Preview

The Caste System: Effects on Poverty in India

Best Essays
Open Document
Open Document
4175 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Caste System: Effects on Poverty in India
Global Majority E-Journal, Vol. 1, No. 2 (December 2010), pp. 97-106

The Caste System: Effects on Poverty in
India, Nepal and Sri Lanka
Jasmine Rao

Abstract
Though mostly outlawed, the caste system continues to be one of the key drivers of poverty and inequality in South Asia. This article reviews the linkage between poverty and the caste system in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It also discusses the situation of the so-called Dalits (untouchables), which are typically considered to fall outside of the caste system. In addition to secondary evidence based on recent literature analyzing the relevance and impact of the caste system on poverty, the article is also based on an interview with a young male Indian, who experienced the impact of the caste system as well as the impact of the recently adopted reservation system for India’s Dalits.

I.

Introduction

In India, as well as other countries in South Asia like Nepal and Sri Lanka, the caste system has been a large part of society and still remains, though to a lesser extent, to be a part of society. This may be in an official or unofficial sense because most South Asian countries have either outlawed the caste system or are trying to move away from it. The caste system is basically a way of dividing people into different social classes, beginning with Brahmins as the highest (Priests and teachers), Kshatriyas (warriors and rulers),
Vaisyas (farmers, merchants, and artisans), and Sudras (laborers); see Figure 1.
Untouchables, also known as Harijans or Dalits, fall outside of the caste system all together. These were the original caste groupings as made clear by one Hindu Holy
Scripture called the Bhagvad Gita.
Initially, the system was created ―to promote the harmonious workings of society‖, but eventually, it has—mostly through corruption—reached the prejudice and discriminationfilled system it is today (Kar, 2007). This corruption began with Colonialism and has had a profound impact



References: Banerjee, Abhijit; Esther Duflo; Maitreesh Ghatak; and Jeanne Lafortune (2009) ―Marry for what: caste and mate selection in modern India‖, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Working Paper Series, No. 14958. Chaudhary, S. N. (ed.) (2005) Human Rights and Poverty in India: Theoretical Issues and Empirical Evidences (New Delhi: Concept Publishers, 5 Volumes). 105 Heitzman, James (1990) ―The Society and Its Environment‖, in: Russel R Kar, Dev (2007) ―Religion and Roots of India’s Caste System‖, The Washington Post (of July 1, 2007). Kumar, Sanjay (2006) ―Is India Rising?‖, World Press blog of March 2, 2006; available at: http://indiarising.wordpress.com/2006/03/02/common-problem-in-india/ Ninian, Alex (2008) ―India’s Untouchables: The Dalits‖, Contemporary Review, Vol. 290 (May), pp Pye, Lucian W. (2002) ―(Review of:) Castes of Mind: Colonialism and the Making of Modern India, by Nicholas B Rose, Arnold M. (1967) ―Sociological Factors Affecting Economic Development in India‖, Studies in Comparative International Development, Vol Silva, Kalinga Tudor and Ajith Hettihewage (2001) ―Poverty, Social Exclusion and the Impact of Selected Legal Measures against Caste Discrimination in South Asia‖; Shrestha, Anita (2002) ―Dalits in Nepal: Story of Discrimination‖, Asia-Pacific News, Vol Standing, Hilary and R. L. Strivat (2007) ―Untouchables, Harijans‖, Believe (Religious Information Source web-site, May); available at: http://mb-soft.com/believe/txo/ Thekaekara, Mari Marcel (2005) ―Combatting Caste‖, New Internationalist, Vol. 380 (July); available at: http://www.newint.org/features/2005/07/01/combatting_caste/. Waldman, Amy (2005) ―Mystery of India 's Poverty: Can the State Break Its Grip?‖, New York Times, Letter from Asia, April 29, 2005. World Bank (2008) World Development Indicators 2008 CD-Rom (Washington, DC: The World Bank). World Bank (2009a) Global Monitoring Report 2009: A Development Emergency (Washington, DC: The World Bank); available at: World Bank (2009b) Poverty in Nepal (Washington, DC: The World Bank); available at: http://go.worldbank.org/YYS66H6UK0. World Bank (2009c) Poverty in Sri Lanka (Washington, DC: The World Bank); available at: http://go.worldbank.org/WDS0EV8GT0.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    SOC 315 Week 4 DQs

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Social Stratification Systems: Caste vs. Class . India’s caste system, in which there are four major castes, or varnas , is a social construct that is ascribed and immutable: people are born into this system and cannot move between castes. In American society, class systems, of which there are five, are social rankings based largely on economic position. In America, unlike India, one can transcend class through economic or social success. After reading “Overlapping identities under liberalization: Gender and case in India”, assess whether o...…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    There were two parts to the caste system: The Caste as Varna and the Caste as Jati. The function of the Caste system was that it was very local and so it focused loyalties on a restricted territory. It made empire building very difficult and the caste was like a substitute for the state. The caste provided some social security and support for widows, orphans etc. The caste was a means to accommodate the migrants and invaders. Last but not least the caste made it easier for the wealthy and powerful to exploit the poor. The caste system which used birth to place people into their sectors of the sacred hierarchy was closely tied to the Hindu religion. This system remained an integral part of Indian society for…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mesopotamia Social System

