Because of the belief of reincarnation and the caste system in India the only way of advancing in society is through good dharma. Defined as by Ross, who has a Ph.D. in Philosophy, in the source "The Caste System and the Stages of Life in Hinduism" as 'one's social and individual duties which include all castes role and ethical responsibilities' (2014). Those that show good dharma in respect to their caste are promised to be promoted to a higher position in the next life. Conversely, one who does not fulfil one's dharma will be punished with bad karma and will have a poor social standing in the next life. .
Thus, the implication is that those that are in lower castes deserve to be treated with malice compared to this in higher castes because of the poor dharma they exhibited in prior lives. In addition to this, it can be inferred that the author has a great value for the concept as dharma as it is instrumental to how one's future advances. An effect of this is that Institutions in modern day India have accepted social and economic inequality because of the dharma concept. For example, the lowest caste, the Dalits, (which aren't considered a class according to the traditional hierarchy) have been historically related to the most menial and degrading jobs with virtually no chance of social or economic advancement. These people continue to live in horrendously appalling conditions with the absence of many of their basic human rights but because of the belief in society that those in lower classes deserve this because of the law of karma, these injustices are seen are socially accepted. .
The principle of dharma is extended to the more "pure" classes also. Those in higher social castes are expected to have virtuous values and ideals and expected to behave in a different way. Following this, Hinduism limits marriage to those of the same caste, more specifically the same sub-caste (jati) and coerces men to follow their father's occupation; if one goes against this they are socially isolated and excluded from their caste (Desphande, 2011).
