<P> Jatis have existed in India among Hindus, Muslims, Christians and tribal people, and there is no clear linear order among them . </P> <P> The term caste is not an Indian word . According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is derived from the Portuguese casta, meaning "race, lineage, breed" and, originally, "' pure or unmixed (stock or breed)". There is no exact translation in Indian languages, but varna and jati are the two most proximate terms . </P> <P> The sociologist G.S. Ghurye wrote in 1932 that, despite much study by many people, </P> <P> we do not possess a real general definition of caste . It appears to me that any attempt at definition is bound to fail because of the complexity of the phenomenon . On the other hand, much literature on the subject is marred by lack of precision about the use of the term . </P>

Describe the socio –cultural dimension of casteism in india