Classifying the Universe: The Ancient Indian Varna System and the Origins of Caste

by Brian K. Smith

The first book to analyze why India's caste system has authoritatively endured for so long, this path-breaking text provides, for the first time anywhere, an exhaustive analysis of the historical predecessor to caste: the ancient Indian varna system as it was laid out in the Vedic literature. Presenting a revisionist overview of the way the religion of the Veda is to be understood, Classifying the Universe demonstrates that social classes were systematically...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195084985
• ISBN13: 9780195084986
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 424 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.2"