The tribal and caste groups are endogamous, reproductively isolated populations traditionally distributed over a restricted geographical range.
The Jāti provides identity, security and status and has historically been open to change based on economic, social and political influences (a process known as sanskritisation).
Though there were minor variations in its manifestation across the breadth of the Indian subcontinent, generally the Jāti was the effective community within which one married and spent most of one's social, religious and cultural life.
One text, the Laws of Manu (c. 200 BC), conceptualized a system of idealized occupational categories (Varna), from the perspective of the Brahmin scholars.
However, unless there is a strong element of political control or territoriality associated with such groups these too tend to disintegrate upon closer inspection as soon as essentially exogamous practices such as hypergamy are taken into account.
It is now an agreed fact that Sri Krishna, the central figure of the epic narratives, tried to defend the republican ideas against the imperialistic movement led by Jarasandha of Magadaha and Kamsa of Mathura" (R. V. K. Yadav, quoted by Lucia Michelutti in "Caste and modern politics in a north Indian town").
This kind of history, which seeks authenticity from written sources and from the self-interpretation of so-called archaeological remains, is sustained by commemorations such as feasts, fasts, celebrations and the creation of new symbols like flags and emblems based on these ..."[7]