The caste system consists of several castes (defined by Britannica as being "ranked, hereditary endogamous social groups, often linked with occupation") which influence an individual's position and relative social and economic influence on society. Emphasis would be placed on ancestry and family history (including surnames) when determining an individual's caste. Caste differs from class in that, as Berreman describes the system as "a hierarchy of endogamous divisions in which membership is hereditary and permanent" (Berreman, G.D., 1960), it cannot be changed through social activity, meritocracy, hard work, or the exploitation of others. It is an unchanging state that one is born into and remains throughout one's entire life. While this model of society had appeared to perhaps have been more influential historically and only remains of importance in situations such as marriage and those of religious and cultural significance in Indian society today (Desai, S and Dubey, A, 2011), it is something that has proven hard to shift altogether, and appears to be a significant aspect of India's political, cultural and religious landscape concerning development today, albeit perhaps being changed due to westernisation and the rising conformity of the Indian population to practises of greater prevalence in religions associated more with western culture and values. However, this could perhaps be disproved through arguing that the caste system still also could be seen as influential in certain western societies, for instance when looking at the race based relations in the USA (Berreman, G.D, 1960), and the influence of western culture on ideas regarding Aryanism (with Aryans being considered the highest caste in India's caste system) in India. Equally, when existing in more secular societies such as the UK and the USA, such systems would clearly appear much less prevalent; yet, classism, elitism, and other hierarchical ideas would still remain commonplace as a means of further dividing society, including the more globally accepted views on the traditional class system. It is through observing and evaluating the similarities and differences between these two versions of the caste system, as well as in their application to India's political system and development both historically and in the present day, that the extent of the system's prevalence in today's Indian society can be assessed.
While imperialism appears to be highly eulogised within the Western world and considered as the reason for India's development, as well as an effective means by which the colonisers can simultaneously further support their own interests, it is only on a highly superficial level that this appears to have been considered in a particularly positive way by the Indian population. Despite its illusion of modernity and improved civilisation within India, it is ironically the reason why archaic values persist. These include the caste system. This is likely because those who are most in favour of globalisation, cultural change, and the influence brought about by colonialism are often those from higher castes in positions of great wealth and power, who can thus use this change to their advantage. The transition to a liberal and progressive state, albeit one overseen and controlled by those in positions of power, as is observed in many capitalist Western nations, can be noticed as a result. It is also important to note that development is described in this manner based on the criteria and metrics of highly developed capitalist nations, and reflected through the similarities in culture, behaviour, and economic situation between them and other less developed countries, which rely heavily on globalisation and westernisation to assist with this process. While some improvements socially and culturally (i.e., regarding gender equality, human rights, and standards of living) would likely be observed in these nations, they also maintain the same rigid class structures as their less developed counterparts, albeit perhaps in slightly different ways. This would, therefore, suggest that colonial and neo-colonial relations with the Western world have had limited influence on diminishing the caste system in India.
Equally, the previous point I made regarding there being a caste system in the US (although appearing more racially as opposed to socially orientated), that still has a vital role in determining one's relative social influence, proves to be effective in providing evidence for the view that there is arguably limited correlation between levels of development and the prevalence of caste and classism in today's society. The phenomenon of feudalism, by which the lower-waged proletariat work to support the survival of the bourgeois (who are free to exploit them to suit their own capitalist needs), is the very reason why caste and class remain. With regard to the opposing view that caste, while still a part of one's identity and not yet obsolete in Indian society, only being taken into account for situations such as arranged marriage, this arguably does not diminish its influence in that its importance in increasing one's attractiveness as a partner, or their ability to provide their spouse with improved social and economic opportunities is clear. While class may perhaps outweigh this, this doesn't mean that caste is not less significant, and proves that it still is an integral part of present day Indian society, regardless of social and economic advancement, and that it will continue to influence India's development for the future.
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