Indian Civilization and the Hindu Caste System - Flashcards Flashcards

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Harappan Civilization

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An early urban society (c. 2500–1750 BCE) in the Indus Valley noted for advanced city planning, drainage systems, and standardized weights. It featured long-distance trade, metallurgy, and undeciphered script, exemplified by sites like Mohenjo-daro and Harappa.

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Vedic Period

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A formative era (c. 1500–500 BCE) following the Indus Valley when Indo-Aryans settled in northern India and composed the Vedas in Sanskrit. It saw a shift from pastoralism to settled agriculture and the emergence of early Hindu religious and social structures.

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Varna System

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An ancient four-fold social classification originating in the Vedic period that divided society into Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras based on occupation and ritual role. Initially more flexible and based on aptitude, it later became rigid and birth-based, forming the basis for the caste system.

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Brahmins

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The priestly and scholarly varna responsible for teaching, performing rituals, and preserving sacred knowledge. They held high ritual status and often guided religious and educational life in traditional society.

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Kshatriyas

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The warrior and administrative varna charged with protecting society and governing. They included rulers, soldiers, and officials responsible for political authority and defense.

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Vaishyas

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The productive varna comprising farmers, merchants, and artisans who managed trade, agriculture, and economic activity. They occupied an intermediate social position tied to commerce and production.

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Shudras

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The laboring varna tasked with service and manual work for the other three varnas. Historically they had limited ritual privileges and were often assigned menial or servile occupations.

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Jati

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A caste sub-group that developed over time into thousands of endogamous occupational and social units within Indian society. Jatis regulated marriage, occupation, and community life, reinforcing hereditary status and local social order.

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Untouchability

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A social practice that excluded certain groups (later called Dalits) from mainstream religious and public life by labeling them ritually impure. It produced severe discrimination, residential segregation, and denial of access to resources like wells and temples.

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Dalits

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Communities historically outside the varna system who were subjected to untouchability and extreme marginalization. They were often restricted to tasks considered polluting and were forced to live on village outskirts with limited rights.

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Karma

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The belief that a person's actions determine their future circumstances in this life or the next, creating moral causality across births. Karma provided a theological rationale for social position by linking conduct to future rebirths.

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Dharma

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Duty, moral law, or role appropriate to an individual's position in society and life stage; it guided ethical behavior and social responsibilities. In the caste context, dharma prescribed duties specific to each varna and reinforced social order.

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Samsara

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The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in which souls are repeatedly reincarnated until liberation. Samsara is governed by karma and motivates ethical action and spiritual practice to attain freedom from repeated rebirths.

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Moksha

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The ultimate spiritual goal of liberation from samsara, achieved through knowledge, devotion, or disciplined action. Moksha represents release from the cycle of rebirth and the end of karmic bondage.

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Rta

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An early Vedic concept of cosmic order that rituals and moral behavior were meant to maintain. Rta underpinned Vedic sacrificial practice and later evolved into related notions like dharma.

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Joint Family

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A multi-generational household arrangement where extended family members live together and share property, food, and responsibilities. It emphasizes collective welfare, social security, and the transmission of status and duties across generations.

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Village Community

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A traditional, often self-sufficient social unit centered on agrarian or artisanal activities where social life and governance were locally organized. Villages provided economic support, social identity, and mechanisms for collective decision-making.

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Manusmriti

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An ancient legal and social text that codified duties, social norms, and the hierarchical aspects of the caste system, influencing later social practice. Its prescriptions supported hereditary status and regulations governing caste behavior.

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Endogamy

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The practice of marrying within one's own caste or jati, which helped enforce hereditary status and social boundaries. Endogamy reduced mobility between groups and solidified the caste system's rigidity over time.

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Broken Men Theory

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B.R. Ambedkar's argument that many untouchables were originally tribal groups expelled or defeated and labeled outcasts, living outside settled villages. This theory links historical conflict, occupation, and social exclusion to the origins of untouchability.