Essay on Caste System in India

Essay on the Caste System in India! Find high quality essays on the ‘Caste System in India’ especially written for school, college and university students. These essays will also guide you to learn about the origin, government reforms, types, implications, law, reservation system and negative effects of caste system in India.

The caste system in India is defined as the identification of a person as to from which family he belongs to. Since centuries, the caste system in India has been the basis of division among the Hindus. But, how has it affected society as a whole? Or how has it evolved over time is something which the students should definitely know about.

There are positives and negatives of everything including the caste system in India which should be known to the students. Therefore, we have come up with long essays for students along with some short essays so as to give them an insight on this ancient system of division of the society, prevalent even today.

Audience: The below given essays are exclusively written for school students (Class 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 Standard) and college students. Furthermore, those students preparing for competitive exams like IAS, IPS and UPSC can also increase their knowledge by studying these essays.

List of Essays on Caste System in India

Essay on Caste System in India – For Children (Essay 1 – 250 Words)

The caste system in India is one of the world’s oldest form of social stratification that is still surviving. Originally, the caste depended on a person’s work but it soon changed to hereditary. The caste system in India has been modified and evolved over the centuries by the rulers and those in power. There was a significant change in the caste system in India during the Mughal Raj and the British Rule. Although four primary castes were defined by Vedas – Brahmins, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Shudra, there are thousands of sub-castes and communities within the Indian society.

Independent India has banned any discrimination based on caste and in an attempt to correct the previous injustices against traditionally disadvantaged, the government has announced quotas in government jobs and educational institutions. It was meant to support scheduled castes and tribes but now it has transformed into a whole different issue. Many communities are fighting and protesting violently to be recognized as OBCs. And even though most of such communities are prospering, they still want the caste quota by claiming that they are poor and suffering.

This problem is exacerbated by politicians and media. During the times of election, politicians woo a particular caste block by offering them certain benefits and such. Even though, the support to unprivileged was necessary, it has now become a vote-grabbing exercise for politicians and a short-cut to gain quotas for some communities. Caste system in India has simply become a system to gain reservation and benefits when people are acquiring education or applying for jobs.

Essay on Caste System in India – Short Essay on the Caste System in India (Essay 2 – 300 Words)

Caste System in India came into existence in the period of ancient times and it still holds a sturdy base in the Indian society. On the other hand, the Caste system in India might not be incorrect to tell that the mentality of people is also changing with the passing time.

People who are living in the urban areas that comprise of an educated section are overcoming the firm caste system in India that was established eras back. The modifications in our laws have also transformed our old Indian society into a modern one.

Law against Caste System in India:

The caste system in India was always criticized by everybody and numerous people volunteer to battle against it, however, such effort could not shake the base of this evil system. After India got freedom from the British, the constitution of India declared to place a prohibition on discrimination over the basis of the caste system in India. It was a clear and loud message to all such people who mistreated the lower caste people.

Introduction of the Reservation System:

The formation of law against the caste system in India was a smart step but one more decision i.e., introduction of the quota or the reservation system has shown to be damaging for our modern Indian society. In such a system, there are reserved seats for the lower caste people in the government jobs and in the education sector. Such type of system was introduced to raise the backward class’ standard of living.

But, it has turned into a reason of great worry in modern India. Owing to this quota system, numerous times the worthy contenders from the general group do not have an employment opportunity whereas the applicants from the scheduled tribe or scheduled caste acquire the same without being enough capable or skilled.

Conclusion:

The system of the caste system in India has already spoiled the image of the nation on various international levels. The caste system in India must be totally abolished in modern India for the country to prosperous growth and development.

Essay on Caste System in India – For School Students (Class 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 Standard) (Essay 3 – 400 Words)

Introduction:

One of the ugliest words of human races is Caste. Caste system in India is one of the unjustifiable acts of our ancestors. Caste system in India appeared in the Vedic ages itself and distinguished people based on their tribe, region, class, and religion. It is very similar to the concept of racism in Western Countries. Caste System is a huge hindrance to the development of a country and it stops a country from becoming an absolute empowered entity.

Meaning & Origin:

Jati or Varna are the two terms alternatively used in the place of Caste, which merely enhances the cruelty of the word usage. The four major hereditary castes prevalent in India are Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra. The scholars and the priests form the top most in this structure and are termed Brahmins. Kshatriyas are soldiers and political leaders while the Vaisya and Sudra’s are the merchants and servants respectively. They even had a sect of people not categorized in any of these called untouchables who were mostly janitors.

Negative Effects of Caste System in India:

Some of the negative impacts of the caste system earlier were that not all people can access the temple, take water from wells, and eat with lower caste people. Modern India still has the impacts but in a different way whereby occupation of a certain family is carried down and mobilizes the other sect of people to pick up jobs in that Job family. Inter-caste marriages and honor killings have become common. National development has gone downhill since Caste System still exists in India.

