There is no single accepted definition for what the caste system means. When societies formed in India they were tribes, not castes, then came the caste system. This is more rigid than social stratification. Most people who observe the caste system believe that it has only a religious background based on the religious texts - the Rig Veda and the Bhagavad Gita. The caste system exists to maintain peace within the society. The economic differences are very evident: the Brahmins are the patron priests of the country; The Kshatriyas are the military forces: the warriors; The Vaishyas are the merchants who provide goods for the survival of the country; and the Sudras are reserved to serve 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 not only followed for its religious background but also to maintain social harmony and economic differences in the Indian subcontinent. In English, castes are defined as a classification system, however in Indian culture, castes are two separate but related concepts: Varna and Jati. Varna is made up of the four main groups seen as castes: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras. The Untouchables are a separate subcaste who are assigned jobs that would pollute or shun the other four higher classes. Jati refers to the occupations within each of the four Varnas, which are then divided by birth. In addition to birth and occupation, skin color also plays an important role. Since the Aryans were white, they maintained their power over the darker-skinned Indian-Davidian speaking people. Therefore, one's life is based on one's heritage. Brahmins are 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 modified March 2011, http:/ /factsanddetails.com/asian/cat64/sub413/item2626.htmlKolanad Gitanjali, Culture Shock! India (Times Media Private Limited Singapore 2001) Moritsugu Ken. “The economic boom blurs the 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. 26 April 2015. World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, sv "Brahmins", accessed 3 May 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/.