The assignment is to write about colonization in India, it is a very broad prompt I have written the first paragraph directing where I want the essay to go which is how the British East India company used to caste system to their advantage. It requires TWO PRIMARY SOURCES and then other sources such as academic articles.
While the caste system in India is often seen as a rigid social hierarchy, its origins were far more flexible and adaptable. The caste system originates from the ancient varnas classification, which initially divided society into four primary groups: Brahmins (priests and scholars), Kshatriyas (warriors and rulers), Vaishyas (merchants, agriculturists, and craftsmen), and Shudras (laborers). Each group was assigned specific roles and duties to ensure societal function and stability. In the early varna system, there was some room for social mobility, as people were able to intermarry among castes. This flexibility allowed individuals to potentially move between castes into their own subcategory called jati. The British East India Company’s disregard for the jatis, combined with its exploitation of the caste system to create more rigid structures where castes did not interact demonstrates how colonial powers can manipulate existing social structures rather than imposing entirely new systems of control; and be much more effective. By strategically aligning with certain castes during certain situations and exploiting the inherently present hierarchies, the Company created and exacerbated divisions among castes, which weakened resistance to its rule. During the Company’s Raj, the caste system became increasingly more rigid, affecting social and economic interactions among castes. This deliberate manipulation helped maintain colonial control of the subcontinent and maximize economic profit at the expense of leaving enduring societal consequences on Indian society that still exist to this day.