everything_gone : thanks for asking this question. Caste is is a "social" evil in the country. Yes vedas are source of caste system. In vedas and Gita, Caste has completly different meaning "According to the ancient Hindu scriptures, there are four "varnas." The Bhagavad Gita says varnas are decided based on Guna and Karma.(ie the work of the person) Manusmriti and some other shastras mention four varnas: the Brahmins (teachers, scholars and priests), the Kshatriyas (kings and warriors), the Vaishyas (traders), and Shudras (agriculturists, service providers, and some artisan groups). Offspring of different varnas belong to different Jātis. . Passages from scriptures such as Manusmriti indicate that the varna system was originally non-hereditary." Remember the word "non-hereditary" . Many European scholars from the colonial era regarded the Manusmriti as the "law book" of the Hindus, and thus concluded that the caste system is a part of Hinduism, an assertion that is rejected by many Hindu scholars, who state that it is an anachronistic social practice, not a religious one. Fa Hien a Buddhist pilgrim from China visited India around 400 AD. "Only the lot of the Chandals he found unenviable; outcastes by reason of their degrading work as disposers of dead, they were universally shunned… But no other section of the population were notably disadvantaged, no other caste distinctions attracted comment from the Chinese pilgrim, and no oppressive caste 'system' drew forth his surprised censure Hinduism is a 5000 year old system. Back then just like today a business man's son went on to become a business man, A soilder's son whent on to become a soilder. Today that system no longer applicable. The system came to keep a social order. Summary: But over a period of time the system got currupted, just like the noble concept of jihad. The caste is based on the work and not by birth & All humans are equal Caste system in other cultures: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste_system http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste_system_among_South_Asian_Muslims
|