Genealogical Investigation: Tracing the Divine Origin of Varna as Anathema to the Mundane Origin of Caste

Neha Singh

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.79708

Genealogical Investigation: Tracing the Divine Origin of Varna as Anathema to the Mundane Origin of Caste

Author(s)	Dr. Neha Singh
Country	India
Abstract	This paper is an extract of a research project titled “Understanding the Discourse of Caste and Race in the Contemporary World (F. No. ICSSR/RPD/MJ/2023-24/G/42)” funded by Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). This paper undertakes a genealogical investigation into the historical evolution of social stratification in the Indian subcontinent by examining the distinction between the Vedic conception of varna and the later crystallization of caste as a rigid social institution. Drawing upon Vedic texts, epics, Buddhist and Jain traditions, historical accounts of foreign travellers, and modern scholarly interpretations, the study interrogates the claim that the contemporary caste system is a direct continuation of the ancient varna framework. The paper argues that the original varna order represented a flexible and functionally differentiated system grounded in guna (qualities), karma (actions), and varnadharma (ethical obligations), where social mobility and occupational fluidity were not entirely absent. Through an examination of textual and historical evidence—including the Rig Veda, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, accounts of Megasthenes and Hiuen Tsang, and interpretations offered by scholars such as Ghurye, Bayly, and Ambedkar—the study demonstrates that rigid hereditary boundaries and fixed social exclusion were neither uniform nor absolute features of early social organisation. It further contends that subsequent historical developments, religious codifications, political transformations, and changing social practices gradually diluted the metaphysical and ethical foundations of varna, contributing to the emergence of increasingly rigid social distinctions. The paper thus seeks to contribute to debates on caste by differentiating between the philosophical ideal of varna and the historical evolution of caste, while highlighting the complex and contingent processes through which social categories transformed over time.
Keywords	Varna, caste, social stratification, Varnadharma, Vedic society, genealogy, social mobility, Indian social history
Field	Sociology > Politics
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 3, May-June 2026
Published On	2026-05-26
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.79708

View / Download PDF File

E-ISSN 2582-2160

doi

CrossRef DOI is assigned to each research paper published in our journal.

IJFMR DOI prefix is
10.36948/ijfmr

Downloads

Research Paper Format Copyright Permission Form and Undertaking Form Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 3 Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 2 Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 2

All research papers published on this website are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, and all rights belong to their respective authors/researchers.

CC-BY-SA

About IJFMR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9687-828-838	editor@ijfmr.com

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Genealogical Investigation: Tracing the Divine Origin of Varna as Anathema to the Mundane Origin of Caste

Share this