The Indian Caste System: A system of Social Stratification and its Implications on the Indian Society

Every society is defined by some kind of socio-economic class structure in which individuals are segregated on the basis of attributes which are external to them. In Ancient India, the segregation was based on Hindu scriptures. These scriptures formed the basic framework which defined the roles and occupations of different individuals in society. This paper examines the Indian Caste System as an institution which is external to these individuals. It also includes the concept of social stratification and goes on to the historicity of the Indian Caste System. The concepts of ‘purity’ and ‘pollution’ are also highlighted in this paper.