Chapter 4Section 3 Notes

The Complex Caste SystemThe three pillars of Indian life are the caste

system, family, and villageAryans divided society into four classes (you

learned this in the previous chapter)Non-Aryans were considered outcasts and

held the lowest jobsThe caste system ensured a stable social

orderPeople could move up castes in the afterlife

Aryan Caste System

Caste System

The Complex Caste SystemTo ensure spiritual purity, a web of complex caste

rules governed every aspect of life---where people lived, what they ate, how they dressed, and how they earned a living

Rules forbade marrying outside one’s caste or eating with members of another caste

High-caste people had the strictest rules to protect them from the spiritually polluted lower castes

“Untouchables”---lowest ranked caste---life was harsh---received the most “impure” jobs such as digging graves, cleaning streets, or turning animal hides into leather

Caste System

Castes and Relationshipshttp://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/08/world/indi

a-love-commandos/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

Untouchables

Untouchables

Untouchables

Untouchables

Untouchables

Untouchables

The Complex Caste SystemThe caste system ensured a stable social

orderPeople could not change their status in this

life, but they could reach a higher caste in a future life by fulfilling the duties of their present caste

The caste system also adapted to changing conditions, absorbing foreigners and new occupations into their own castes

This flexibility allowed people with diverse customs to live side by side in relative harmony

Family LifeIdeal family was the joint family---parents,

children, grandchildren, uncles, and cousins shared a common dwelling

Indian family was patriarchal---the father or oldest male in the family headed the household

Arranged marriages were (and still are) common

A dowry was paid by the bride’s family to the groom’s family

Family LifeIn early Aryan society, women enjoyed a

higher status than in later timesBy late Gupta times, upper-class women were

restricted to their homesWomen were thought to have shaktiShakti---creative energy of a woman that a

man lackedPositive---helped to make her husband

completeNegative---could be destructive if she didn’t

listen

Family LifeA woman’s primary duties were to marry,

show devotion to her husband, and raise children

Beyond these responsibilities, women had few rights within the family and society

Rebirth into a higher existence was gained through devotion to her husband

Family LifeAs customs changed, a high-caste widow was

forbidden to remarryOften, a widow became a sati (“virtuous

woman”)This was accomplished by the widow joining

her dead husband on his funeral pyre (fire)Some widows accepted this painful death as

a noble duty that would wipe out both her and her husband’s sins

Village LifeThe village was at the heart of lifeA typical village included a cluster of homes

made of earth or stoneFarmers grew crops such as wheat, rice,

cotton, and sugar caneEach village included people of different

castes who performed the tasks needed for daily life

Castes might include priests, landowners, herders, farmers, metalworkers, and carpenters, as well as such low castes as leather workers and sweepers

Village LifeIn most of India, farming depended on the

rains brought by the summer monsoonsToo much or too little rain meant famineEach village ran its own affairs based on

caste rules and traditionsA village headman and council made

decisionsWomen at one time were able to serve on the

councils but were later restricted and their role in society became virtually non-existent outside of their homes

Monsoon Flooding

Monsoon Flooding

Monsoon Flooding

Monsoon Flooding

Monsoon Flooding

Monsoon Flooding