Government Reforms:

The upper castes usually treated the lower castes people as their slaves and mostly occupied the higher positions in all the institutions.To rectify the past unfairness effects of the Caste System in India, Government has introduced quotas and reservation systems thereby giving access to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to help them ramp up to positions that matter. Discrimination based on Caste System is a crime.

Conclusion:

It is a common say that Caste System in India would’ve long gone if the politicians didn’t fan it up for their conveniences. Despite many reforms and government regulations it is unfortunate that caste system in India still exists. We as citizens must take cautious steps and uphold discrimination as a serious offense. Equality of human race regardless of their gender, tribe, race, colour and the Job they do is a must. Whilst we look out to human kind for the paradigm shift, it is necessary stricter rules apply when inequality shows up.

Essay on Caste System in India – Introduction, Types, Effects and Conclusion (Essay 4 – 550 Words)

Introduction:

Caste system in India is a huge hindrance to the development of our country. During British rule, millions of lives were lost in the struggle for freedom, only to establish a society of equality. But their efforts seem fruitless due to the divide caused by caste system in India. Caste system in India is derived from the ancient Varna system. Varna means colours and denotes various races of people. As India is a country of many races having their own language, customs, traditions and dressing, caste system in India was introduced to celebrate the differences between castes and eliminate discrimination. However, the caste system in India only established a complete divide between each caste.

Different Types of Castes in India:

Initially caste system in India was based on the work a person did. Priests in the temples were called Brahmins and regarded highly in the society as they were close to God in work. Secondly, those who were involved in ruling the country, chiefs of army and warriors were called Kshatriyas and regarded next to Brahmins.

Caste system in India defined a third class of people called Vaishyas who were tradesmen, artists and farmers and made up the business class of the society. Below them came the Shudras, people who did manual work and were called labourers. There was a class even below Shudras, the Dalits which referred to people who did cleaning works.

Due to caste system in India, Dalits were regarded as untouchables by the other four castes. Since the kind of work done by a person determined his status in the society, as time went by, a priest’s son became a priest, a king’s son became the next ruler and so on and even before anybody realized, caste system in India was firmly established.

People retained the work line of their older generations to retain their identity in the society. Finally, caste system in India divided people into different classes of status and nobody could move up a class or down a class. It became hereditary and a child was labelled with the caste of his parents’ right at birth.

Effects of Caste System in India:

Caste system in India totally eliminated the freedom of choice of occupation and every person was forced to take up the occupation of his family. Its workings are against that of a democracy which preaches equal rights and opportunities to all while caste system in India inflicts discrimination based on status. Inter-caste marriages were considered immoral and unholy and even punished by death.

Marrying with sub-castes was also not allowed. This resulted in poor health of descendants as marrying within the family or with close relatives led to children being born with immunity disorders. Untouchability came into practise due to caste system in India.

Conclusion:

Caste system in India is still prevalent; however, today the impact of caste has diminished subsequently due to education and modernization of the society. People of different castes live side-by-side and inter-caste marriages are encouraged and have become a norm. Still it is necessary that caste system in India is fully abolished in papers and in the minds of people to truly realize and experience democracy in the country. This is possible only when the educated members of the society join hands in denouncing orthodox beliefs that have been passed down from generation to generation and take measures against the caste system in India.

Essay on Caste System in India – Origin, Implications and Solution (Essay 5 – 600 Words)

The origin of caste system in India can be traced back to the ancient times, more importantly the Mughal Empire. It is hard to pinpoint a specific era wherein the caste system in India became prevalent but it has been mostly seen that just when the Mughal era began to collapse, there was a strata of the society who rose to power and they started this segregation of people into several caste. The British rule farther strengthened the principle of caste system in India and thereby led to this vice getting a strong grip in the Indian society.

Let us check out more details pertaining to the caste system in India.

What is the caste system in India?

The caste system in India essentially refers to segregation of people on the basis of their race, lineage and breed. Therefore, this is the form of segregation wherein people are positioned not on the basis of talent or merit rather by their birth and descent.

The Origin of the Caste System in India:

There are different theories with regards to the origin of caste system in India. Some people believe that the caste system can be traced back to the divine origin. It is also perceived as an extension of the varna system because there are 4 varnas which are:

Brahmins – the top class

The Kshatriyas – the warrior section

The Vaishyas – the traders

The Shudras– the lowest caste

As it is believed that Shudras were made from Lord Brahma’s feet, they were designated to serve others and so they were not allowed to be at par with people of other caste.

Further, the segregation was also done on the basis of occupation. People who were employed doing dirty and filthy jobs were hailed to be untouchables and they were segregated from the upper caste and labelled to be the ones belonging to lower caste.

