what are the features of caste system in India
Answers
Answered by
23
The caste features in India as follows
1. Segmental Division of Society:
The society is divided into various small social groups called castes. Each of these castes is a well developed social group, the membership of which is determined by the consideration of birth. The children belong to the caste of their parent .
2. Hierarchy:
Hierarchy is a ladder of command in which the lower rungs are encompassed in the higher ones in regular succession. The castes teach us a fundamental social principle of hierarchy.
Castes form a hierarchy, being arranged in an order of superiority and inferiority. At the top of this hierarchy is the Brahmin caste and at the bott
3. Endogamy:
The most fundamental characteristic of the caste system is endogamy. All the thinkers are of the opinion that the endogamy is the chief characteristic of caste, i.e. the members of a caste or sub-caste should marry within their own caste or sub-caste.
4. Hereditary Status:
Generally speaking, the membership of a caste is determined by birth and the man acquires the status of a caste in which he is born.
5. Hereditary Occupation:
The traditional caste system is characterised by hereditary occupation. Members of a particular caste are expected to follow the occupation meant for the caste. Traditionally a Brahmin was allowed to function as a priest. In some casts the name of caste is dependent upon the very occupation as for instance, Napita (barber), Dhobi, Mochi, Mali etc.
6. Restriction on Food and Drink:
There are rules, for example, what short of food or drink can be accepted by a person and from what castes. Usually a caste would not accept cooked food from any other caste that stands lower than itself in the social scale. A person belonging to a higher caste believes that he gets polluted even by the shadow of a person belonging to the low caste or by accepting food or drink from him.
7. Cultural Difference:
Since each caste has its own set of rules and regulations with regard to endogamy, pollution-purity, occupational specialization, each caste develops its own subculture since the behaviour of the individual is governed by the requirements of his caste. The doctrine says that it is better for a person to follow the ‘dharma’ (religious obligation) of his own caste, no matter how low, than the ‘dharma’ of another caste, no matter how illustrious. The result has been different ‘style of life’ for different castes. “Hence castes are”, to quote Prof. Gharya, “small and complete social worlds in themselves, marked off definitely from one another, though subsisting within the larger society.
8. Social Segregation:
Social segregation is an aspect of caste differentiation. According to Ghurye;
Segregation is more severe in South than in the North. In some parts of the county such as Marathi, Telugu and Kanarese speaking regions it is only the impure castes that are segregated and made to live on the outskirts of villages. In the Tamil and Malayalam regions, very frequently different castes occupy distinctly different quarters or sometime the village is divided into three parts occupied by the dominate caste or by Brahmins, allotted to the Shudras and the third reserved for the Panchamas or untouchables.
9. The Concept of Pollution:
The concept of pollution plays a crucial part in maintaining the required distance between different castes. “A high caste man may not touch a low caste man, let alone accept cooked food and water from him. Where the two castes involved belong to either extreme of the hierarchy, the lower caste man may be required to keep a minimum distance between himself and the high caste man”. The pollution distance varies from caste to caste and from place to place.
10. A Particular Name:
Every caste has a particular name though which we can identify it. Sometimes, an occupation is also associated with a particular caste. We can know the profession or occupation of a caste with the help of the name of the caste.
11. Jati Panchayat:
The status of each caste is carefully protected, not only by caste laws but also by the conventions. These are openly enforced by the community. In every region of India there is a governing body or board called Jati Panchayat. These Panchayats in different regions and castes are named in a particular fashion such as Kuldriya in Madhya Pradesh and Jokhila in South Rajasthan. Some of the offences dealt with by it are adultery, violation of any of the prescribed taboos, the killing of sacred animals (the cow), insulting a Brahmin and the punishments awarded are outcasting, fines, feasts to be given to the caste men etc.
12. Taboo:
Another important characteristic of the caste system is the taboo (prohibition) by which the superior castes try to preserve their ceremonial purity and endeavour to neutralize the potentialities for evils believed to exist in every person. These potentialities are supposed to be more active and harmful to others at certain crises of life.
1. Segmental Division of Society:
The society is divided into various small social groups called castes. Each of these castes is a well developed social group, the membership of which is determined by the consideration of birth. The children belong to the caste of their parent .
2. Hierarchy:
Hierarchy is a ladder of command in which the lower rungs are encompassed in the higher ones in regular succession. The castes teach us a fundamental social principle of hierarchy.
Castes form a hierarchy, being arranged in an order of superiority and inferiority. At the top of this hierarchy is the Brahmin caste and at the bott
3. Endogamy:
The most fundamental characteristic of the caste system is endogamy. All the thinkers are of the opinion that the endogamy is the chief characteristic of caste, i.e. the members of a caste or sub-caste should marry within their own caste or sub-caste.
