JSPES, Vol. 43, No. 1-2 (Spring-Summer 2018)
pp. 109–119

Castes in India: Are They Evolving?

Venkatesh Murthy

MDU Campus, Rohtak, Haryana, India

In India, the convention has been that Hindus should participate in a religiously pre-defined occupation. Earlier studies have found evidence that while the Vaisyas caste dominated business, Brahmins maintained their traditional occupation as priests. The current study explores small business occupations in Udupi, a city in southern India. Our findings indicate a surge of Brahmins in business activities, indicating a move away from their traditional occupation. For their part, members of the Vaisyas caste continue their traditionally defined castebased small business occupations. The study, limited in the generalizations it can justify because it is based on sampling in only a small portion of India, is reported here for the fascinating detail it conveys about a subject that is of sacred importance in India.