The Vedas or ìThe Books of Knowledgeî were the first building blocks of Hinduism. They told Hindus how to live and explained life. They say that the world is run by many gods and goddesses. The books are a collection of hymns believed to be holy.

 

Hindu society is divided into four castes:
Brahmans - Priests
Kshatriyas - Kings, Soldiers, and Noblemen
Vaisyas - Teachers and Merchants
Sudras - Servants and Craftsmen
The caste system was created from a cosmic being, Purusa. The Brahmans came from his mouth, the Kshatriyas came from his arms, the Vaisyas came from his legs, and the Sudras came from his feet.

In a Hindu caste system a personís place in society is determined by the rank of the family she or he is born into.