Colonialism made what caste is today (Dirks, 2001). 

Nicholas B. Dirks is an American academic and the former Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley. Dirks is the author of numerous books on South Asian history and culture, primarily concerned with the impact of British colonial rule. In June 2020, Dirks was named president and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences. Dirks is the author of numerous books on South Asian history and culture, primarily concerned with the impact of British colonial rule. His most famous works include The Hollow Crown: Ethnohistory of an Indian Kingdom (1987), Castes of Mind (2001), and The Scandal of Empire (2006). In these works, Dirks advanced the research on how British rule shaped the culture of the Indian subcontinent and how Britain became influenced by its colonies.

Introduction: The Modernity of Caste

From the book Castes of Mind

"Castes of Mind: Colonialism and the Making of Modern India" is a book written by Nicholas B. Dirks, which explores the origins and evolution of the caste system in India. In the introduction, "The Modernity of Caste," Dirks argues that the caste system is not an ancient or fixed tradition but rather a modern construction that emerged in the colonial period.