<Ul> <Li> Segmentation of society into groups whose membership was determined by birth </Li> <Li> A hierarchical system wherein generally the Brahmins were at the head of the hierarchy, but this hierarchy was disputed in some cases . In various linguistic areas, hundreds of castes had a gradation generally acknowledged by everyone </Li> <Li> Restrictions on feeding and social intercourse, with minute rules on the kind of food and drink that upper castes could accept from lower castes . There was a great diversity in these rules, and lower castes generally accepted food from upper castes </Li> <Li> Segregation, where individual castes lived together, the dominant caste living in the center and other castes living on the periphery . There were restrictions on the use of water wells or streets by one caste on another: an upper - caste Brahmin might not be permitted to use the street of a lower - caste group, while a caste considered impure might not be permitted to draw water from a well used by members of other castes . </Li> <Li> Occupation, generally inherited . Lack of unrestricted choice of profession, caste members restricted their own members from taking up certain professions they considered degrading . This characteristic of caste was missing from large parts of India, stated Ghurye, and in these regions all four castes (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras) did agriculture labour or became warriors in large numbers </Li> <Li> Endogamy, restrictions on marrying a person outside caste, but in some situations hypergamy allowed . Far less rigidity on inter-marriage between different sub-castes than between members of different castes in some regions, while in some endogamy within a sub-caste was the principal feature of caste - society . </Li> </Ul> <Li> Segmentation of society into groups whose membership was determined by birth </Li> <Li> A hierarchical system wherein generally the Brahmins were at the head of the hierarchy, but this hierarchy was disputed in some cases . In various linguistic areas, hundreds of castes had a gradation generally acknowledged by everyone </Li> <Li> Restrictions on feeding and social intercourse, with minute rules on the kind of food and drink that upper castes could accept from lower castes . There was a great diversity in these rules, and lower castes generally accepted food from upper castes </Li>

What is the highest hindu caste in india