Theory of "Arya" referring to a race is not Indian, in India it refers to civilisation and to those that embody the code of the civilisation (somewhat like but not exactly that of code of Europe re knights or chevaliers), irrespective of colour, while racism requires colour and other physical specifics to differentiate people. Aryan is a word in Europe, and identifying it as a race is a European idea, false in India.
Also, race has nothing to do with castes in India, where regions have somewhat identifiable sets of features (not precise or complete) and colour can be dark or fair not only in the same region or caste but also in the same family, with no difference of communities of parents, perfectly traditional marriages arranged by elders and nevertheless some children with lighter colours than others. Variety does not amount to class or caste or region in India, and colour is a poor choice of indicator of anything. Try boarding a local train in Mumbai or even standing at the gate at say Dadar at rush hour and identifying males by race, caste, region - chances are unless they wear something indicative you cannot be accurate about their religion either.
Theory of Aryan invasion was invented according to Macaulay's explicitly advised, accepted by the empire, and well published doctrine of dismantling and destroying society and psyche and culture of India, for which dividing the society was extremely necessary, as was demolishing anything good about it by badmouthing it relentlessly. Much that was said against Brahman is in fact true of policies of church and in particular Rome, while Brahman were and are free not institutionalised and thus required to follow orders from above. Example, Ekanaath and his bringing his thought into practice.
Theory of Aaryan invasion was convenient for the colonial rulers to justify their looting of the nation, but it has been majorly debunked even by professional historians, unless someone is a blind hater of all things Indian and blind follower of all things western of colonial era. It simply does not hold.
Moreover the colonial rulers wrote off all Indian works as mythology, while insisting on bible as literally fact and their own views of history as entirely accurate (proven false for example when Troy was discovered and Homer's work was conceded to be more historical than until then avowed as pure fiction); but much of Indian well known legends is since vindicated, for example Himaalaya rising from oceans and the fact that Dashaavatara is precisely parallel to Darwin's evolution (try arguing evolution with anyone with faith in church, especially from bible belt but even from south India).
Anyone not from India views Sindhu (Indus) as the major river, obviously since historically that was the only way unless one was willing to risk perils of Himaalaya passes or oceans. In psyche of India it is not the major river, only about sixth major or so, and stays on the outer periphery of consciousness (India did not need to look outside the country generally, and crossing Himaalaya was the more routine way), with Himaalaya and the two main eastern flowing rivers being huge in the conciousness. Ask your grandparents and ask what their grandparents thought.
Learning from everywhere is good, but blind adherence to those that would turn you into sheep is likely to get you jumping off cliffs to prove your obedience and slaughtered when it suits them.
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As for caste -
Caste is an English word, originating in German where it relates to box. It was not invented for India, which ought to tell you castes exist everywhere, they have just dropped that word to refer to their own castes so India can be pointed at. Galsworthy mentions the word in relating to them in his works about England, and various other works show how rich separated from poor even as to have separate church (separate building, not different faith). At the very least, front pew if not separate facility.
The major difference between India and everywhere else is about the baiss for castes - elsewhere power and money, land ownership and race are the key factors that determine castes, and the rung of a particular caste, on the social ladder, with royals and their relatives at the top (money replaces royalty where monarchy is done with).
India has a different scheme. Basis for caste here was the categorisation of work, and that defined one's ideals and life and duty, as it does without anyone telling you what one should do. Knowledge and its keeping was the top, physical power and protection of society next, and so on. Money or physical power was not the top, making it different.
Another major difference is that spiritual life is open to everyone, and not only that includes being a monk (saadhu, sanyaasi) but achieving unity with Divine, and what is more latter does not require leaving the world behind, either.
That the castes got fixed by birth was due more to onslaught of foreign attacks and rule that prohibited indigenous schools teaching students (aashram system) which in turn made it possible for people to teach only their own progeny in privacy of home.
Anyone dislikes caste, and they should, realise that determining ''women's role'' or their work is just as much caste; if men are not allowed to learn from their fathers or pass on their own professions to their sons, why require girls to limit to mothers and mother in law? That is caste in its most entrenched form.
Anyone who follows and likes caste and untouchability (which really is about hygiene more than anything - European system of emptying buckets of soil into streets in morning obviously says little about how clean one could expect to be unless on a horse or in a carriage, and Europe still is not used to bathing more than once a week or even changing clothes for that matter, from personally testified details from various acquaintances) - know this:- if you eat out, or touch paper money, and do not fully cleanse yourself ritually (not just a bath but a praayaschitta) every time one does either of that, well you have been untouchable and just did not know or bother to think!
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