D'jarra

The D'jarra was a used by the Bajorans until partway through the Occupation of Bajor. Bajorans were born into parents' castes; they were also indicated by Bajorans' earrings. 

History
Chapter 57, verse 12 of the Ohalu Prophecies predicted that "the D'jarra will end with the coming of the grey warriors". This would be fulfilled by order of Kai Opaka Sulan in the Year of Nine Sorrows, due to the Cardassians' use of the D'jarra to divide and control the Bajorans. 

In 2372 the Bajoran poet Akorem Laan returned on a solar sail ship from the Celestial Temple, and Captain Benjamin Sisko relinquished the role of Emissary of the Prophets to him. Soon after, Akorem's re-institution of the D'jarra with the support of Kai Winn Adami led to the murder of a prylar belonging to the Imutta, a D'jarra considered "unclean" and therefore unfit for the priesthood. Sisko challenged Akorem for the title of Emissary and the Prophets confirmed that Sisko was indeed supposed to be the Emissary; the D'jarra revival was abandoned. 

Structure

 * Ih'valla - artists
 * Te'nari - unknown
 * Mi'tino - merchants and landowners
 * Va'telo - pilots, sailors, drivers, similar professions
 * Ke'lora - laborers and lawmen
 * Sern'apa - unknown
 * Imutta - the "unclean", those who deal with the dead.

In its historical form the D'jarra proved an obstacle to relations between the Republic of Bajor and the United Federation of Planets, the Federation considering the discrimination between higher- and lower-ranked D'jarra an obstacle to Bajoran advancement (as well as illegal should the Bajorans seek membership). 

Captain Kanril Eleya was known to quote the Ohalu Prophecies in response to comments about her working above her caste as a Starfleet space warfare officer, and referred to the commenters as "casteist".

Characters with known D'jarra

 * Captain Kanril Eleya - Ke'lora
 * Kira Nerys - Ih'valla
 * Lieutenant Commander Reshek Gaarra - Mi'tino
 * Colonel Shad Yima - Va'telo