You all ready know that Indian society is based on complex Caste systems, (or Varna) and that each class is divided into thousands of subclasses. All Classes are kept in place by the idea that higher ranking classes are better than the rest and somehow closer to heaven.
South Asia was invaded by different cultures, and they were swallowed by the caste system. They formed new castes or joined a ready made social system.
RULES in castes: As the centuries progressed, the castes got more and more tight with their sets of rules maintaining the classes. The higher classes became more and more afraid that the classes would mix,they were afraid of spiritual pollution. It became so bad that eventually Indians believed that simply touching a lower member would make you unclean. One class was so "impure" that wooden clappers were slapped together to warn of thier approach so no one would touch thier shadow.
Caste rules left no room for trouble. It even countrols things life cooking eating marriage and employment.
Each job also had its own caste. AAs soon as you were born, occupaton was a new caste.
What god you worshipped where you live, clothes and manner were all determined by class. Also each caste has its own counciel that makes sure if you don't eat your food the right way wyou will PAY an dharshly.
Interdependence But a at the same time, the casted need ecach other because the highter classes could not do the work of a lower classmen.
Even for the lowest csast, teh untouchables they accepted their postion because teh system was deeply roote din law custon and religous tradition.
In South Asia villages were governed by a head man and a council of elders. YOu inherited the job of head man from your father and consulted teh council to organize work paraties that fixed roads , irrigation ditches and hold tmeples.
Each village however large or small, had its own castes, villages generally stayed secluded, but at religious festivals, towns and people mixed.
Land lords in a village held the land , workds farmed the land and earned a small portion of the harvest. Whereat, arley rice, millet pels beans lentis and cotton were common crops.
Cows were very important to the villages, they were relied on for plowing, transportation mile and ghee, a fat free cooking oil that kept well in heat . Some think that cows became sacred because of teh huge economic value.
Indians supported their family first, then their village . Joint families were very popular. The joint family was an extended family that included a husband and wife, their children sons and thier wives and children, any unmarried daughters, brothers, uncles, and cousins.
This large family was very patriarchal. The oldest male or father was thought to be the wisest member. He had control over the household. A traditional Indian saying clears things up. "Father is heaven, Father is religion, the gods are pleased by pleasing father." The oldest male reigned over the household and arranged things like marriages for his children.
Strong families kept things under control. Family needs were more important than those of an individual, so the head of the hose made marriages to shelter the family. The newlyweds had no say at all in stupid matters like love.
Families didn't just celebrate weddings, they over celebrated. The bride provided a dowry, a gift to the groom. The higher caste, the larger the price. Families even went into debt from this.
Families arranged a union very early on even though they might not actually get married until much later. When married, a girl became part of her husband's family, and was permitted to see her own family once a year.