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  • Essay / The Varna System or Caste System - 2539

    The Varna System or Vedic Caste System which later deteriorated into the modern Caste System due to colonialism and misinterpretation, was natural and necessary for good functioning of society. In this article we see how it is very different from the modern caste system and how it is very natural and we will also see some evidence from scripture that supports this. The original caste system or Vedic caste system: Currently the caste system is it is about some people feeling superior and others feeling inferior due to their birth which is not the case with the system of original caste, the Vedic caste system or the Varna system. The Varna system is entirely based on cooperation, trust and tolerance between different classes of society which are expected to perform different functions, just as different parts of the body must function for the benefit of the whole body. Unlike the modern caste system, there is no competition between different classes or varnas in the Vedic caste system. The unfortunate and undesirable effects of inequality and exclusivity are not the central motif of the Vedic caste system. Different people have different inclinations and interests, regardless of their birth, although upbringing may have little influence on their inclinations. On the basis of people's inclinations and their qualities there was a varna division and not by birth as was the modern scenario. For example: a person becomes a good engineer when he has this inclination and is trained in this direction. It is not simply by being born an engineer that a person becomes an engineer and it is not necessary for him to have this inclination to become an engineer, even if he may have a little paper..... An advanced society definitely needs warriors, merchants, teachers and workers. Thus, instead of absolute rights, more importance is given to one's duties. Conclusion The Varna system is one of the most controversial phenomena of India and is marred by many controversies. However, closer analysis reveals that the basic need for this system was simply to ensure a healthy and flexible society, unlike the one that was rigidified due to colonial misinterpretation and mistreatment of the varnas, which resulted in gave rise to castes as we find them in India today. The original varna system was quite flexible in which one's varna could be changed according to one's skills and was not fixed as is often understood. Indeed, it was the colonization of India by the British in the 18th and 19th centuries that transformed the Varna system into a rigid caste system..