<P> De Zwart notes that the caste system used to be thought of as an ancient fact of Hindu life and that contemporary scholars argue instead that the system was constructed by the British colonial regime . He says that "jobs and education opportunities were allotted based on caste, and people rallied and adopted a caste system that maximized their opportunity". De Zwart also notes that post-colonial affirmative action only reinforced the "British colonial project that ex hypothesi constructed the caste system". </P> <P> Sweetman notes that the European conception of caste dismissed former political configurations and insisted upon an "essentially religious character" of India . During the colonial period, caste was defined as a religious system and was divorced from political powers . This made it possible for the colonial rulers to portray India as a society characterised by spiritual harmony in contrast to the former Indian states which they criticised as "despotic and epiphenomenal", with the colonial powers providing the necessary "benevolent, paternalistic rule by a more' advanced' nation". </P> <P> Assumptions about the caste system in Indian society, along with its nature, evolved during British rule . Corbridge concludes that British policies of divide and rule of India's numerous princely sovereign states, as well as enumeration of the population into rigid categories during the 10 - year census, particularly with the 1901 and 1911 census, contributed towards the hardening of caste identities . </P> <P> Social unrest during 1920s led to a change in this policy . From then on, the colonial administration began a policy of positive discrimination by reserving a certain percentage of government jobs for the lower castes . </P>

What is the history of the caste system in india