Essay on Changes in the Caste System – The caste system which is an integral part of the Indian system has a long standing history of its own. To understand how the system has come to be what it is today, one has to go back through the pages of history to trace its origin, evolution and growth. It is not easy to say precisely when, how and under what circumstances and pressures the system took its birth and developed.
The task of tracing the evolution and growth of this system in precise and unambiguous terms is equally problematic. For the purpose of study three main stages in the evolution of caste may be identified. They are mentioned below:
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(i) Caste in Ancient Age [The period upto 1100 A.D. which is inclusive of Vedic Age, Post- Vedic Age and Puranic Age].
(ii) Caste in Medieval Age [The period between 1100 A.D. and 1757 A.D. which includes mainly the age of Muslim Rule in India].
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(iii) Caste in Modern Age [The period after 1757 A.D. which includes the Pre-Independent British period and the period after Independence].
It is not within the framework of this book to discuss in detail the developments which took place in the caste system during the first two major periods. Hence the description is confined to the third stage, that is, Caste in Modern Age.
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Caste in Modern Age [After 1757 A.D.]
The modern period in which some major developments took place in caste system can be divided into two stages namely: (A) Caste during British rule, and (B) Caste in Independent India.