THE CASTES SYSTEM IN HINDUISM AND ITS IMPACT ON HINDUS AND THE POSITION OF BUDDHISM AND ISLAM FROM IT

Abstract

The problem of the study revolves around the circumstances of the emergence of the Hinduism’ caste system and its role in shaping the Indian society, and the effects it left among its followers. The study aimed to shed light on the caste system in Hinduism and its impact on its adherents, and the comparison between the caste system in Hinduism, and what contradicts it in Buddhism and Islam. By employing the historical, descriptive and comparative approaches to achieve the expected results of the study, to deal with the study, and to answer the questions related to the issues of the caste system in Hinduism and the position of Buddhism and Islam from it. The study concluded the following findings: (1) the caste system in Hinduism is related to faith and not an ordinary system, so the change in it is a change in the core of the faith itself; (2) Buddha was a Hindu from the second class "the warrior class", he rebelled against Hinduism and established his own philosophy to eliminate the domination of priests and discrimination, which led to the establishment of the Buddhist religion; (3) There is a group outside the four castes called "untouchables" who number over 200 million people in India and are below all four castes. The researcher recommended studying the current situation of the Hindus lower classes and investigating the nature of their coexistence within the Hindu society.