Many of my school teachers and textbooks say that the Caste System was very different during the Vedic Period. Is this true. If yes, how and why did it change to what we still see today?
It is important to distinguish the Vedic castes (varna) from modern "birth groups" or jati. In Vedic times the varna were based on profession and role in society rather than being hereditary. Over time the system has become very rigid and stratified, leaving no room for mobility.