Caste system in Rajasthan :

Caste is still the most pivotal social institution. There are occupational castes, agricultural castes, castes in a community development block and the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and non-scheduled population and on the intercaste relations and caste hierarchy. The villages have heterogenous caste composition and the village society enjoins upon each caste to perform certain functions which are inter-dependent and complementary and weave the economic system into a single integrated unit. All the castes practice cultivation, but some follow their traditional caste occupations as well, often as a household industry.

On the basis of the traditional occupation or functional specialisation, the castes inhabiting the region may be grouped in five broad categories viz.
(i) agricultural castes like Jals, Bishnois. Rajputs, etc.

(ii) castes practising agriculture and also serving needs of agriculturists, like Suthars, Lohars, Bambis, etc.

(iii) castes practising agriculture and also serving.the needs of the community with regard to 'the socio-religious ceremonies like Brahmins, Sods, Swamis, sewaks, Dakots and Dadis

(iv) castes practising agriculture, and also serving the other needs (like hair dressing, stitching clothes, making silver and gold ornaments, provid ing cleaning services, etc.) of the community like Nais, Darjis, Sonars, Khatris, Kumahars, and Sansis and finally

(v) the castes having animal husbandry as the major occupation like Raikas and Muslim cattle breeders (Goperas, Kharls, Billoch, etc.)

The interdependence of the different castes in the economic organisation of the village becomes' more emphasised during occasions Of marriage, festivals, etc. when each caste has a specific contributions to make. The services rendered by Suthar, Lohar, Nai, Bambi and Darzi castes are governed by what is known as the aat system under which every family caters to the need of a group of families for a particular type of service (like fabrication of wooden implements, shoe making and so on), payment for which is fixed by tradition and made on an annual basis either in cash or kind at the time of harvesting of grains. The amount to be paid depends upon the quantum of work, families with large agricultural holdings or large number of members generally paying more.

Sometimes, a part of the services are governed by aat and a part by other transactions. Agricultural castes has shown that they are strong and high in ritual status with larger economic assets (larger land holding and livestock) than the other groups. This makes them the dominant group in village and even in political affairs, particularly in matters connected with land and agriculture. Most of the Sarpanches in gram-panchayals come from these castes. Commonness of interest and kinship lies among more families of these castes in the village add to their solidarity and effective functioning as a group. The recent land reforms diverting the Jagirdar of his powers over land have improved the political strength arid prospects of the non-Rajput agricultural castes and made them a more vital force.

The scheduled caste and scheduled tribe population percentage in the arid Rajasthan was 15.81 and 3.65, respectively, as against 16.67 and 1 1.67 per cent of such populations in the whole of Rajasthan (1971 Census). Cultivation formed a major occupation of approximately three-fourths of the households.Only 4.03 per cent workers among the scheduled tribes were engaged in household industry as compared to 9.40 per cent workers among the scheduled castes and 7.27 per cent workers among the non-scheduled population engaged in this occupation. The land holding size is minimum among the scheduled tribes and maximum among the non-scheduled population.

Traditional Caste Panchayat, still plays a very important role in maintaining the social control in the society, specifically among the nomadic groups ,the 'life is governed by their own political institutions which have been shaped by the exigencies of nomadic life. Majority of the disputes on social breaches of rules regarding eating, drinking and having other forms of social intercourse with the members of other castes, breach of rules regarding marriage, abduction, illicit relations and other cases of moral turpitude, all forms of social vices prescribed by the nyat (caste panchayat), quarrels between different members on matters relating to property, money, etc., breach of caste etiquette and customs on occasions of births, deaths, marriages, etc., thefts, embezzlem  of public money and violation of the religious beliefs and practices are more often than not decided by nyat.

The sanctions which operate to ensure conformity to their codes are both positive and negative. Among the positive sanctions may be mentioned the desire to win the esteem of the group, which motivation is fairly strong in primary groups, and the desire to abstain from doing anything irreligious which has been possible only through rigid conformity to the unwritten social codes as manifested in customs, traditions and conventions.

Among the negative sanctions may be mentioned the imposition of fines, social humiliation, the denial of certain rights, and even excommunication. The force of such sanctions has been over-whelming, for the codes are inclusive in character and embrace all phases of life unlike modern society in which there are separate codes for different spheres. Many of the problems are solved by social ostracism and tidicule and one of the heaviest types of punishments among certain groups like Banjaras is the levy of the fine of two paisa or takey ka dand which implies that the man on whom this fine is levied is worth only two paisa and moves everywhere with this stigma. Among many nomadic groups the doctrine of collective responsibility and principle of clan vengeance is still operative.