印度是世界上人口最多的國家之一,也是發展中國家中較早建立民主體制的國家。印度的民主政治具有突出特點,即在民主體制中深深嵌入了傳統的種姓等級制。政府保留政策的實施、"賤民"解放運動的興起和種姓協會的發展衍生了種姓政治,競爭性選舉制和政黨體制與種姓制的結合推動了種姓政治的發展。作為傳統的等級制,種姓制與現代社會存在內在沖突和諸多矛盾,但作為一種長期的社會現實還非常有活力,它與現代社會存在著某種契合,并在現代民主政治的進程中有所改變。

India is one of the most populous countries in the world and a pioneer among developing countries in establishing democratic institutions. The most prominent feature of democracy in India is"caste politics",the embedment of the traditional caste hierarchy in a democratic system.Caste politics is derived from a composition of forces by the Reservation Scheme implemented by the Indian government,the rise of the Untouchables’ Liberation Movement and the development of the Caste Association. The competitive electoral system and party system combined with caste have served as impetuses for the development of caste politics. Caste,as a traditional hierarchical system,intrinsically conflicts and contradicts with modern society. However,as a long-standing social reality,it still has a lot of vitality; it is fused with India’s modern society and is changing with the evolution of the country’s modern democratic politics.