Caste differs from mere grouping by religious sacralization of exclusiveness

Evidence

The questions to be asked in determining what is an ideal society are: How numerous and varied are the interests which are consciously shared by the groups? How full and free is the interplay with other forms of associations? Are the forces that separate groups and classes more numerous than the forces that unite them? What social significance is attached to this group life? Is its exclusiveness a matter of custom and convenience, or is it a matter of religion? It is in the light of these questions that one must decide whether caste among non-Hindus is the same as caste among Hindus. — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 934

Categorization

• DEFINE: The analytic criteria distinguishing Hindu caste from equivalent non-Hindu group structures — central to comparing caste across religions.
• XREF: Core comparative framework for the reader’s caste-annihilation project: groups per se are universal; religion-sanctioned exclusiveness is what makes caste uniquely pernicious.