Question

Adiyalars occupied the highest rung in the caste hierarchy whereas the brahmins were at the bottom.
A) True
B) False

Answer 1

Hint: The arrival of Aryans in India is said to be the beginning of the caste system, according to social-historical theory. Around 1500 BC, the Aryans came to India. The Aryans were oblivious to the local cultures. The Hindu caste system in India is a composite structure of several social strata. It dates from a time when people believed that people were born into certain social classes.

Complete answer:
The Medieval Caste System: During the early mediaeval period, class or vocational divisions crystallized. The main groupings were artisans, servants, priests, and moneylenders. Even after converting to Islam, they maintained their Hindu identity and continued to work as artisans, shopkeepers, and clerks.

There were five castes in Indian society:
Brahmins: Brahmins are a class of people that belong to the upper class. The priestly caste is a caste of people who are devoted to God. They became the formal caste once their religious role waned.
Kshatriya: The warriors who had invaded India were direct descendants of the Kshatriya elite.
Vaisya: The caste of the common people Generally, traders belonged to the third caste.
Sudras: Sudras are people who live in India. The vast majority of Indians were represented. The majority of the Sudras were peasants, artisans, or other manual labourers.
Untouchable: The Untouchables are a group of people who are untouchable. Descendants of slaves or incarcerated people Untouchables were assigned to menial, demeaning jobs that no one else wanted to do.
Adiyalars: During mediaeval times, the Adiyalars, who used to farm, were at the bottom of the caste hierarchy, while the Brahmins were at the top.

Thus the correct answer is false i.e, option ‘B’.

Note:
i) Brahmans divided into 10 main territorial divisions 5 of them are in the north and five are in the south. The northern group consists of Sarasvati, Gauda, Kannauj, Maithil, and Utkal Brahmans, and the southern group comprises Maharashtra, Andhra, Dravida, Karnata, and Malabar Brahmans.
ii) In India, caste divisions were practically complete. People were born into a caste and died as members of that caste. Except under exceptional circumstances, caste marriages were always performed within the caste.