Key Points

Varna is the broad four-fold classification of Hindu society (Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra). Jati refers to the complex system of thousands of local or regional castes and sub-castes which is the most common term used for caste.

Caste is determined by birth, is endogamous (marriage within the caste), has rules about food sharing, is hierarchical, has segmental divisions, and was traditionally linked to a specific occupation.

The caste system combines two principles: difference and separation to prevent mixing between castes, and wholism and hierarchy, where each caste occupies a specific rank in the societal whole.

The hierarchical ordering of castes is based on the distinction between 'purity' and 'pollution'. Castes considered ritually pure have high status, while those considered impure have low status.

British colonial rule made caste identities more rigid through systematic efforts to count and record them, especially via the census. The 1901 Census under Herbert Risley, which recorded social hierarchy, was particularly influential.

The Government of India Act of 1935 gave legal recognition to lists or 'schedules' of downtrodden castes and tribes needing special treatment, leading to the official terms 'Scheduled Castes' and 'Scheduled Tribes'.

Major leaders who worked against caste injustice include Jotirao Phule, Ayyankali, Sri Narayana Guru, Periyar E.V. Ramasamy Naickar, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

After 1947, the state officially committed to abolishing caste, but its 'caste-blind' policies often benefited the already privileged upper castes. The main exception was the policy of reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Sanskritisation is a process where members of a lower or middle caste attempt to raise their social status by adopting the rituals and social practices of a higher-status caste.

Dominant castes are those which have a large population and significant land holdings, giving them economic and political power in a region. Examples include the Jats of Haryana and the Yadavs of Bihar.

For privileged urban upper castes, caste has become 'invisible' because their economic and educational capital is sufficient for success, making caste seem irrelevant in their public lives.

Tribes are old communities historically defined by what they were not: they did not have a religion with written texts, a formal state, or sharp class divisions.

Tribes are classified based on permanent traits like region and language, and acquired traits like their mode of livelihood and the extent of their incorporation into Hindu society.

Approximately 85% of the tribal population lives in 'middle India' (from Gujarat to West Bengal). The North-Eastern states have the highest concentration of tribal population relative to state population.

National development projects like large dams, mines, and factories have often been built in tribal areas, leading to the large-scale displacement of tribals and the loss of their lands and forests.

Contemporary tribal identities are shaped by their interaction with mainstream society, often based on resistance to exploitation. The emergence of an educated tribal middle class has led to new demands for cultural rights and resources.

A nuclear family consists of one set of parents and their children. An extended or 'joint' family includes more than one couple and often spans multiple generations living together.

A matrilineal society is one where property is passed from mother to daughter. Matriarchy, a society where women hold ultimate authority, is a theoretical concept with no known historical or anthropological evidence.