is a social class normally ranked immediately under royalty and found
in Caste System in India. This advances knowledge of how the structure of the caste has
been developed and how it has evolved further and how nobility is being portrayed in its
structure.

India has been under the spell of the evil caste system since centuries. This system
finds its roots in the ancient times and has undergone change over the time. The rulers of
medieval, early modern and modern India molded it to suit their convenience. Those
belonging to the higher castes were treated with high regard and those from the lower caste
were looked down upon all along.

The first school of thought is

based on the ideological factors and
as per this, caste system finds its base
in four Varnas. The perspective
formed centuries ago was especially
common among the scholars from the
British colonial era. This school
of thought categorizes people based
on their class. There are basically 5
classes Brahmins (teachers/priests) ,
Kshatriyas (kings/warriors), Vaishyas
(traders) and K Shudras
(laborers/servants)and the Dalit
(Untouchables).
As per Hindu theologians, it is said that this system came into being with the Hindu
God Brahma who is known as the creator of the universe. As per this theory, the people
who hold the highest stature in the society that is the priests and teachers came from
Brahma’s head, the ones from the second category were the warriors who came from God’s
arm, those belonging to the third category, that is, the traders and merchants came from
God’s thighs and the peasants and workers, that is, those belonging to the lowest category
came from Brahma’s feet.

It is said that Aryans introduced this system in order to control the local population
at that time. In order to make things systematic, they defined main roles and assigned them
 Twain Ashley A. Del Rosario
Grade 11- Optimistic (HUMSS)

to groups of people. However, in the 20th century, this theory was dismissed as it was
stated that Aryans never invaded the country.
The system bestowed many privileges on the upper castes while at the same time
sanctioning privileged groups to repress the lower castes.Criticized often for being unequal
and regressive, for years it remained basically unchanged, trapping people in static social
orders from which it was impossible to escape. Caste system has had a strong hold in India
and continues to do so. Today, this system has become the basis of reservation in education
and jobs. Due to political reasons where castes constitute vote banks for parties; the
reservation system is still intact in the country.

Nevertheless, despite the obstacles, some Dalits as well as other low-caste Indians,
such as BR Ambedkar, who published the Indian constitution, and KR Narayanan, who
became the first Dalit president of the nation, however risen to hold prestigious roles in the
country.

Over the years, the term has undergone several shifts, and is not as strict as it was
in the earlier times. However, it still impacts the religious, social and political lives of the
people in the country.