Paper I · 13 Social Exclusion, Rights & Inclusive Policies · 13.1 Social stratification and caste

13.1.3 Varna and jati: textual origins and theories of caste origin (Risley, Hutton, Nesfield, Ambedkar)

Varna is the four-fold textual scheme of Brahmanical society, while jati is the real, birth-based group that multiplied over time; scholars have explained caste origin through divine, Brahmanical, racial, occupational, ritual and Ambedkar's endogamy theories, none of which is accepted alone.

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Key terms

  • varna
  • jati
  • Purusha Sukta
  • dvija
  • upanayana
  • anuloma
  • pratiloma
  • chandala
  • Al-Biruni
  • Fa Xian
  • Abbe Dubois
  • H.H. Risley
  • nasal index
  • J.C. Nesfield
  • J.H. Hutton
  • mana and taboo
  • Ambedkar
  • endogamy on exogamy
  • S.V. Ketkar
  • caste by birth

What this note covers

  1. Core factsFoundation
  2. ExplainedStandard
  3. DeeperAdvanced
  4. Mains writingMains writing
  5. Common trapsFoundation
  6. Quick revisionFoundation

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