Identify the broad all-India aggregative classification, and the regional or local sub-classification that explains the nature of caste system in India.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Varna, Jati
Option (1) Varna, Jati — Correct. Varna, literally ‘colour’, is the four-fold division of society into brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya and shudra, common to all of India; so it is treated as a broad all-India aggregative classification. Jati is taken to be a regional or local sub-classification, a much more complex system of hundreds or even thousands of castes and sub-castes that varies from region to region.
NCERT (2025-26): “3.1 Caste and the Caste System … The precise relationship between varna and jati has been the subject of much speculation and debate among scholars. The most common interpretation is to treat varna as a broad all-India aggregative classification, while jati is taken to be a regional or local sub-classification involving a much more complex system consisting of hundreds or even thousands of castes and sub-castes. This means that while the four varna classification is common to all of India, the jati hierarchy has more local classifications that vary from region to region.” “…The word refers to a broad institutional arrangement that in Indian languages (beginning with the ancient Sanskrit) is referred to by two distinct terms, varna and jati. Varna, literally ‘colour’, is the name given to a four-fold division of society into brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya and shudra, though this excludes a significant section of the population composed of the ‘outcastes’, foreigners, slaves, conquered peoples and others, sometimes refered to as the panchamas or fifth category.…” |