Caste
is the most important and perhaps unique concept of Indian society. It can be
loosely defined as a hereditary and endogamous group having an actual or
supposed relationship with a profession and occupying a particular position in
local hierarchy of such groups. Formation of castes did not come up from the
division of varnas but was a different process altogether. The concept is not
only ritualistic but also has social and economic aspects as it regulated the
modes of production. The concept has evolved through thousands of years of
social churning and has been fed by assimilations and foreign
influences. You can read more on such topics by following test series forias 2013.
Initial
traces of caste system can be seen in increase in number of professions in the
Later Vedic age. Initially these artisans or craftsmen tended to live together.
During the Buddhist period there are references of villages inhabited by smiths
and carpenters. The period also saw formation of guilds of craftsmen. With the
passage of time, association with the trades became a part of the identity of
its members which they retained even after they changed their profession. A 5th
century inscription from Mandsor in Narmada Valley refers to a guild of silk
weavers many of whose members were practicing other professions but were still
members of guild. These members had retained their sense of being part of the
guild despite giving up the profession. It is not known whether the group
was monogamous or not but this characteristic resembles that of a
caste and can explain the formation of castes on occupational basis. The testseries for ias contains all such information.
Apart
from these, the tribes were being assimilated in the Aryan fold and many of
these preserved their identities. Foreigners were also assimilated in the
system. Manusmriti speaks of the ‘degraded kshatriyas’ who could be brought
back to their original status by performing certain rituals. All these were
granted the status of separate castes and position in the social hierarchy
depended upon their political and economic power. Ias test series is the best
way to understand this concept.