Indian population now with 80% Hindu, 14% Muslim and 6% other religions. Muslim population had dipped to 10% with partition. Hindu is a large catch phrase. 26% according to latest census is SC and ST.
Piketty argues that India has been dealing with diversity and inequality which Europe and other nation's are only beginning to see now. India and China have always been abundantly more populated. He attributes some of it to the food habit which doesn't depend much on animal husbandry and therefore the need for large grazing grounds.
The caste is a lose translation of jathi with added confusion with Varna. Varna system as understood by European scholars comes from Manusmriti which was composed around 2nd Century AD. It is a priestly class dominated suggested blueprint for the society and not a snapshot of the society. In reality India has thousands of occupation-based and regional castes. Endogamous marriages and strict dietary stipulations are the main features. Varna system kind of resembles the ternary functional social split. Brahmin including the scholars and men of letters as well. Artisans and merchants are grouped under Vaishyas. The upper three are considered twice-born and wearing the sacred thread. The British tried to simplify the jathis into the varna system as simplification leads to easier domination.
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