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How could a jati try to raise its social status in the traditional caste system?

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Painting depicting Hindu gods Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma with Ganesha standing and paying homage to Mahadevi, who is seated on a lotus and playing a stringed instrument. — Hinduism Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma (left to right) pay homage to Mahadevi (the great goddess, in white in the form of Saraswati), attended by the elephant-headed deity Ganesha, in a painting dated c. 1750.

In the traditional Hindu caste system, a jati could attempt to raise its social status through two primary routes: the adoption of ritual practices associated with higher castes or the acquisition of secular power.1

The Traditional Ritual Route

Socially ambitious groups often sought to emulate the lifestyle of "clean" or upper castes to improve their ritual standing. This process, which is gradual and not always successful, includes:
* Adopting "Twice-Born" Symbols: Adopting the ritual of initiation and wearing the sacred thread, which symbolizes a higher status.12
* Lifestyle Changes: Adopting vegetarianism, teetotalism, and prohibiting the remarriage of widows.1
* Avoiding Pollution: Abstaining from occupations or behaviors considered demeaning or polluting.13

The ultimate test of this mobility is whether higher castes are willing to accept cooked food from the upwardly mobile group or if equivalent-status castes agree to provide them with services previously deemed demeaning.13

The Secular Route

Castes also sought to improve their position by leveraging secular criteria, such as numerical strength, economic well-being (particularly land ownership), and the ability to mobilize physical force. Groups that successfully achieved this influence in local politics and village affairs were often referred to as a "dominant caste".1