There is no single accepted definition for what the caste system means. When societies were formed in India, they were tribes and not castes, and then the caste system appeared. It's stricter than social stratification. Most people who observe the caste system believe that it has only a religious basis based on the religious texts: the Rig Veda and the Bhagavad Gita. The caste system disappears to maintain peace within society. The economic differences are very obvious: the Brahmins are the patron priests of the country; The Kshatriyas are the military forces – the warriors; The Vaishyas are the merchants who provide the goods necessary for the survival of the country; and the Sudras are reserved for the service of the other three castes. If one of these castes did not exist, the entire country would descend into chaos. To summarize, the caste system is followed not only because of its religious origin but also to maintain social harmony and economic differences in the Indian subcontinent. In English, caste is defined as a ranking system, but in Indian culture, caste are two distinct but related concepts: Varna and Jati. Varna consists of the four main groups considered as castes: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras. The Untouchables are a distinct sub-caste assigned to jobs that would pollute or avoid the other four upper classes. Jati refers to the professions within each of the four Varnas, which are further divided by birth. Besides birth and occupation, skin color also plays a role. As the Aryans were white, they maintained their power over the darker-skinned Indo-Davidian speaking peoples. Therefore, a person's life is based on their heredity. Brahmins constitute the highest caste and are patriotic figures for the lower castes. They constituted the priestly class...... middle of paper ......Hall New-Jersey 1971) "Facts and Details, Hindu Caste System, Rules, Purity and Identity", last edited March 2011., http://factsanddetails.com/asian/cat64/sub413/item2626.htmlKolanad Gitanjali, Culture Shock! India (Times Media Private Limited Singapore 2001) Moritsugu Ken. “Economic boom blurs lines between Indian castes.” In USA Today, November 22, 2006, accessed May 3, 2015. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/“Patel Manisha” Interviewed by Banshri Patel. 10 minutes. April 26, 2015. World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, sv “Brahmins”, accessed May 3, 2015. http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/.World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, sv “Caste System” , accessed May 6, 2015. http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/.World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, sv “varna”, accessed May 3, 2015. http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/.