The Indian Caste System

The Indian word for caste is jati, which means a large kin-community or descent-group. The word "caste" comes from the Portuguese casta (breed or race). The Sanskrit word applied to these groupings is varna, which means several things but is often interpreted to signify color. In a verse from the first millennium epic, the Mahabharata, Brigu, the sage explains: "The brahmans are fair, the ksatriyas are reddish, the vaisyas yellow and the sudras are black" (Huttton). In this essay I look at how the caste system existed in ancient India and how it currently exists in modern India. …