Discuss the relationship between religion and caste in Hindu culture.
What will be an ideal response?
Ans: Indian social structure is characterized by a caste system, officially abolished in 1949 but still powerful, in which people are believed to be born to a certain status that they must occupy for life. It has its origins in Hindu beliefs that an ideal life is partly achieved by performing the duties appropriate to one’s caste. Hindus, like Buddhists, believe in samsara, the reincarnation of the soul according to a person’s karma, or actions on Earth. Whether someone is reborn into a higher or lower caste depends on the degree to which the person is committed to dharma, or the ideal way of life. Although orthodox Hinduism requires observance of caste duties, for the past 500 years, religious societies have organized around gurus who break with caste conventions, emphasizing devotional love as the central spiritual act. This tradition influenced Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India’s independence movement, and others who have viewed Hinduism as a vehicle for social reform.
KEY: Learning Objective: 13.4: Identify key characteristics of the four major global religions.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis
Answer Location: Hinduism
Difficulty Level: Medium
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