deriv LSK ETT STT aSTA ALPH OLDHOMEPAGE NEWHOMEPAGE

@caste

In ancient India there were four castes (qq(see wikipedia on Caste)) —

**brAhmaNa- ब्राह्मणॱ (priests, teachers, intellectuals)

**kSatriya- क्षत्रियॱ (politicians, security, military)

**vaizya- वैश्यॱ (landowners, businessmen)

**zUdra- शूद्रॱ (servants of the first three castes)

The first three were the upper castes, called **dvija- द्विजॱ because they undergo a ceremony called upanayana उपनयन which is said to be like a second birth.