Brahma priests – Warrior class Farmer/merchant class Laborers Scheduled class/untouchables outside class structure – Assigned menial jobs 2. determines occupation, traditions, social strata for spouse Tenets of Hinduism/caste maintained order Aryans Village organization patriarchal control – Customs devalued role of women Not allowed to own property them to fathers and husbands Sati women killed selves on husband’s – funeral pyres Honor and purity to wife More isolated/segregated purdah – Contact w/ family members only, no public Used skin to separate classes New elites had darker skin than conquered people First three classes Aryans final dark-skinned – During Epic Age warriors and priests reversed authority – Mauryans Guptas saw rights diminished Declared minors in need of supervision by male Daughters neglected, infanticide Couldn’t participate in sacred rituals/study religion Couldn’t own property Child marriage became norm girls six/seven – Due to property issues in urban area Because of strict division, slavery not widespread Return of Guptas solidified caste system Proliferated and evolved Brahmin priestly – Kshatriya warrior – Vaishya producing caste – Shudra servant caste – Harijans untouchables – Not even a caste Do tasks that might Hindu culture “pollute” Waste products, butchering, carrying dead Further castes jatil subcastes – – Slavery Sumerians survivors of opponents into labor – –
Brahma – priests Warrior class Farmer/merchant class Laborers Scheduled class/untouchables – outside class structure Assigned menial jobs 2. determines occupation, traditions, social strata for spouse Tenets of Hinduism/caste maintained order Aryans Village organization – patriarchal control Customs devalued role of women Not allowed to own property them to fathers and husbands Sati – women killed selves on husband’s funeral pyres Honor and purity to wife More isolated/segregated – purdah Contact w/ family members only, no public Used skin to separate classes New elites had darker skin than conquered people First three classes Aryans – final dark-skinned During Epic Age – warriors and priests reversed authority Mauryans Guptas saw rights diminished Declared minors in need of supervision by male Daughters neglected, infanticide Couldn’t participate in sacred rituals/study religion Couldn’t own property Child marriage became norm – girls six/seven Due to property issues in urban area Because of strict division, slavery not widespread Return of Guptas solidified caste system Proliferated and evolved Brahmin – priestly Kshatriya – warrior Vaishya – producing caste Shudra – servant caste Harijans – untouchables Not even a caste Do tasks that might “pollute” Hindu culture Waste products, butchering, carrying dead Further castes – jatil – subcastes Slavery – Sumerians – survivors of opponents into labor
unit_one_outline.docx