Origin and Evolution of Caste System in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Origin and Evolution of Caste system in Tamil Nadu is an attempt to trace out the Meaning and Definition and Changes in the Caste system through the ages. Generally India is a land of several religions, races and inequalities. Society in the Indian sub-continent has been segmented into several religions and caste groups. Majority of the people belongs to the Hindu religion in India. The Hindu society is a composite and comprises of several castes and sub-castes.  These castes are not horizontal divisions of the society. Castes occupy various levels in the ladder of Hindu social hierarchy. A man had no individual identity in the past. Only caste rights and caste privileges were recognized and maintained through the ages.  These castes were considered as prime part of units of the society people enjoyed varying status and rights. The social inequality was believed as divinely ordained. However, this system had to have faced lot of challenges from time to time.  Whenever the challenges happened to appear, the Hindu society and the system followed so far underwent some modifications to suit the need of the society. Of course, the hierarchical system of the society was never given up by the caste Hindus.  Several social reformers, leaders and administrators have tried to eradicate the social inequalities but it has been continuing with slight modifications and these efforts have been taken up ever since the period of Gautama Buddha. Under the British, several measures were introduced by the Government to bring about a change is the social condition of Tamil Nadu.  However it could not be successful because people had difference of opinion among themselves