Transcript India’s Caste System

Chapter 9: Ancient India
INDIA’S CASTE SYSTEM
The Aryan Migration: Setting
the stage for Hinduism and
caste.
 Some time around 1900 B.C. the people of the
Indus Valley began to abandon or leave their
cities.
 There may have been a severe drought.
Earthquakes and floods may have caused
starvation.
 Meanwhile, groups who spoke a similar
language, called Aryans, migrated or moved into
India.
 Soon, a new civilization emerged (came into
being).
POP Quiz: Lesson 1
Complete on Page 62 of your
Notebook.
1. Who were the nomads that migrated to
India?
2. List some reasons why people might
migrate, or move from one place to another.
3. Has your family ever moved? Explain why
you moved.
4. Did your move result in a better life? Explain
why or why not.
Learning Targets:
When you finish this lesson, you should have moved up on
these Targets from the What’s the Target sheet in your
Notebook:
I can discuss the significance of Aryan and other tribal
migrations on Indian civilization. SS. 6.W.4.1
I can explain the major belief and practices associated
with Hinduism, Buddhism and the caste system in
ancient India. SS.6.W.4.2.
India’s Caste System
 What is a Caste?
 A social group that someone is born into and
cannot change
 Have you ever felt excluded from a group of
people at one time or another? How did that
make you feel? Why were you excluded?
Rules, rules, rules…
 Being in a caste means that
you have no say in:
 the job you have
 whom you can marry
 who will be your friends
 Nobody in India calls the
system a caste- they call it a
jati.
 Many jati still exist in India’s
society today.
Why was a caste system created?
 Caste systems were probably
created to keep the Aryans in
power.
 Because the Aryans had more
people, they made the caste
system to stay in charge of all the
smaller groups.
 The Aryans could also control
everyone’s behavior and make rules
this way.
 The Districts in the Hunger Games
were like a caste system—everyone
was supposed to stay in their place!
Social Levels of the Caste System
The four social classes of ancient India are called Varnas
(grouped into 4 main categories)
Brahmins
Kshatriyas
Vaisyas
Sudras
Brahmins
(BRAH mihns)
 Top Varna
 Most powerful
 Priests
 Only people who could
perform a religious ceremonies
Kshatriyas
(KSHA tree uhs)
 2nd highest Varna
 Made up of warriors
 Ran the government
and the army
Vaisyas
(VYSH yuhs)
 3rd Varna
 Commoners
 Farmers,
craftspeople, and
merchants
Sudras
(SOO druhs)
 Lowest Varna
 Manual laborers and
servants
 Had very few rights
 Most people in India
belonged to this Varna
The Untouchables
 One group of people did not
belong to any caste.
 Called “the Untouchables,”
they lived a very hard life.
 Collected trash, skinned
animals, handled dead bodies.
 Could not touch other Vedas
 Most people thought living near
an untouchable was bad for
them, so they lived apart from
most of society.
 Had to tap two sticks together
when they traveled so everyone
could hear them coming.
Roles of Men and Women
 Family was the center of life in ancient India.
 Grandparents, parents, and children all lived together.
 The oldest man in the family was in charge.
Roles of Men and Women (cont.)
 Men had more rights
than women.
 Only boys could inherit
property, go to school, or
become priests.
 Girls received education
at home.
 In wealthy families, boys
were tutored by a guru at
home. A guru is religious
and spiritual a teacher.
Marriage Customs
 Boys had to go to
school for 12 years and
then they could marry.
 In India, parents
arranged marriages for
their children.
 90% of marriages in India
today are arranged.
 AND GUESS WHAT?
You could only marry
someone in your caste.
 Divorce was not
allowed, but if the
couple could not have
children, the man could
marry a second wife.
Burial Customs
 People in India were
cremated after death
(burned in a funeral fire).
 If a man from a wealthy
family died, his wife was
expected to jump into
the funeral fire.
 This practice was called
suttee and was later
outlawed in India.
 If she did not do this, she
would be shunned by
community for the rest of
her life.
Making connections:
How are Hinduism and the caste
system related?
 Historians believe the caste system
was brought to India by the Aryans.
 Hinduism developed from the faith
of the Aryans.
 Over time, the Aryan religion
changed as it blended with ideas of
other people of India to create
Hinduism.
Formative Assessment
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What are the four Varnas of the caste system?
Who did not belong to the caste system but was below
everyone?
Who had more rights: men or women?
How did Hinduism develop?
On your G.R.A.P.E.S organizer write 1 full and complete
sentence about the caste system.
On your G.R.A.P.E.S organizer write 1 full and complete
sentence about Hinduism.
Rate yourself on the Target
Sheet:
I can discuss the significance of Aryan and other tribal
migrations on Indian civilization. SS. 6.W.4.1
I can explain the major belief and practices associated
with Hinduism, Buddhism and the caste system in
ancient India. SS.6.W.4.2.