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Peter Jackson, a professor of Medieval History and Muslim India, writes that the speculative hypotheses about the caste system in Hindu states during the medieval Delhi Sultanate period (~1200 to 1500), and the existence of a caste system, as being responsible for Hindu weakness in resisting the plunder by Islamic armies, is appealing at first ...
Traditionally, Brahmins are accorded the highest ritual status of the four social classes, [8] and they also served as spiritual teachers (guru or acharya). In practice, Indian texts suggest that some Brahmins historically also became agriculturalists, warriors, traders, and had also held other occupations in the Indian subcontinent. [7] [8] [9]
Kulin Kayastha (Bengali: কুলীন কায়স্থ) is a sub-caste of the Bengali Kayastha caste in Bengal region of Indian subcontinent. They are also known as the Kulina Kayasthas. The Kayasthas are regarded in Bengal, along with the Brahmins and Baidyas, as being the "highest Hindu castes".
The title of "Kaimal" (from the Malayalam word Kai - "കൈ," meaning "hand" - signifying power and authority) was awarded by the monarchs of Kerala to affluent Samantha Nair and also some Kiriyath Nair families who were exceedingly influential, and the Kaimals were one of the highest caste of Hindu caste in South India. [41]
The community claims to be descended from the god Vishvakarma, who is considered by Hindus to be the divine architect or engineer of the universe.He had five children — Manu, Maya, Tvastar, Shilpi and Visvajna — and these are believed by the Vishwakarma community to have been the forebears of their five subgroups, being respectively the gotras (clans) of blacksmiths, carpenters, bell ...
This is a list of Scheduled Castes in India. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are those considered the most socio-economic disadvantaged in India, and are officially defined in the Constitution of India in order to aid equality initiatives.
The caste system in Kerala differed from that found in the rest of India.While the Indian caste system generally divided the four-fold Varna division of the society into Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras, in Kerala, there existed only two varnas: Brahmins and Shudras, out of these four, while others were classified as Avarna.
Each broad caste level is a hierarchical order that is based on notions of purity, non-purity and impurity. It uses the concepts of defilement to limit contacts between caste categories and to preserve the purity of the upper castes. These caste categories have been exclusionary, endogamous and the social identity inherited. [85]