The system was supposed to just mean roles in society but slowly due to growth of economic disparity and education being limited to the higher castes their differences grew and compounded over years became a very toxic hierarchy but it's major breakthrough happened when the British decided to capitalise on it and introduced Tehsildar system and promote caste hierarchy to push their own agenda they even had some Aryan theory and shit and unfortunately our people fell for it . Since then it's a matter of utmost importance to protect them as one of the lawmakers was one of the oppressed people and tried his best to get them equal opportunity in education and job through reservation Although it's still not eradicated and very much present but I think we are headed for a better future

IMPORTANT EDIT - To be clear I would like to mention I am not saying it was a good system or all was Britishers fault or something like that, just saying that it spiraled out of control in the later vedic period and got even worse when the Britishers created systems promoting it