When the Aryans first came to India,
they were homogeneous people without class distinctions. They were then
comrades-in-arms and there was perfect equality among all members of the Aryan
society. But when they settled down as rulers of the land, the fear gradually
dawned on them that their smaller numbers may be absorbed by the more numerous
natives, whom they had conquered and enslaved. To preserve their racial purity,
therefore, the fair- skinned Aryans began to distinguish themselves from the
dark skinned natives. These natives were later called ‘’Shudras’’.
The second stage in the evolution of
the caste system was not reached until the later Vedic period. The Vedic
language, in course of time, had obscure and could not be understood by masses.
Sacrifices and ceremonies, too, had become very elaborate and complicate. There
came into existence a professional class of priests. They were called
‘’Brahmins’’. Similarly, the pressure of constant wars with the natives, who
resisted stubbornly the further expansion of the Aryans, necessitated class of
professional soldiers skilled in the arts of war. This class came to be known
as ‘’Kshatriyas’’. The rest of the Aryan population, which was devoted to
peaceful persuits like agriculture, trade, commerce, etc., was referred to as
‘’Vaishas’’. The ‘’Shudras’’, who performed menial jobs for the Aryan society,
were already there.
Thus the caste system began as a
distinction between the Aryans and the non-Aryans but gradually assumed the
form of division of labour among the members of the Aryan society. At this
stage, it was more a class-system than a caste-system. The class or the caste
of the individuals was determined by one test i.e. the occupation of
individuals.
For quite some time the caste system
continued to be extremely elastic in character. The choice of an occupation was
purely voluntary and migration from one cast another automatic in consequence.
Indeed, even a Shudra could become a Brahmin, if his character and occupation
merited that rank. The great sage Vyasa, for example, was the son of a
fisherwoman while Vasistha was born of a prostitute. As time passed, the caste
system began to assume a rigid form. Occupation tended to became hereditary and
migration from one caste to another became difficult. The result was that the
caste system, which was originally occupational in character, became hereditary
in course of time. The caste was now determined not by occupation, but by
birth. It was no longer an elastic system, it became very rigid.
