Caste system does not permit people to mistreat others.
People often confuse Caste with Varna, which means group that has a particular disposition and vocation.
What people are talking now is about caste, which is a distorted view of Varna, which has no sanction of Sastras, the Holy Writs.
Most of the great sages and Gods worshipped do not belong to Brahmin community, supposedly higher in echelon.
In the Holy Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva,Brahma and Vishnu are Kshatriyas while Siva is a Brahmin.
Brahma and Vishnu are classified as above because one is originator (Brahma) of Life and Vishnu is a Protector, both functions are that of Kshatriyas while Siva liberates from the world through Knowledge and hence called a Brahmana.
Society has been divided into four parts based on dispositions and profession.
They are-Brahmanas-Education (both spiritual and Temporal) Kshatriyas-Rulers and Protectors Vaisyaas-Commerce people Sudras-
People who support all the other three.
Inter caste marriage was allowed then.
Other castes are all man-made, especially Dalits and there is no evidence in Shastras that a community of Dalits have been in existence on the lines explained above.
A group of people were named as Panchamas, the fifth who were born of intercaste marriages whose disposition and profession was not very clear.
They were the flotsam who did not specifically do a particular job and were doing jobs of all kinds; hence they could not be classified.
Over a period of time, people, instead of assigning them a particular role in the Society, started using them for all jobs and they also complied with it.
Thus were formed the Panchama Varna.Slowly as they belonged to no specific class, the were treated differently and they were left from the mainstream.
This is the origin of Dalits.
You will be surprised to know in the caste system, there is a group called Karai(Bund) Velalar, whose job is to maintain Tanks and bunds during rainy seasons,Kar Velalars who supervise the functions of the other group.
Similarly every group/sub group has definitive function and they were treated with equal respect.
People have distorted it without understanding the concept and core idea and have misused it.
It needs correction by educating people on this effective tool of Social control.
To conclude, the Sage who is worshiped as the Revealer of the Great, Core Hindu Prayer, which is regarded as Mother of all Prayers, The Gayathri Mantra is Viswamitra, a Kshatriya.
Reference .
Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies
By Abbe J. A. DuBois, Henry K
Available in Google Books.
Srimad Bhagavad Gits
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- Caste: The view from Belgium – Koenraad Elst (bharatabharati.wordpress.com)
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