Varna (Hinduism)

Varna is a system from Hinduism that assigns people to different categories based on their jobs, beliefs, and amount of knowledge. It explains why people in society have different roles and responsibilities, and how they should be treated. Everyone belongs to one of four varnas: Brahmins (priests and teachers), Kshatriyas (warriors and rulers), Vaishyas (farmers, traders, and merchants), and Shudras (servants and laborers). The varna system is often compared to a color scheme, with Brahmins being white, Kshatriyas being red, Vaishyas being yellow, and Shudras being black. Some Hindus believe that one's varna is decided by their past lives, and that one must improve their karma (good deeds) to be higher up in their varna.