The term caste system is used to describe social organization in which civilization?

The term caste system is used to describe social organization in which civilization?

• A. Intergroup relations in early Greek society.
• B. Socioreligious development in early Indian civilization.
• C. Socioeconomic development in early Chinese civilization.
• D. Political organization in ancient Roman society.

Answer: (B)

A caste system is a birth-based, hereditary hierarchy that organized Indian society, with a framework of varnas and countless jatis determining one’s occupation, duties, and social interactions. Traditionally, people were grouped into four main varnas—Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras—along with those outside the system who faced severe restrictions. This ordering was reinforced by religious and legal texts and by social practices that limited marriage, movement, and access to resources across generations. While other ancient civilizations also had social hierarchies, the distinctive feature here is the rigid, birth-based segmentation tied to Hindu beliefs about ritual purity and social order. The term caste became the standard way to describe this Indian social structure, setting it apart from the more fluid or different basis of stratification seen in Greek, Chinese, or Roman contexts.

A caste system is a birth-based, hereditary hierarchy that organized Indian society, with a framework of varnas and countless jatis determining one’s occupation, duties, and social interactions. Traditionally, people were grouped into four main varnas—Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras—along with those outside the system who faced severe restrictions. This ordering was reinforced by religious and legal texts and by social practices that limited marriage, movement, and access to resources across generations. While other ancient civilizations also had social hierarchies, the distinctive feature here is the rigid, birth-based segmentation tied to Hindu beliefs about ritual purity and social order. The term caste became the standard way to describe this Indian social structure, setting it apart from the more fluid or different basis of stratification seen in Greek, Chinese, or Roman contexts.