Caste System

As the Aryan culture began to develop, some people, such as warriors, started to rise in rank above others, and eventually a caste system was formed with four levels: the Brahmins (priests), the Kshatriyas (warriors), the Vaisya (herders, artisans, and merchants), and the Sudras (farm workers, servants, and laborers). Each level was very rigid, and no one could move between them. Thus, the only way to move up in life was to follow the Vedas very carefully and hope that in reincarnation, that person would be born into a higher level.

Outside of the caste system were the Dalits: people who were sick, foreigners, or lawbreakers. Often they performed the unwanted jobs of others, such as disposing of the dead or skinning hides

Women within the caste system were very restricted and were seen as property. In fact, marriage was called "kidnapping," where the woman was taken from her family to live with the man that claimed her. Depending on caste, sometimes they could also buy her. Once she was placed within the household, her only duty was to raise children. She was always subordinate to her father, husband, and even sons.

Caste Levels

Within the Vedas, historians have been able to learn about the greatest mark of the Aryans: the caste system.

Women and "Untouchables"