Was the “Varna System”/ Caste System of Ancient India Based on Skin Color?

Did Varna system exist during the Vedic Age?

A 19th-century manuscript of Rigveda. Image source: Wikimedia.

Have you wondered what the caste system or the varna system was like in ancient India? Did it resemble modern Indian society? Did caste even exist in ancient India?

Recently I had the opportunity to collaborate with Dr. David Miano, Professor of Ancient History at the State College of Florida, on the topic of whether the caste system or varna system of ancient India was based on skin color.

One of the viewers of his Youtube channel, the World of Antiquity, asked him the question: Was varna based on color in the Vedic Age? You can watch the complete video at the end of this post.

Before we get into the possible racial aspect of the varna system, let us first understand what we mean by the varna system.

The varna system was the division of society into Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (merchants), and Shudras (laborers) in ancient India. We find the earliest known mention of the varna system in the 10th Ma…