Social Structure in Classical India
During the classical period, Indian social classes and structure was largely derived from the first Aryan epic, The Rig-Veda. Essentially, all people were born into a different caste, which would decide many factors in a person's life such as occupation, quality of life, and a list of other things. These castes were unchangeable, and for the most part, intermarriage between different castes was prohibited. The people of this time believed all people were a part of different parts of the “original man”, with different classes representing different parts of the body such as head, hands, legs, and feet. The highest of the classes were called the Brahmins. The Brahmins were distinct in that they had the lightest skin color, and were the priests and scholars. They represented the mouth, and were known for knowledge and wisdom. One step down from the Brahmin class was the Kshatriya(s). They were the ones to be warriors and political rulers, and represented the arms. Then was the class to represent the thighs or legs. This class was called the Vaishya, and were made up of what we might consider to be the average person, these people were merchants, landowners, and craftsmen. At the bottom of the social of the social class system in classical India were the Sudra. The Sudra were represented by the feet, and were made up of peasants and servants. After some time, an even lower social group developed, known as the Dalits, or “untouchables”. These people were considered too low to be in any class system, and were left to do dirty or demeaning work, such as garbage handling.