Proliferation of jatis
Topic: Society in Early India: Kinship, Varna-Jati, Women · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 3 "Empires and Kingdoms: 6th to 10th Centuries"
Meaning
Proliferation of jatis means that the number of jatis, communities usually linked to one occupation, kept growing over the centuries. The varnas were fixed at four, but jatis had no limit. New groups were fitted in as new jatis. These included forest peoples, migrants and new craft groups. Most jatis married within their own group, and each had its own customs. The system stayed flexible and differed from region to region.
Example
Sanskrit texts did not fit the goldsmith's trade into any varna, so goldsmiths became a separate jati, the suvarnakara. Forest-dwelling nishadas were also absorbed as a jati. Jatis that shared an occupation often formed shrenis, or guilds.
Don't confuse with
- Varna: only four categories, laid down in the Shastras. Jatis grew without limit and were based on real occupations and regions.