Caste System In Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece was divided on the bases of social classes. Some classes were superior while others were of less importance. Superior classes enjoyed some exceptional rights and benefits over the less important ones. Ancient Greek civilization has contributed to many parts of today's society. The teachings of ancient Greeks have remained important lessons that many societies still base their own laws and ethics in particular, values of loyalty, glory, intelligence and hospitality into everyday life. While these values may seem intelligible, they have shaped an entire civilization into a culture that is one of the most referenced in history.

Around 500 BCE, a new idea began to take shape on the Greek and Italian peninsulas of the Mediterranean Sea. That idea was that people were citizens of a state or empire. By the sixth century a different idea formed and that was Citizenship. Citizenship is the status given by a government to some or all of its people. Each citizen had a balance called social contract theory of citizenship which was their individual rights such as the right to vote, and their individual responsibilities, such as the duty to serve one country. Romans citizen was more judged on how their behavior was towards the family, neighbors, and property. While Athens focused more the citizen responsibility than the citizen rights. Citizenship was a thing both in Athens

India was spiritual and although they had a king, the kings were a monarchy and in order to be king, one had to be the son of the previous king, much like modern day England. This related to caste system, because whatever you had done in your past life, either good or bad, related to what the gods decided that you are born into. If you were or did something good in your past life, there was a chance you could become a king in your next life. Greece however governs their country thought that people should have the power, to run on philosophy rather than belief of something higher like gods. Greece believed more in what they could see.

The caste system initially served to maintain strict social boundaries between the invaders and the previous inhabitants. Through the generations, the origins of the caste system were forgotten and it became the general rule of a single society (University of Wyoming, 1997).

Citizenship is a status or standing given by government to it's people It was first thought of in ancient times by Athens. Athens was a city-state part of the peninsula Greece. This whole transition to citizenship instead of subjects was thought to begin at around 500 BCE, but Athens wasn't the only one participating in this new ideology. Rome, of the Italian peninsula, decided that citizenship was a good way to make their subjects feel proud of their home, so both civilizations started using these new principles. But which citizenship system was better Rome or Athens.

Are you a citizen? Maybe you are. Maybe you aren’t. A citizen is a legally recognized subject. Citizenship is a status given by the government. Rome and Athens had very different systems of citizenship. But which system, Athens’ or Rome’s, was better? Some say it was Rome.

When we talk about caste system, one must talk about the southern and border states of the United States during the 1877 to mid-1960. These states primarily operated and upheld what is called Jim Crow laws. Under Jim Crow laws it legalized anti-black racism; it was a way of life for black citizens to live under a series of rigid anti-black laws. It was a system which was supported by beliefs that white citizens were superior to black citizens to include intelligence, morality and civilized behavior. Jim Crows laws suggested by mixing of the races would produce mongrel race that would destroy America, treating blacks equal would encourage interracial sexual relations and violence was the means to keep blacks at the bottom of the race hierarchy

The caste system refers to Indian social order which is based on ancestry. The main social classes, “varna”, had priests at the top and peasants at the bottom. It developed due to increasing social complexity from intermingling with Dravidians.

Firstly, the caste system reflects the inequality of Indian society. Although religion in India is characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices, majority of Indian population follow Hinduism. Therefore, the dominance of Hinduism beliefs is common in India. There is a belief in caste system, as Brood said, “a system of hierarchical social organization”1. Hindu society is divided into four main classes; the priestly class, the warrior and administrator class, the producer class who is farmers and merchants and the servant class. The remaining group of people who is “outcastes” is called “untouchables” or dalit. Brodd recognizes “dalits continue to suffer terrible oppression, especially in rural communities in India”. I still could not imagine how terrible this bottom class suffers until reading Max Bearak article. All sufferings of Rohith Vemula, from the hardships of growing up poor, interactions with society in caste to scholarship revoke and suicide, happened tragically because he was born in a dalit family. This is the

Although the caste system was a social structure, it helped stabilize India’s political foundation. Based on the citizen’s profession, the caste defined their social standing. This system contained 5 main levels; the Brahmans were the priest, highest of the caste, they ruled and ordered by telling the lower castes what to do, helping to govern the region with their significant knowledge of their religion. Next came the Kshatriya who were the

“What was the ruin of… Athens, but this, that mighty as they were in a war, they spurned from them as aliens those whom they had conquered? Our founder Romulus… was so wise that he fought as enemies and then hailed as fellow citizens several nations on the very same day.” (Doc. C). Claudius, the emperor of Rome in 48 CE, spoke these famous words, highlighting the differences in citizenship between Athens and Rome. In the Roman Republic, more inhabitants of the empire were granted citizenship, unlike in Athens, where only a select few had the opportunity to gain citizenship and certain rights (Doc. C). Citizenship in the Roman Republic was demonstrably better than the Greek understanding of citizenship as evaluated on an individual level,

In ancient India and China a social system was developed to separate the society into levels. This social system is called a caste system. Which caste level you belong to was determined by your occupation and family origin. If you were born the son of a king your life was grand. But, if you were born to a farmer you are a farmer for life. Your birth determines where you fall in the caste system, and you live according to the rules. Both ancient India and China had the caste system. Ancient India and China had similarities and differences in the caste system.

In Greek class structure only free, landowning, native-born men could be citizens entitled to the full protection of the law in a city-state. In most city-states, unlike in Rome, social

Vedic society was divided into four different classes, Brahmans, nobles, commoners and the serfs. These classes are part of the cosmic hierarchy and were based on purity. This gave way to the caste systems. Castes are arranged in the following order of the polarity of purity; Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and the shudras. With a fifth group called the untouchables at the very bottom. They are the untouchables because they are the most impure. The caste of an individual cannot be removed. Each caste has strict rules on caste endogamy.

What are the four major castes? What implications does the caste system have for everyday life? How does the caste system relate to Hindu ideas of spiritual life? “The four major castes of Hindu society are; seers ( brahmins ), administrators ( kshatriyas ), artisans or farmers ( vaishyas ), and followers or servants ( shudras)”( Smith 56). Smith writes, religious leaders, teachers, artists, and philosophers are members of the first caste, brahmins, khatriyas, the second caste, first known as warriors are now managers. The tillers of the land, the makers of bricks, and the builders are part of the third caste, vaishyas. The fourth caste is made up of servants, those who will take care of the other castes’ needs (56)”. While I was working in India, summer of 2001 and there at the invitation of the richest family in India and staying at one of their compounds, some of my co-workers and I were playing snooker. A young boy walked into the room where we were playing. He stopped and talked to us for a few minutes before continuing to bed. Accompanied by a man of about twenty years old, the boy’s shudra, who had been the boy’s personal servant for ten or more years. The shudra’s purpose was to protect and serve his charge’s every need. Although there is inequality between castes, Smith denotes.“ within each caste, there is equality, opportunity, and social insurance ( 57)”. Although the text