Hinduism in Five Minutes - Steven W Ramey
13. Where Did the Concept of Caste Begin?
Hinduism in Five Minutes - Steven W Ramey
Gil Ben-Herut [+]
University of South Florida
Gil Ben-Herut is an Associate Professor in the Religious Studies Department, University of South Florida.
Graduate Division of Religion
Emory University, S214 Callaway Memorial Center
537 Kilgo Circle, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
USA
Description
“Caste,” an originally Portuguese word, masks a broad gamut of social attitudes in Hinduism through history. This chapter examines two early indigenous terms, varṇa and jāti, and points to the thick history of the idea of social hierarchy as well as its rejection.