Definition of Caste System

Definition of Caste System

According to Mazumdar & Madan – 'Caste is a closed class' i.e. class refers to people based on property, business, occupation i.e. one can't change his own caste system by can change the class system & can be a member of many classes at the same time. You belong to a caste by birth & can't change it later & one has is follow the set rules & regulations & gets punishment on their violation & one can even be thrown out of his caste. i.e. If one dares to go out of his caste he can never return. In class one may change it with effort like in a illiterate class one can became literate & therefore go over to the literate class i.e. caste is hereditary in nature & once born in a caste one can't change it.

The development of 4 castes took place from is Varnas Varna was not strictly based on birth & one could change his Varna. It was based on "Karma theory" Parashurama became kshatriya by karma from a Brahmin Vishwamitra was a Kshatriya & became Brahmin. This is not allowed in caste system.

According to Herbert Kisley – "Class is a collection of families or group of families bearing a common name which usually denotes or is associated with specific occupation, claiming descent from a mythical ancestor, human or divine, professing to follow the same heredity callings & regarded by those who are competent to give an opinion as forming a single homogenous communities."

According to Charles Coole – "When a class is somewhat strictly hereditary, we may call it a caste."

Ketekar – in his book "History of caste in India' –'Caste is a social group having two characteristics (a) membership is confined to those who are born of members & includes all persons no born (b) the members are forbidden by an inexorable social law to marry outside the group."

E. Blunt - "Caste is an endogamous group bearing a common name, membership of which is hereditary, imposing on its members certain restrictions in the matter of social intercourse, either following a common traditional occupation a claiming a common origin & generally regarded as forming a single homogenous community.