Caste system

• Varna sys is division of society into 4 classes – brahmin, kshatriya,

Vaishyas, shudras & different castes outside varna system in different part of
country
• It is rigid & strictly followed in different terms
• Initially it was functional without inequality, later based on birth result in
inequality
Other theoretical account
• Rank of classes is determined by a purity-pollution scale.
• Fair skin high class represent invader Aryans, whereas dark lower class as
untouchable of land

Political modernization & caste consciousness

• Initially British follow non-intervention regarding caste sys. Later Census,
enumerate all castes & record their location in hierarchy, gave rise to Caste
associations which
o They engage in class mobilisation to fill petition for their rights
o They act as tool of modernization
o They demand modern education, jobs, pol representation &
successfully get separate electoral for oppressed class
o They demand special privileges, reservation, distribution of wealth &
power

Process of Sanskritization & caste identity

• Backward communities engage in cultural movt to change their way of life
as per high caste
• They claim to high positions in class hierarchy & try to legitimate it by
imitate practices of upper class, as a result many evil practices were
endorsed by them – sati, child marriage

Caste movt & their common features

Non-Brahminical movt - Many caste based movt challenged the social division

1. Jyotirao Phule’s Satyasodhak samaj in Maharashtra

• Challenged the brahmin monopoly over power & opportunities
• Mobilise the support of many peasantry & Dalit grps
• Not united, but 2 different tendencies
o Conservative
o Radical

2. Dravidian in Madras
• Oppose brahmin control over govt jobs
• Assert Dravidian identity, culture & Tamil language discard claim of its
origin from Sanskrit
• made non brahmin pol party (justice party), which get electoral success, but
later get loss due to misuse of power & erosion of leadership
• publish non Brahminical manifesto

3. Periyar’s self-respect movt in south India

• Oppose Gandhi as pro brahmin
• Assert Dravidian identity, culture & Tamil language

Importance of movt
• Highlight conflicting tendencies in national movt as these were differed from
congress politics
• Indicate possibility of more conflict in future

Common tendencies
• Wear symbols of high ritual status
• Reject Hindu theology & its notion of caste
• Demand caste-based reservation as compensation for historical
discrimination
• Develop alternative view about glorious Indian past
• Revival of bhakti in form of moderate religious sect

Dalit & congress

• They never assimilate in freedom struggle & alienate them from congress
version of N, F, I - due to many reason
 o It had unwillingness to deal with issues of caste at national level –
inaction
o It was dominated by brahmin & social conservatist
o Gandhi
▪ support to varnashrama sys as an economic sys of social
division of labour & declare untouchability as distortion
▪ his moral religious approach to end untouchability was
insufficient
▪ use harijan to glorify Dalits, but fail to deal with its eco-pol
roots
Contribution of Ambedkar
• a champion Dalit cause in entire period
• adopts rebellious attitude towards hierarchical caste sys & its historical
interpretations & roots
• criticize any religion which favour discrimination
• emphasis modern education, change of occupation, migration from rural to
urban areas & fair representation in jobs & pol sys
• radical solution
o Demand separates electoral for Dalits before Simon commission &
RTC
o Found all India depressed classes congress & all India schedule caste
federation to fight for their cause
o Found Indian labour party to mobilise depressed class & gave
representation
o As a chairman of drafting committee of constitution declare
untouchability as illegal & grant equal rights to all peoples

Change in Dalits position includes 3 process

• Disassociation from tradition
• Distancing from rural to urban
• Autonomization as viable identity