Q. The major difference between “Varna ” and “Jaati ” is?
Solution:
( bullet ) Var?a , a Sanskrit word with several meanings including type, order, colour or class,was used to refer to social
classes in Brahminical texts like the Manusmriti.
( bullet ) These and other Hindu texts classified the society in principle into four varnas:
( bullet ) Brahmins: priests, scholars and teachers.
( bullet ) Kshatriyas: rulers, warriors and administrators.
( bullet ) Vaishyas: agriculturalists and merchants.
( bullet ) Shudras: laborers and service providers.
( bullet ) Communities which belong to one of the four varnas or classes are called savarna or “caste Hindus”.
( bullet ) The Dalits and scheduled tribes who do not belong to any varna, are called avarna.
( bullet ) This quadruple division is a form of social stratification, quite different from the more nuanced system Jatis
which correspond to the European term “caste”.
( bullet ) The varna system is discussed in Hindu texts, and understood as idealised human callings.
( bullet ) The concept is generally traced to the Purusha Sukta verse of the Rig Veda.
( bullet ) The commentary on the Varna system in the Manusmriti is oft-cited.
( bullet ) Counter to these textual classifications, many Hindu texts and doctrines question and disagree with the Varna
system of social classification.
( bullet ) Jati is a group of clans, tribes, communities, and sub-communities, and religions in India.
( bullet ) Each Jati typically has an association with a traditional job function or tribe. Religious beliefs (e.g. Sri
Vaishnavism or Veera Shaivism) or linguistic groupings may define some Jatis.
( bullet ) Among the Muslims, the equivalent category is Qom or Biradri.
( bullet ) A person’s surname typically reflects a community (Jati) association: thus Gandhi = perfume seller, Dhobi =
washerman, Srivastava = military scribe, etc
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