Writer Tony Joseph delivered a lecture at the 84th annual Indian History Congress session in Thalassery, Kerala, focusing on the evolution of caste in ancient India. He traced the origins of caste back to the first millennium BCE, emphasizing that the caste system developed from political needs rather than purity or racial ideas. Joseph noted that the earliest caste, the Brahmanas, formed around the fixed Vedic hymns and priestly roles following the rise of the Kuru kingdom after the Battle of the Ten Kings. He explained that the alliance between the priestly Brahmanas and ruling Ksatriyas was central to caste evolution, with Ksatriya status often granted through power, not birth. Joseph underlined that the caste hierarchy was not uniform everywhere early on and faced significant opposition from Sramanic religions like Buddhism and Jainism, which rejected caste divisions and Brahmanical authority. The rise of agriculture and trade expanded caste roles across India, often supported by rulers regardless of their religion, as a way to stabilize social order. Joseph concluded that the caste system was historically contingent and socially contested, evolving over centuries into the rigid hierarchy known today. He dedicated the lecture to historian Prof. MGS Narayanan and noted that much of this research will feature in his upcoming book on India's cultural formation.