Question

Arrange the varnas according to the rigid and divisive social hierarchy prescribed in the Rig Veda:

• A. Brahmins
• B. Kshatriyas
• C. Vaishyas
• D. Shudras

Answer 1

The Rig Veda prescribed a social order of the four varnas: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras; and arranged them in a rigid hierarchy. This hierarchy laid the foundation for thousands of years of caste discrimination in Indian society. It eliminated social mobility and enabled the marginalisation and exclusion of the so-called lower castes.