Cultural Analysis of India

The Republic of India is the world's largest democracy, with an estimated population of 1,049,700,118 living in an area one-third the size of the United States (India 2003, 3). India is geographically situated in Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal between Burma and Pakistan. Often referred to as the Indus Valley civilization, India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. The invasion of Aryan tribes from the northwest in 1500 B.C. merged with previous inhabitants to create the classical Indian culture. Between the 8th and 15th centuries, Arab, Turkish, and European incursions occurred respectively. By the early 1800s, Britain maintained political control over practically all Indian lands. The efforts of Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru helped achieved Indian independence by 1947 (India 2003). The subcontinent was broken into divisions, including the secular state of India and the Muslim state of Pakistan. Strife between the two divisions has existed ever since, with a war in 1971 resulting in the formation of Bangladesh, a separate state formerly known as East Pakistan (India 2003).

Ethnically, India consists of three main divisions: Indo-Aryan (72%); Dravidian (25%) and Mongoloid and other (3%), (India 2003, 2). With respect to religion, 81.3% of the population practices Hinduism, 12% is Muslim, 2.3% is Christian, and 1.9% is Sikh (India 2003, 2). English remains the most signifi

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structure of Indian society (Brahmans, Kshatrias, Vaisias, and Sudras) "came from the mouth, arms, thighs, and feet of the Hindu figure of Braham respectively" (Daniel 1999-2000, 1). This religious theory of how the caste system was created stems from the ancient Hindu book, Rig Veda. Also known as "Varnas" the four different castes provide the social-hierarchy and status of each of these four groups (Daniel 1999-2000). The social stratification system known as the caste system also encompasses the Jats and untouchables, but these two distinctions were formed from a social-historical ideology versus a religious ideology. The first three caste distinctions are Aryan Varnas, while the Sudra Varna distinction refers to the simple workers of Indian society. Each of the castes are viewed as superior to the caste beneath it in hierarchy. While "untouchability" was outlawed by India's Constitution of 1950, entire villages still remain segregated with perceptions of the lowest caste being "untouchable." Such a distinction created a virtual "underclass" of citizens in Indian society. While socioeconomic class stratification exists in the U.S. and other Western cultures, India's caste system is based solely on skin color. As Danie

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