Author: Shang Huipeng

Publisher: Peking University Press, August 2025

Abstract:

The caste system is a defining feature of Indian society and a key to understanding Indian society and culture.
This book is a specialized study of the Indian caste system. It provides a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the origins, concepts, structural characteristics, and evolution of caste, as well as the relationship between the caste system and Hinduism, the modernization of Hindu society, and relevant theories concerning caste and Hindu society. The book places particular emphasis on utilizing materials and research findings from social anthropology, including firsthand data gathered by the author through fieldwork in Indian villages. It systematically examines the Indian caste system and serves as an important reference for understanding Indian society, religion, and culture.
The third edition not only revises the original content comprehensively but also incorporates new developments in caste studies, discussions on caste and social equity in Hindu society, and the author’s latest theoretical reflections on caste.

Author Biography:
Shang Huipeng is a professor at the School of International Studies, Peking University. After his retirement, he served as a Distinguished Professor at Huaqiao University and the Director of the Institute of Psycho-Culturology at Huaqiao University. His research primarily focuses on psycho-culturology, comparative culture, and culture and international relations theory. His published works include A History of Indian Culture, Chinese and Indians: A Comparative Study of Cultural Traditions, Essentials of Psycho-Culturology: Theories and Methods for Comparative Studies of Large-Scale Civilizations, People (Jen), State, and Inter-state Relations: A Psycho-Culturological Approach, and People (Jen), State and Inter-state Relations: A Psycho-Culturological Approach, among others.