Name: Changing Castes and Hierarchies in Medieval India
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 5 min 24 s
Description: With increasing economic complexity, more specialised castes emerged throughout the country. Let’s examine how this came about.

Question

Which type of caste system was prevalent in the society during the Medieval period ?

Accepted Answer

The varnas of Vedic period - Brahman, Kshtraiya, Vaishya, and Shudra had by this time transformed into the caste system.

No longer was an individual's caste depended on his occupation. It was now depended on birth.

The caste system had become extremely rigid during the Medieval period. Inter-caste marriage was frowned upon.

The Brahmans and the Kshtraiyas had a very high, respectable status in the society.

Even the Vaishyas had a good status, but the Shudras were considered to be fit for menial jobs.

This period saw the emergence of the Muslim rule in India.

This became one of the regions why the caste system had become so rigid.

Various Muslim dynasties such as the Mughal, Deccan Sultanates, Delhi Sultanates ruled a vast region of the Indian subcontinent.

Which type of caste system was prevalent in the society during the Medieval period ?

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