Tribe and caste are different divisions of people in a society. A tribe is the largest social grouping in one area, typically made up of friends, family, and other people who share their culture. Caste is a division that exists within a religious institution or society that separates members by occupation.
Tribe vs Caste
The main difference between Tribe and Caste is that a tribe is a group of people who share similar traditions and beliefs where they tend to live in an isolated area and rely on each other for survival, like an isolated island or forest, whereas the Caste is an abnormal social system that developed in India following the Aryan invasion.
Tribes are often named after a geographical area or feature with which they have some cultural, historical, or emotional association. Tribal people are often associated with a vague idea of primitive peoples living in small villages, living off the land, and moving around in search of food.
The caste system was given great importance in post-Vedic India as an integral part of the Hindu social order. The system was open to men from all social backgrounds but had special privileges for Brahmins. The Vedic literature period is long and diverse, but the caste system crystallized in Rigveda.
Comparison Table Between Tribe and Caste
What is Tribe?
Many tribes are known by a specific term in their language, usually one that describes a characteristic of their members or territory because tribes are based on common bonds, which may be occupation, religion, or descent, often there is an association with their lands. This can lead to conflict between tribes and other communities because the concept of shared interests is not often applied to tribes as it is with cities or towns.
Some tribes deliberately cut themselves off from mainstream culture to live more simply or with a stricter moral code. Other tribes are just thought of as relics from older times. The villagers have been living in the region for generations. They have a strong community that they call the tribe.
Tribal people speak the same language. They are related and share common beliefs. They worship the same God. They keep the same traditions and customs. They all live in the same areas with similar natural resources. Tribal people recognize each other as fellow members of the human race and do not recognize a tribal identity separate from what is common among all peoples worldwide.
What is Caste?
In Hinduism, the creation of castes was influenced by the rise of the religion and was organized around a system of four varnas or social classes based on a person’s birth. The vaisya classes are merchants and farmers, the Kshatriya class are kings and warriors, the brahmana class is religious leaders, and the shudra class are workers and servants. In the Hindu religion, a person is born into specific varna based on their creation. During the decline of Buddhism and the rise of Hinduism, many Buddhists converted to Hinduism and had to choose new varna.
Caste itself does not always dictate how people live or work as it does with Hinduism and Sikhism. Secondly, other factors such as education and income can determine which group a person belongs to within a caste system rather than solely determined by their birth. There are three broad divisions among Indian society: Harijans or the lowest castes, Other Backward Classes, who are the next caste up and are generally considered to be ethnically similar to other lower castes, and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Most major religions have castes, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The word caste was first used in this sense to describe the Jewish high priests, who were the only group allowed to eat certain types of food at the feast on certain days and were excluded from other social activities.
Main Differences Between Tribe and Caste
- Tribes are mentioned by language, common ancestry, social customs and traditions, and a traditional way of life from generation to generation, whereas the Caste is mentioned to premodern, non-state societies characterized by subsistence agriculture and where social life is organized in hierarchies.
- Tribes identify one another as being both culturally and ethnically similar, whereas, Caste has a hierarchy in which the lowest classes are the most oppressed and have no agency.
- Tribes are groups that share a language and culture, as well as a common ancestor, whereas Caste does not have the same social system or culture.
- A tribe tends to be geographically dispersed, whereas Caste is not geographically dispersed.
- The main activities of the tribe are choosing a leader, celebrating holidays, and making food, whereas Caste is independent of these activities.
Conclusion
The Tribe is a group of people who share a common identity. In sociology, tribes are built around things like geography, race, ethnicity, religion, and language. Tribal peoples are often misunderstood; their rights are violated, they are discriminated against, and their culture is in danger of extinction. Caste divides society into separate occupational groups known as varnas. These castes are based upon four separate human qualities that divide the population into occupations rooted in an ideology of purity and pollution, with Brahmins considered the highest caste.
Each caste wears different clothing, eats different food, and has a different role in society. Caste is still observed in many parts of India, while in other cultures, it may be rare or non-existent. Where the problem with this system is that it creates classism and creates a social stigma among different castes.
References
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=lTRUAQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA161&dq=tribes+&ots=RycqOh3AM3&sig=v3Q5As1eZcy_3wiKFMnhUFlXY9Y
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=4aEwDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA19&dq=tribes+&ots=2e68kFzxwS&sig=-55Y8Q3Q1kIS_BxSUCRiCLbRF_Q
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=yr0OAAAAQAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=tribes+and+castes&ots=dEC2KuF6dl&sig=nNDz4KowDGiUnCRLdr4QwvxrZmA