Can You Say Something About The Merits And Demerits Of The Hindu Cast System?

The Hindu caste system has rendered many services to the Hindu society. It is the cast system that has been largely responsible for the preservation of the Hindu religion and their culture. The cast brotherhoods on the account of their policy of exclusiveness did not mix with the foreigners and so the foreigners like the Greeks or Muslims could not conquer Hindu religion. Secondly the caste system was also responsible for preserving the purity of blood among the various groups of Hindus by preventing inter cast marriages.
But the caste system has done more harm. It is anti national and has split up the Hindu society into a number of groups often jealous of one another. . Secondly the chief curse of the caste system is 'untouchability'. The upper castes did not regard the lower caste Sudras as human beings. They were not treated as men but cattle. They could not the touch the utensils, clothes and water of the upper class Hindus. Thirdly, the caste system is anti- democratic and denies equal rights to all. Fourthly, by splitting the people into a number of water-tight compartments the caste system has hindered the growth of nationalism. This is the reason why India for centuries was under foreign conquer.