ar caste and cannot adopt a caste. Thus, now a person born into a chamar (shoemaker) caste remains a chamar though he might be a shopkeeper or clerk. Also, some jobs are still done, even in urban households, by people belonging to a certain caste. Another important characteristic of the caste system is caste endogamy. Endogamy is when people strictly marry into the same caste. The Indian caste had hereditary membership, and marriage was only permitted within the same caste. There were restrictions on the choice of occupation and on personal contact with members of other castes. Finally, the caste system was broken up greatly during the period of British rule in India. Many things have changed over the years. Long before the arrival of the British, new religions and reform movements within India attacked the caste system. Buddhism was the first to do so in the 6th century B.C.. It is not known how much of an effect Buddhism had on the caste system as a whole. The caste system was next challenged by the Muslims. As a result of Muslim rule, the system divided into more groups. Next came the British. The first effect that the British had on the caste system was to strengthen it, for the British gave the Brahmans back special privileges the Muslim rulers had taken away. On the other hand, the British law courts did not agree that the lower-caste persons should receive greater punishment than the upper-caste persons for committing the same offense. In the cities that came about during British rule, it became possible for untouchables or low-caste persons to "pass" as members of higher castes from some distant area. It became difficult for the members of different castes not to come in contact at factories and in buses.iv Other situations occurred in which castes did not matter. The educated in the cities mingled socially with people who were of other castes but of their own financial position and class. When the British first came to Ind...
