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This article, a preview of Louis Dumont's seminal work *Homo Hierarchicus*, examines the caste system in India not as a rigid structure but as a dynamic and encompassing social system. Dumont argues that the principle of hierarchy, specifically the opposition between pure and impure, is the fundamental organizing principle of Indian society. He emphasizes the religious basis of this hierarchy, where the Brahmin's ritual purity sits atop the social order, influencing all aspects of life, including marriage, occupation, and interaction. The article introduces the concept of “encompassment,” where the superior, while encompassing the inferior, is also dependent on it for the performance of certain functions, thus maintaining the system's equilibrium. This framework challenges traditional Western sociological interpretations of social stratification and offers a new perspective on understanding hierarchy in social systems.

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