1. Adivasi
2. Brahmin
3. Dalit
4. Kshatriya
5. Vaishya
The Hindu Caste System is complicated, there are literally thousands of castes and sub-castes but the above classification is as good as any. It is both well-known and notorious that the Dalits are people who are classified as Untouchables and are at the very bottom of the food chain. The Brahmins are the ruling class. The Kshatriyas were originally the military class but are now mainly landowners. The Vaishyas are largely the middle classes. The Adivasi are mainly rural people and are traditionally ill-educated. The Shudras (not listed above) are the servant class, one step up from the Dalits, but were not listed in the original Vedic literature.
Back To Number 5 Index