The Implications of Caste System in India:

There were several implications of the caste system in India. As per the dogma of the caste system, people hailing from the lower caste could only marry within their caste. They were not allowed access to temples and other religious buildings. At the same time, there was also restriction on their use of food and drinks. They were not allowed to touch the same vessels as the ones used by the members of the upper caste. It was believed that if a person from the lower caste would touch a vessel, the food would become polluted.

The treatment met out to members of the lower caste was so harsh that it led to scholars fighting for the need of reforms.

The Solution:

There were a lot of scholars who put forth their voice against the caste system in India. They fought for the need of reforms. Raja Ram Mohan Roy and even Mahatma Gandhi were phenomenal in their work. It is believed that it was with the right awareness that things started taking a turn for the good.

However, we are far away from reaching the state of equality. Even today, the fighting for the need of reforms still needs to go on.

Caste system in India still has its root firmly set. The lower segment of the society does not have easy access to all the facilities and they cannot walk with their head held high. It is important to create education and awareness campaign because such vices can cripple not just the society but the nation as a whole.

The youth needs to understand the futility of the concept behind the caste system in India and come forth with the right ideas to eradicate the problem once and for all.

Essay on Caste System in India – For College and University Students (Essay 6 – 800 Words)

The caste system in India has been prevalent in Hindus since ancient times. In fact, it has remained the main basis of division of the society and now is the main basis for reservation in education and jobs as well. But who laid down the principles of the caste system in India and what is it that this system has been followed as it is for centuries?

History of Caste System in India:

Early available evidence about the caste system in India shows up in the Vedas, Sanskrit-dialect writings from as back as 1500 BC, which is the base on which the Hindu scriptures rest. The Rigveda, from 1700-1100 BC, also makes reference to caste system in India and shows that social division was acceptable. The Bhagavad Gita, dated as back as 200 BC, also mentions the significance of caste. Likewise, the Laws of Manu or Manusmriti from a similar period characterizes the rights and obligations of the four unique castes or varnas. Therefore, it appears that the Hindu castes system in India started to set at some point somewhere in the range of 1000 and 200 BC.

The caste system in India was not an absolute reality during some part of Indian history. For instance, the prestigious Gupta Dynasty, which ruled from 320 to 550 BC, were from the Vaishya rank as opposed to the Kshatriya. Numerous later rulers likewise were from various caste system in India, for example, the Madurai Nayaks (1559-1739) who were Balijas, commonly known as dealers.

Divisions under the Caste system in India:

There are four major divisions of the caste system in India namely, the Brahmins which are considered as the priests, the Kshatriyas who take on the role of warriors and rulers, the Vaishyas who are the farmers, artisans and traders and lastly the Shudras who are servants and tenants.

The Significance of the Caste System in India:

Practices related with the caste system in India changed through time and crosswise over India, however, all have some regular features which are integral to the caste system in India. The three key everyday issues ruled by caste system in India are marriage, religious worship and meals.

Marriage crosswise over different castes was entirely prohibited in earlier times, a great many people even wedded inside their own sub-position or jati, although a lot has been changed now. Similarly, at feast times, anybody could acknowledge meals from the hands of a Brahmin, however, a Brahmin was not allowed to accept a meal from a lower caste. The lower castes, were in fact not allowed to even drain out water from particular wells which were meant for the upper castes. As far as religion, as the Brahmins managed religious ceremonies and other services related to the festivals as well as funerals. The Kshatriya and Vaisya ranks had all the rights to worship, yet in a few spots, Shudras were not permitted to offer their goods in the temples.

The Darker Side – The Untouchables of the Caste System in India:

Although widely it is considered that the Shudra were considered as the untouchables among the caste system in India, the reality, however, is that it was not the case in earlier times. The people who did not follow the social rules or did something which was not acceptable by the society were punished and termed as untouchables. They were considered as impure and were kept out of villages and had to do their chores themselves. They were not even allowed to eat with others and in fact, it is believed that they were not even cremated as per the rituals. However, with time, the untouchables went on to be referred to as the Shudras which created a divide and imbalance in the Hindu culture leading to frequent revolts by the Shudra for the claim to equality with others.

Conclusion:

The caste system in India was originally built in order to divide the society as per the role in the development of the society. However, with time the upper castes started thinking of themselves as the superior ones and look down upon the lower castes with disgrace. But, with changing times, awareness among the people and initiatives by the Government things have started to change. Now, we see a lot many inter-caste and even faith marriages happening which was a prohibited act in earlier times.

