(need help will give brainlyest and 50 points to the real answer.) Caste System Essay
Student Guide
Assignment Summary
For this assignment, you will read a modified excerpt from the Rig Veda and use supporting details and
evidence to write a brief essays that explores how Aryans and Indians justified the use of the caste
system.
Background Information
Once the Aryans had a written language, they began to record their oral histories. Aryans recorded oral
histories in sacred books called Vedas. The Vedas are books of knowledge that contain hymns and
stories. The hymns were part of Aryan religious rituals. The Aryans religion was called Brahmanism. The
Aryans worshipped nature with rituals and praise. They believed the gods represented forces of nature,
such as wind or storms. Brahmanism grew into the modern religion of Hinduism. The ideas in the Vedas
became the key ideas of Hinduism. Hinduism is one of the largest religions in the world today and still
practiced in much of India.
The Aryans had a caste system, which still influences India today. A caste system is a class structure
based on money, birth, and occupation. The Aryans believed each person was born into a specific varna.
People could not move between classes in the caste system.
At the top of society were the priests, called the Brahman. They had the highest status and the most
power. They could read from and teach the Vedas. Next came the rulers and warriors, who could study
the Vedas. This varna is called the Rājanya. They were almost as powerful as the priests. The next varna
down included merchants, landowners, and craftspeople. These are the Vaiśya. Finally, at the bottom
were peasants, servers, and other workers. This varna is called the Śūdra. They had little power. A fifth
group—the Untouchables—were outside the castes. They did work that was called “unclean,” like
gravedigging, fishing, butchering animals for meat, and street sweeping. They were kept apart from
everyone else.
Materials
▪ Computer with internet access
Assignment Instructions
For this project, you are expected to submit one thing:
1. A brief essay published online through the Virtual Classroom
Step 1: Prepare for the project.
a) Read through the guide before you begin so you know the expectations for this project.
b) If there is anything that is not clear to you, be sure to ask your teacher.
Step 2: Read the passage from the Vedas.
a) Read the passage from the Vedas located at the end of this document.
b) Look for details that support the Aryans’ and Indians’ use of the caste system.