The caste system and its main advantages and disadvantages. Hindu philosophy and religion, with their customs and traditions, are linked to the caste system as they are deeply rooted in Indian society. More than 2,800 documented castes fall into subcastes, each with its own unique character and variety of rules. Hierarchy divides society into greatness or superiority and baseness or inferiority to establish a defined rank structure. Each caste has established traditional customs, practices and rituals, but also has its own informal procedures and rules, where applicable. The dominant caste wields economic power and high status due to their wealth, political power, and numerical strength. The presence of more educated people and members with higher tenure play a determining role in dominance within local caste groups. It is strongly discouraged to seek justice from local, regional or government authorities located outside the village. The caste system is divided into four main groups: Brahmins as elites and mainly priests or highly educated people. The Kshatriya as rulers, warriors and landowners. The Vaishya are the merchants. The Shudra are the artisans and farmers, there are many sub-groups as this is the service provider group. Many “birthright” service groups operate similarly to unions in the United States. Then outside the system are the Harijan or "untouchables" or as they like to be called "Dalits" (which in India means oppressed), their occupations are labeled as impure, unhealthy and dirty work which can range from being a musician, transforming cow dung into cakes to burn as fuel or for heating (by all castes). A major advantage of the caste system is that it ensures the continuity of traditional social organization in India. The transmission of knowledge and skills related to trades and professions from one generation to the next is very important. Rituals and traditions promoted cooperation and unity within local areas between different castes. Some subsystems promote interactions between different villages, communities and castes independently. The main disadvantages include the promotion of untouchability and discrimination against certain members of society, even though this is illegal by the Indian constitution..