Caste system
The Caste system started in 1200 BCE. The class system decides a person's occupation, and is determined right from the time you are born. The caste system has four main classes: Brahmins- Priests and teachers; Kshatriyas- Military class, including the King; Vaishyas- Merchants and farmers; and Shudras- workers and peasants. There are also the Untouchables who aren't considered part of the Caste system. They are treated vey badly and have to do all the dirty jobs. Mohandas Gandhi changed their names to Harijans which means child of God Hari Vishnu. In the Caste system the most powerful people were the Brahmins because they were the educators and were highly respected. They were also priests and devoted their lives to God, and at that time God meant a lot to them. Though there are laws today to prevent people to be associated with their class, the Caste system still exists today to some extent. People still put down the lower classes. The Caste system is still prevalent in the villages where jobs are based on class. According to the Vedas (religious Hindu books) the tiers of the Caste system were based on parts of the body of Creator Brahma or the First Man (Purush). The head represented the Brahmins, the hands the Kshatriyas, the thighs the Vaishyas and the feet the Shudras. The importance was based on the descending order of the organs. The Caste system was a way of creating and organising an effective society. Each class had a special role in society.
Image showing the different levels of the Caste system in order of importance.
Feudal system
The Feudal system is a social system used during the Middle Ages. It was a system based on promises and obligations. There was no social mobility between the different Feudal classes. In France the Feudal system was introduced in the 8th century by Charlemagne and in England in 1066 by William the Conqueror, following the Battle of Hastings. The Feudal system has four classes. This consists of Kings- the people who rule; Lords- they help the king rule the land; Knights- the main fighting class and the law enforcers; and the Peasants who had to do all the hard work and were disrespected. The king had the most power in the Feudal system because he had divine power/ absolute power. After the Magna Carta he lost some power but he still had a lot of power.
Image showing the different levels of the Caste system in order of importance.