Vedic Society: Indian Social Structure

Other than priests, brahmins were...

• teachers

• gods

• gurus

• scholars

• The lifeforce in everything

Who were Vaisyas?

• The lowest class- farmers, slaves, other native people

• The highest class- priests, teachers, gurus, scholars

• The middle class- merchants, businessmen, traders, farm owners

• The government- the leader, highly skilled warriors

What are varnas?

• Scientists are yet to discover what these Vedas are.

• Poems and hymns about the daily aspects of life

• They are the same thing as Vedas

• The social divisions according to the Vedas. They describe the roles of each group

The Portuguese gave us the term "caste". What did the Hindus' refer to them as?

• Varnas

• Jati

• Brahmin

• Hindus referred to them as "castes" as well

What are castes?

• The caste system is a system in which society is divided into occupations by birth or wealth. You can not move up or down in this system.

• Castes are things people put around their legs or arms to protect their injury.

• No one knows...

• Aliens

What is dharma?

• The rules and expectations of a society

• The main god in Hinduism

• One's role in society

• Unwritten rules that everyone expects to follow

What are norms?

• Communities decide on rules for interactions between each caste. Castes decide on rules for themselves

• Unwritten rules that everyone expects to follow. They were passed down from generation to generation

• Some rules were specific to each community. Some could not eat meals with a different caste or socialize

• The norms could change over time and become more/less restrictive. Scholars sometimes challenged the norms.

• All of the above

What was the role of women in the early Vedic society?

• They hunted and worked while the men stayed at home to take care of their children.

• Women were considered less than men just like now. (We should change that :)

• Women didn't exist in the early Vedic Period.

• They were highly respected. Giving birth and motherhood were considered sacred.

How did women lose their rights?

• They never lost their rights...

• Men passed laws to have women downgraded

• No one knows...

• There was a protest from the men

What could women do before they lost their rights?

• Could attend assemblies and public meeting and choose their husbands originally

• Could be educated as equally as men

• They could own property, receive an education and perform religious rites.

• All of the above

• Not an answer:

  Fun fact- Many of the Vedas were written by women