INFLUENCES OF CASTE OVER CONTEMPORARY INDIAN SOCIETY

India’s caste system is a particularly unique feature of its society. As a dominant principle of social organisation, caste is deeply rooted in both Hindu tradition and religion. Although it has been argued that caste’s influence is slowly on the decline (Weber 1957; as cited by Gerth & Mills 1958, p. 397), its importance can still be seen in all areas of Indian life – socially, politically and economically. These spheres are all influenced by caste to different extents, as the caste system does not uniformly carry out the same role in all areas. A system so heavily ingrained in the culture cannot simply be eroded after a couple of decades (Arunoday 1993, p. 1), and while the system may be lessening in its rigidity, there is evidence that indicates that caste is still a significant force in daily life.

There are numerous theories as to why the caste system developed in India. All of these, however, seem to draw to the same conclusion – that caste developed as a means of orga...