which religion and cast jain people originally belong to?
Jains do not “originally belong” to some other religion or caste.
- Religion
- According to Jain tradition, Jainism is an independent, eternal (sanatan) dharma, not born from Hinduism, Buddhism, or any other faith. - It is part of the ancient Śramaṇa tradition of India and traces its teachings through the 24 Tirthankars, from Rishabhdev (Ādināth) to Mahavir Swami. ( jainknowledge.com) - So a Jain’s “original religion” is Jain Dharma itself, not some other religion.
- Caste
- Jainism, as a dharma, does not accept that spiritual status depends on caste. Any soul can become a Tirthankar, monk, or attain moksha. - Historically, Jain families in India have come from many social backgrounds (traders, farmers, rulers, etc.). So: - There is no single “Jain caste” that all Jains belong to. ( jainknowledge.com) - Instead, there are Jain communities/jātis like Oswal, Porwal, Shrimal, Agrawal Jains, etc. Some have legends of Kshatriya origins, some of Vaishya/merchant origins, but today they all identify mainly as Jains, not by varna. ( jainknowledge.com)
In simple words:
- Religion: Jains originally belong to Jain Dharma itself (an independent, very ancient Indian religion).
- Caste: Jainism is above caste; Jains come from many social groups, and their true identity in dharma is just “Jain”, a soul following the path of non‑violence and liberation.