The hindu castes system divides people according to the function they have in society. Actually, it divides the families because if I was born in one caste, I can't change to another caste. So my children are gonna be part of this caste and the childen of my children also according to the type of work we do.
This has nothing to do with being rich or poor. Somone can belong to the lowest caste and be rich and I can belong to the highest caste and be poor. This tradition to divide people in castes started because of the God Brahma, which is one of the main deities of the Hindu Supreme Trinity.
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Brahma is only the god who created the whole universe. Vishnu is the maintainer of the universe.
And Shiva is the destroyer of the universe. But this isn't in the sense that Shiva is bad and Brahma and Vishnu are good. It is in the sense that things are born and reborn as in the cycle of birth and rebirth that the hindus believe.
In the past the society was divided in four castes. The brahmins, which were born from Brahma's head. They are the priests, intelectuals etc.
The Kshatriyas, who were born from Brahma's arms. They are the warriors. The Vaishyas, who were born from Brahma's legs.
They are the merchants and traders. And the Sudras, who were born from Brahma's feet. They are the workers, peasants, artisans etc But there are also the Dalits, who don't belong to any caste and were born from the dust that was in Brahma's feet.
They are also known as the untouchables, because if you touch them you get bad luck. I know some people like that. I also can get married only with people who belong to the same caste as I do.
They can't try something like Romeo & Juliet and try to unite two different families. [BRAZILIAN SOAP OPERA] Maya's family find out that Barruan was lying. He is not a Brahmin.
No? He is a Dalit. This caste stuff is a really old thing in the hindu tradition that doen'st exists anymore, at least legally.
Since India independence and their constitution it is forbidden to discriminate someone because of its caste. This works in bigger cities. In the small villages and tribes they still have this caste system working.