Indian Society (ch 9 p. 255-256)

The four ________ of ancient India are called varnas (or castes). People were considered members of the varna or caste into which they were born.

• language families

• social classes

• rivers

The _____ were the priests—the people who performed religious ceremonies

• Brahmins

• Kshatriyas

• Sudras

The Vaisyas (VYSH • yuhs), or commoners were usually ____________

• farmers, craftspeople, and merchants

• priests and rulers

• enslaved people and farmers

_____were servants and manual workers which means they did physical labor. They had few rights, and most Indians were in the this varna or caste.

• Vaisyas

• Gurus

• Sudras

The four varna levels gradually divided into thousands of smaller groups known as jati. These were based on the type of work a person did. Jati and Caste refer to the same ___________system in India.

• economic

• social class

• language family

At the lowest level of society were the Untouchables. They were also called the Outcastes because they were not even part of the jati or caste system. They _________

• did work others wanted to do such as metallurgy and agriculture

• did work such as collecting trash, skinning animals, and carrying dead bodies

• were so holy that no one was allowed to touch them

Indian men had more rights than women and inherited property.

• True

• False

In India's leading families, a boy had a _______, or teacher, until he attended school in the city.

• varna

• raja

• guru