4. Hereditary Status:
Generally speaking, the membership of a caste is determined by birth and the man acquires the status of a caste in which he is born.
5. Hereditary Occupation:
The traditional caste system is characterised by hereditary occupation. Members of a particular caste are expected to follow the occupation meant for the caste. Traditionally a Brahmin was allowed to function as a priest. In some casts the name of caste is dependent upon the very occupation as for instance, Napita (barber), Dhobi, Mochi, Mali etc.
6. Restriction on Food and Drink:
There are rules, for example, what short of food or drink can be accepted by a person and from what castes. Usually a caste would not accept cooked food from any other caste that stands lower than itself in the social scale. A person belonging to a higher caste believes that he gets polluted even by the shadow of a person belonging to the low caste or by accepting food or drink from him.
7. Cultural Difference:
Since each caste has its own set of rules and regulations with regard to endogamy, pollution-purity, occupational specialization, each caste develops its own subculture since the behaviour of the individual is governed by the requirements of his caste. The doctrine says that it is better for a person to follow the ‘dharma’ (religious obligation) of his own caste, no matter how low, than the ‘dharma’ of another caste, no matter how illustrious. The result has been different ‘style of life’ for different castes. “Hence castes are”, to quote Prof. Gharya, “small and complete social worlds in themselves, marked off definitely from one another, though subsisting within the larger society.
8. Social Segregation:
Social segregation is an aspect of caste differentiation. According to Ghurye;
Segregation is more severe in South than in the North. In some parts of the county such as Marathi, Telugu and Kanarese speaking regions it is only the impure castes that are segregated and made to live on the outskirts of villages. In the Tamil and Malayalam regions, very frequently different castes occupy distinctly different quarters or sometime the village is divided into three parts occupied by the dominate caste or by Brahmins, allotted to the Shudras and the third reserved for the Panchamas or untouchables.
9. The Concept of Pollution:
The concept of pollution plays a crucial part in maintaining the required distance between different castes. “A high caste man may not touch a low caste man, let alone accept cooked food and water from him. Where the two castes involved belong to either extreme of the hierarchy, the lower caste man may be required to keep a minimum distance between himself and the high caste man”. The pollution distance varies from caste to caste and from place to place.
10. A Particular Name:
Every caste has a particular name though which we can identify it. Sometimes, an occupation is also associated with a particular caste. We can know the profession or occupation of a caste with the help of the name of the caste.
11. Jati Panchayat:
The status of each caste is carefully protected, not only by caste laws but also by the conventions. These are openly enforced by the community. In every region of India there is a governing body or board called Jati Panchayat. These Panchayats in different regions and castes are named in a particular fashion such as Kuldriya in Madhya Pradesh and Jokhila in South Rajasthan. Some of the offences dealt with by it are adultery, violation of any of the prescribed taboos, the killing of sacred animals (the cow), insulting a Brahmin and the punishments awarded are outcasting, fines, feasts to be given to the caste men etc.
12. Taboo:
Another important characteristic of the caste system is the taboo (prohibition) by which the superior castes try to preserve their ceremonial purity and endeavour to neutralize the potentialities for evils believed to exist in every person. These potentialities are supposed to be more active and harmful to others at certain crises of life.
pallavi10:
thank you very very very much
Really
thanks
yah you are really genius
oooo
Do not praise so much, I'm crazy
ok
oooook
thanks
Nice
Answered by
12
Heya!!!
The word ‘caste’ is used in everyday life and we use it to distinguish one person from another. We say that such and such person belongs to a particular caste. In saying it we generally mean to convey that he is born of such parents or is a member of the family, said to belong to a particular caste. In this way caste is a hereditary group. In biology this word is used only for descent or heredity. But this definition is inadequate for the purposes of sociology since it requires a more comprehensive and clear definition. Caste may be defined as a hereditary endogamous group which decides the individual’s status in the social stratification and his profession etc.
The word ‘caste’ is used in everyday life and we use it to distinguish one person from another. We say that such and such person belongs to a particular caste. In saying it we generally mean to convey that he is born of such parents or is a member of the family, said to belong to a particular caste. In this way caste is a hereditary group. In biology this word is used only for descent or heredity. But this definition is inadequate for the purposes of sociology since it requires a more comprehensive and clear definition. Caste may be defined as a hereditary endogamous group which decides the individual’s status in the social stratification and his profession etc.
Similar questions