    • 773 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Caste system is a way to categorize people in society by their ethnicity and job status. This was also hereditary and would pass from generation to generation. The caste system, though it shares the classes that many ancient civilizations followed, did not necessarily influence them at all. Some theorize that if that were the case others would have a more defined class system rather than based on wealth and status, which most of them did. Rather some historians theorize these caste came from a war and fighting with the Dravidians, the dominate group in that area.(aqrobatiq, 2015) How ever the system formed it stuck, with almost impossible odds against someone to change their caste in life. The Caste system formed out of the natural self organization that humans do when lacking a bureaucratic system in place like Egypt and Mesopotamia, The levels of the Caste system from top to bottom…

    • 773 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Chapter 3 review

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Caste System developed in India by a separation of the people due to the social hierarchy and the economical differences between them. Depending on their caste, the people were treated differently even though they lived side by side each other. The Caste system being developed allowed the “conquers” and the “conquered” to live in harmony.…

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ap World Notes

    • 7402 Words
    • 30 Pages

    Caste system – Brahmins (5 stages, cannot advance past the class you were born into, still exists in some parts of India.)…

    • 7402 Words
    • 30 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ap Ikat

    • 267 Words
    • 1 Page

    The ancient Indian people has a caste system goes like this Brahmin (Priest), Chetri Kshatriya, (Ruler & Warrior) Vaishya, (Merchant, Trader, and Artisan) Shudra, (Farmer and Laborer) and Untouchables. This caste system has been used throughout their whole history and will never change. With such a consistent system that is why they have last as long as they did.…

    • 267 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Monsoon Wedding

    • 1054 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Monsoon wedding”(2007), an award winning movie, directed by mira nair. Features widely known Indian actors, such as Vasundhara Das, Naseeruddin Shah and Vijay Raaz.…

    • 1054 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In caste systems people are placed into pre-determined situations such as work or marriage purely based on who they have been born to and what their families have done for a living.…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Hindu Caste System

    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Throughout thousands of years in the Hindu religion, a person’s social class was determined immediately after they are born. This organisation was then later known as the Caste System. Caste members lived, married, and worked within their selected group. A person born into one caste was not allowed to change castes or associate with other members of a different caste. Rules and expectations were set for each caste, each caste had a clear and distinct role within the community. It does not allow for upward mobility in society the Caste System is made up of four different castes; the highest among Hindu society were the Brahmins or priests, for the members of this caste it is essential that they keep themselves pure since they handle…

    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Indian caste system is harsh and oppressive, yet it has not always been that way, and policies have been implemented to end this intolerance. The caste system within India is a set of classes that is used to place people into occupational groups. It is a system followed by Hindus. The story of how it began states that the original five varnas were made from a primordial being, and each varna contains many castes and sub-castes, each of which has a specific job. The cast system of India had three stages; the early caste system, changes in the caste system, and today’s caste system. The solution to this intolerance will not be simple, but will hopefully help to one day allow India to escape the binding…

    • 1578 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Caste System In India

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages

    India restricts Indian society. According to “Wikipedia; Caste system in India”, caste system affects a lot of people with choosing their profession or even having any options at all. The importance of caste system in India is not only restricting its economy, it is also restricting its population’s freedom. Indians living in areas where the caste system plays a big role, most commonly don't know themselves, their talents and what they like to do. Even if they knew themselves and what they would want to be, they wouldn't have an option to change their career path. Because…

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Centuries before the development of the hierarchical caste system, India’s social structures were less rigidly defined. Men and women obtained equality in their social status’ and respect. While men were given broad opportunities in occupations and employment, women were provided with the freedoms of political, religious and public involvement. However, as times changed and new social structures developed, India experienced a shift away from equality towards a system that was fundamentally based upon patriarchy,…

    • 1477 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Second Question: Explain the origins of the caste system. Where did the system come from?…

    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Stratification systems have been used all over the world, for centuries to try and classify people by what they do or what they own. There are three types of systems that are most well known. Firstly, the caste system. This is the most rigid of systems and is commonly linked to India. The social positions of people are given at birth in accordance to the Hindu religion. This system does not allow individuals to move from one ‘caste’ to another (1).…

    • 2621 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    For example, Next, Hinduism stood for tolerance and peace and its impact has been great. Followers of Hinduism, like Gandhi, changed the world using peaceful methods. Moreover, the concept of tolerating other religious beliefs is found in all first-world countries today. Lastly, the system that divided Hindus into group based on their work still does so today, and the impact is enormous. An article from the BBC News describes the caste system as “among the world’s oldest forms of surviving social stratification.” (BBC News) The article discusses the system as “unjust and regressive, yet virtually unchanged for centuries, trapping people into fixed social orders from which it was impossible to escape.” The effects of the caste system touch every part of Indian society including the economy, laws, and customs. Religions have great influence over society, but Hinduism has had…

    • 275 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays