In Hindi the term  जाति is the word for caste. The caste system consists of the ब्राह्मण class. The ब्राह्मण class is the class of priests, scholars and teachers. There’s also the क्षत्रिय class, composed of soldiers, kings and nobles. The trading class is the वैश्य class. Then there’s the शूद्र, who are artisans, farmers and laborers. Lastly there’s the दलित class. The दलित class is also known as the “untouchables”. There are laws prohibiting discrimination against this caste, but prejudices against this caste still exist. You’ve probably noticed that the classes tend to be divided by occupation and वर्ण (also known as social order).

Theorectically speaking, the ब्राह्मण class is considered the highest class in terms of ranking. This is because the people of this class have devoted their life to learning and teaching the वेद, which are sacred Hindu writings. Within the ब्राह्मण community itself, there is a ranking system that is determined by region and गोत्र (clan or lineage). These subcastes may be divided even further by the शाखा or the vedic schools to which a member of the ब्राह्मण class may be affiliated with. Members of this class stay alive through the charity of others. This is because certain restrictions like killing animals and prohibitions on selling/trading goods decrease the prospects for any other work not related to teaching the वेद.

The next in rank is the क्षत्रिय class. Nowadays there is less of a functional role for those of the क्षत्रिय class, but families that are descended from the क्षत्रिय class are still proud of their ancestor’s lineage. In the past the क्षत्रिय class was well respected because they protected the people from danger. Indian legends and epics, which are still told today, describe a glorious past in which warriors were viewed as heroes rather than murderers. The क्षत्रिय class holds itself to a code of war, or a set of ethics toward enemies and women. Some families treat this code of war very seriously and live by it to honor their family.

The next in rank is the merchant class or the वैश्य caste. The वैश्य caste is primarily responsible for growing grain, herding cows, and trading goods. This caste is believed to contain the first capitalists of India. Sometimes there is some overlap between the वैश्य caste and the शूद्र caste. The main distinction is that the शूद्र caste is considered lower in rank than the वैश्य caste. At the lower end of the शूद्र spectrum is the दलित class. People like street cleaners, corpse handlers, and washermen belong to this group. There are prejudices against this group because people feel that the दलित are impure because of the nature of their work.