The Seniority of Brahmanas is from Sacred Knowledge, that of Kshatriyas from valour, that of Vaisyas from wealth in grain, but that of Sudras is from age alone. |
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The Vaisyas, comprised of farmers, merchants, and artisans, occupy the third rung. |
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Traditionally in India the main castes have been the Brahmins, the priestly class, Kshatriyas, the soldier class, Vaisyas, the trader class, and Sudras, the cultivator class. |
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The four distinct Varnas or castes that are mutually exclusive, hereditary, endogamous, and occupation-specific are the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras. |
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The first was over whether low-caste Karavas were in fact ksatriyas and therefore of higher caste than the high-caste Goyigamas, who were vaisyas. |
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