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Why did the caste system develop and how was it perpetuated?
- Essay length: 691 words
- Submitted: 29/09/2003
The first 200 words of this essay...
Why did the caste system develop and how was it perpetuated?
In Indian literature there is a natural system of social organization, which can bring about a peaceful society where everyone is happy. This system is described as Varnasrama dharma (Caste System). The caste system was created so that people of all merits and positions could make spiritual and economic advancements in life. The perpetuation of the caste system however was a result of many influences. The two main reasons both derive from the majority religion, even today, in India, Hinduism. The first point is samsara (reincarnation), was one factor that contributed to the continuity of the caste system. The second was kharma (the sum of merits of a person at any given time in their life). These two factors alone may be the only reason the caste system has endured so long in Indian society.
Sometime between 200 B.C. and 100 A.D. the Law of Manu was written. In the Law of Manu the Aryan priests created the great hereditary divisions of society. They ranked themselves at the top, the Brahmins (the priests), followed by the Kshatiyas (the warriors), the Vaisyas (the farmers and merchants),
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