Brahmans

It is known in India, that leadership positions in society are monopolized by a few dominant castes. The Brahmans or Brahmins (there are variations of the spelling) are the dominating, high caste in India. . The Brahman or Brahmin are priests and rulers. They make lots of money and get education through the government. When Brahmin get educated they generally will get high paying jobs in the government.


 * Where do Brahman live? **

Brahman live in big homes, usually in the cities. Because they have a lot of money and power they do not have to worry about having a place to live

Rules of Eating
Rules are guided by and determined by the Brahmin caste. For example, "one can rank the high castes in order on the basis of whether the Brahmin will accept water, fried food, or boiled food from them; and one can rank the low castes in descending order on the basis of whether their contact pollutes water". People eat according to how the Brahmin eat. A Brahmin eats alone or in a small "pure" square. Usually an image of a deity is brought to the kitchen for offerings before eating can be started. If a Brahmin sees an impure woman, child, or person of a lower caste, food is then considered not edible.

> Brahmins cannot eat: > Onions > Garlic > Tomatoes (are thought to be the seeds of a living element)

Marriage
Marriage is considered to be the most important occasion for an elaborate array of the rules. People in the Brahman class marry to keep power and money in the family. Parents make arrangements for who their children will marry. In general, people will not marry too far out of their own caste. Brahman will marry other Brahman.

"A male could legally take any number of wives, but monogamy was the rule for women". A woman is never recognized as having any independence because her father protects her in childhood and her husband protects her in marriage. Hinduism considers a son necessary for the spiritual well being of the family. "The son is light in the highest heaven".

Purity
"The distribution between pure and impure does not account for all the distinctions or segmentation of caste". The separation of the caste system is shown by the impurity of the Untouchables. The Untouchables may not use the same wells as the others, access of Hindu temples was forbidden until the Ghandi reform, and many other numerous disabilities. In present time the Untouchability act has been established, but it cannot transform overnight. The Brahmins do not bury their own dead; instead persons of a lower caste do the work. In India the washerman takes care of bedding soiled by the events of birth and menstruation. In this case the washerman is a specialist in impurity.

Education
In 1962, education beyond the fifth grade level was entirely for the high to middle caste males. Between the 1950's and 1960's there was a rise in the educational knowledge of villages. Education is viewed as a long-term investment for a high paying job within the government system. In the 1960's and 1970's women of high castes were permitted to complete the fifth grade, until pressure from civil servants who wanted more highly educated wives forced reluctant parents to allow their daughters to continue in school.