Unlike most ancient civilizations that utilized the class system, India used the caste system, which is similar to the class system in that groups of people are split up based on the amount of money they earn and the family they were born into but unlike the class system, you cannot move between levels of the system. The caste system dates back to the writing of the Vedas, but the tradition was passed down orally for generations. In the Rig Vedas, the first human created, Purusa, was separated into 4 varnas, or the four classes. The head was the Brahmin, the arms were the Kshatriya, the thighs were the Vaishya, and the feet were the Sudra. The Untouchables were not mentioned in the Rig Vedas because the concept of being untouchable was created by society. One could not move from different levels because where they are born is where they belong their whole life. The pyramid shown above helps show the size of each level; The Brahmin were the smallest group of people while the Sudra (and the Untouchables) were the largest group in ancient Indian civilization. The caste system is still present in India society today, where it will continue to persist.