The whole Hindu population of India can be divided into four castes or varna. The highest of these castes is that of the Brahmans or priests. The next highest is the varna of the warriors, known as the Kshatriya, or sometimes the Rajput caste. Below this comes the Vaishya or merchant caste and the lowest caste is known as the Sudra caste. While castes are traditionally associated with a type of occupation, in modern India, occupations are not a reliable guide to caste.