It is more correct to ask “what were” the castes, as they were extinguished by law in the late 1940s, after India became independent. Castes were a system of social organization that classified people according to skin color and the group they were born into. Castes are believed to have appeared around 3,500 years ago when the Aryan people arrived in what is now India. The first written mention of castes appears in a sacred Hindu book, the Laws of Manu, possibly written between 600 BC and 250 BC “There, caste is defined as a hereditary social group, where people can only marry people of their own group, and which also determines their profession, eating habits, clothing and other things, leading to the formation of a society without social mobility”, says historian Ney Vilela, from Unesp in Bauru (SP). Over time, four main castes were established, as well as the outcasts or “untouchables”, who did not belong to any caste and were the most oppressed in the system (see below). The humanist opposition in the 19th and 20th centuries overthrew this unjust system, which, even when extinct, still influences the country’s society.
Millennial stratification prevented social ascension in India
Brahmins
The caste at the top of the Indian social pyramid was formed by priests, magicians, religious and philosophers – the people in charge of performing sacrifices and sacred rituals. Brahmins represented spiritual and intellectual authority and, according to Hindu mythology, would have been born from the mouth of the god Brahma, considered the representation of the creative force of the Universe.
Xátrias
The second most prestigious caste was that of the warriors, which brought together people with judicial, police and military attributions. The caste also included kings, nobles, civil authorities, feudal lords and those responsible for political and military power. According to Hindu mythology, they would have been born from the right arm of the god Brahma.
Vaishas
It was responsible for the set of economic activities, including agricultural, artisanal, commercial and financial functions. Among them were artisans, cattle ranchers, peasants and merchants (the pacifist leader Mohandas Gandhi belonged to a Vaisha subcaste). Hindu mythology claimed that they would have been born from the thighs of the god Brahma
sudras
The lower caste consisted of serfs, manual workers and domestic servants. Its members were in charge of carrying out all the activities necessary to guarantee the material survival of the community. Hindus believed that Sudras were born from the feet of the god Brahma.
Outcasts
Below the castes and outside this social pyramid, the pariahs or “untouchables” did jobs considered unworthy. Among these “outcastes” were septic tank cleaners, gravediggers, and butchers. Hindus believed that the «untouchables» would not have been born from the god Brahma and, therefore, should be discriminated against