jatis

Jati is a term used in the Indian subcontinent to denote a birth-based social group within the broader caste system. A jati typically refers to an endogamous community with its own social identity, customs, and often a traditional occupation. Jatis are numerous and regionally varied, and they may be identified by language, locality, religious affiliation, and lineage.

Key features of jatis include endogamy (marrying within the same jati), social rules governing conduct and ritual practices, and often a historical association with a particular craft or livelihood. Jatis are usually organized into hierarchies that interact with the broader varna framework (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra), though the varna system is a generalized, macro-scale categorization and many jatis fall outside or span these categories. Within a jati, lineage or gotra can play a role in matrimonial eligibility and kinship structure, but gotras are distinct from the jati itself.

In historical and social terms, jatis served to regulate labor division, marriage alliances, and social identity. They have evolved with regional histories, religious movements, and changing economic conditions. In modern times, jati identities continue to influence social life in parts of India and Nepal, where census categories, affirmative-action policies, and political mobilization are often organized around caste or jati lines. Across the Indian subcontinent and in diaspora communities, the concept of jati persists as a way people understand kinship, community affiliation, and inherited social roles, even as urbanization and legal reforms promote greater social mobility and equality.