Caste System

Examples of Caste System in the following topics:

• The Caste System

  • A caste system developed among Indo-Aryans of the Vedic Period, splitting society into four major groups.
  • These distinct gender roles may have contributed to the social stratification of the caste system.
  • The caste system that influenced the social structure of Aryan India has been maintained to some degree into modern-day India.
  • The caste system survived for over two millennia, becoming one of the basic features of traditional Hindu society.
  • The Rig-Veda influenced the development of the patriarchal society and the caste systems in Aryan India.

• The Vedas

  • The Caste System, or groups based on birth or employment status, has been part of the social fabric of the Indian Subcontinent since ancient times.
  • The passage describing the classes of people derived from the sacrifice of Purusha is the first indication of a caste system.
  • Today the castes still exist in the form of varna, or class system, based on the original four castes described in the Vedas.
  • The caste system as it exists today is thought to be a product of developments following the collapse of British colonial rule in India.
  • During his appearances Gandhi frequently spoke out against the discrimination of the Indian caste system.

• River Valley Civilizations

  • The first civilizations formed in river valleys, and were characterized by a caste system and a strong government that controlled water access and resources.
  • This system of government arises through the need for flood control and irrigation, which requires central coordination and a specialized bureaucracy.
  • This political structure is commonly characterized by a system of hierarchy and control based around class or caste.

• The Sramana Movement

  • Brahmin is a caste, or social group, in Vedic Hinduism consisting of priests and teachers who are held as intermediaries between deities and followers.
  • As it spread, this new Hinduism assimilated popular non-Vedic gods and other traditions from local cultures, as well as the integrated societal divisions, called the caste system.

• The Rise of Hinduism

  • As it spread, this new Hinduism assimilated popular non-Vedic gods and other traditions from local cultures, and integrated societal divisions, called the caste system.

• Advancements Under the Shang

  • During the Shang Dynasty, bronze casting became more sophisticated.
  • The Shang ruled China during its Bronze Age; perhaps the most important technology at the time was bronze casting.
  • The Shang cast bronze objects by creating molds out of clay, carving a design into the clay, and then pouring molten bronze into the mold.

• Zoroastrianism

  • Leading characteristics, such as messianism, heaven and hell, and free will are said to have influenced other religious systems, including Second Temple Judaism, Gnosticism, Christianity, and Islam.
  • The roots of Zoroastrianism are thought to have emerged from a common prehistoric Indo-Iranian religious system dating back to the early 2nd millennium BCE.
  • According to Herodotus i.101, the Magi were the sixth tribe of the Medians (until the unification of the Persian empire under Cyrus the Great, all Iranians were referred to as "Mede" or "Mada" by the peoples of the Ancient World), who appear to have been the priestly caste of the Mesopotamian-influenced branch of Zoroastrianism today known as Zurvanism, and who wielded considerable influence at the courts of the Median emperors.

• Art Under the Zhou Dynasty

  • Chinese script cast onto bronzeware, such as bells and cauldrons, carried over from the Shang Dynasty into the Zhou; it showed continued changes in style over time, and by region.
  • The casting process itself was improved by a new technique, called the lost wax method of production.
  • This example of bronze inscription was cast on the Song ding, ca. 800 BCE.

• Genghis Khan

  • The first great khan was able to grasp power over such varied populations through bloody siege warfare and elaborate spy systems, which allowed him to better understand his enemy.
  • Many times Jewish kosher traditions and Muslim halal traditions were also cast aside in favor of Mongol dining and social customs.

• The Fall of Constantinople

  • With the theme system a thing of the past, the emperors had to rely on foreign mercenaries to supply troops, but these soldiers-for-hire were not always reliable.
  • The last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, was last seen casting off his imperial regalia and throwing himself into hand-to-hand combat after the walls of the city were taken.