Moreover, the Shudras are also allowed to enter the temples and there have been efforts to treat all as equal irrespective of their castes. This is in fact has been guaranteed to us in the Constitution of India as well. However, there are still places where the caste system in India in is practiced blindly and it is only through education that we can spread awareness among the people so as to treat all around them as equal and not to have a bias against person belonging to any particular caste system in India.

Essay on the Caste System in India – Long Essay for Competitive Exams like IAS, IPS and UPSC (Essay 7 – 1000 Words)

Caste System in India: An Overview:

The caste system in India has been dominant since ancient ages. The caste system in India is supposed to be introduced to the Indian society by the Aryans. Even today, both rural and urban areas remain under the spell of the caste system in India. However, the obsession is much more intense in the rural areas.

The caste system in India divides the whole society into many sections. In other words, the caste system in India results in the social stratification of the people. Our ancient Vedas refer to the Chaturvarna system. Here, Chatur means ‘four’ and Varna means ‘color’. So, basically, the caste system in India relies on four main pillars (castes) in the typical Hindu culture.

People were categorized into these four castes depending upon their skin color. From higher to lower status in the society, the four major divisions of the caste system in India are Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra. As stated, Brahmins hold the superior most position in Hindu society whereas Shudras were considered to be the lowest, only above the Dalits.

According to the orthodox rules related to the caste system in India, people belonging to one of the four castes could only opt for a particular set of occupations. For instance, Brahmins were basically involved in the academic and priestly tasks. Kshatriyas were known to become Kings and soldiers.

Trading, farming, and merchant tasks were available to Vaishyas. And lastly, the manual labor was assigned to the Shudras. Dalits were considered so low that they were not even included in the caste system in India and were left with the heinous jobs of manual scavenging.

Factors Flourishing the Caste System in India:

If we look at the factors that have contributed to the caste system in India since the ancient time, the first one happens to be patriarchal mindset and superiority complex of a particular section. This type of caste system in India aided the Kings and priests (religious authorities) to exploit the lower sections and manipulate them to their benefits.

Strict adherence to old customs, traditions, and superstitious beliefs, such as the concept of reincarnation and deeds of past life etc., have played a vital role in nourishing the caste system in India. Even in modern times, such conventional practices exist on a large level in society.

Thanks to our politicians banking on the gullible nature of the Indian public, their political careers and election results thrive on the caste system in India. Indian politics has a significant part in the existence and flourishing of the caste system in India.

Lack of education indirectly strengthens the caste system in India. When people are not well educated, their mindset remains rigid and orthodox. They are never able to develop an inner power to question the unfair practices such as the caste system in India which has been going on for thousands of years.

Perilous Effects of Caste System:

The 18 caste system in India has paralyzed the country in countless ways. First of all, it’s a huge blot on the progressive, democratic, and developing image of India. The caste system in India is also a severe violation of the basic human rights of the citizens of India.

The caste system in India prevents a wholesome and uniform growth of the country. Due to the evil practice of casteism, some sections enjoy a lot of social and economic luxuries whereas other sections struggle for their survival.

Untouchability is one of the many outputs of the caste system in India. It is the most degraded form of human behavior that is practiced in our country. But that is just the tip of the Iceberg. For several years, unreported and unpunished atrocities and killings of the lower castes have been going on.

The unshakable caste system in India is the foundation of honor killings in our society. People are so adamantly attached to their castes that when a couple opts for an inter-caste marriage, their ultimate punishment is death. What a shame!

Even in the job sectors, the caste system in India contributes to so many disparities and partialities when it comes to providing equal opportunities to all the citizens of India. Those occupying high ranks in the offices, do not want people from other castes entering into the system. As a result of the caste system in India, the jobs are given on the basis of caste, not talent.

In the rural areas, the situation is worse. People belonging to lower castes are often stripped of their basic income. Their lands are snatched away from them. Due to the caste system in India, rapes, murders, lynching, and ostracized of particular sections are too common to file a report for.

Counteracting the Caste System in India:

After several amendments in the constitutional rights and resulting influence of human rights, the scenario of the caste system in India is finally changing. Huge credit goes to social reformers like Dr. B R Ambedkar and Raja Ram Mohan Roy. Mahatma Gandhi was also against the practice of untouchability and tried his best to end the caste system in India.

Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes have been given special protection in the legal system of India. Many laws have been created to stop any kind of discrimination on the basis of the caste system in India. The constitution has also abolished the shameful practice of untouchability.

Although it has been a controversial topic, the reservation system has been created for the backward classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes in the education and job sectors to help them progress.

There are acts that make it formidable to employ a person for the job of manual scavenging. To weaken the caste system in India, the constitution states reckless tortures and atrocities against the lower castes as criminal offenses.

To sum up, we can say that, our country is taking honest steps to end the caste system in India. Hopefully, in the coming years, the nation would be able to make a significant amount of progress in this context.