In India, the accepted social practice of assigning a social status (often hereditary) to members of society. A member of a caste shares similar rank, occupation, and social privileges. back

Divisions in society based on differences of wealth, inherited rank, privilege, profession, or occupation.

Closed, hereditary system of stratification, often dictated by religion; hierarchical social status is ascribed at birth, so that people are locked into their parents' social position.

a social structure in which classes are determined by heredity

a division of society based on wealth, occupation, and/or lineage

a rigid system of social stratification , which divides members of a society into different castes and sub-castes or Varnas and jatis

A system of social inequality in which people's status is permanently determined at birth based on their parents' ascribed characteristics.

Rigid system of social classification first introduced into Indian subcontinent by Aryans. (p. 176)