Sanskritization

The caste system in India has long been perceived by both observers and its subjects as a rigid, hierarchical, and immutable structure. The varna model—dividing society into the fourfold hierarchy of Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (traders), and Shudras (servants), with the Dalits (untouchables) existing outside its pale—presents an image of eternal, divinely ordained social … Read more