The Untouchables’ Rejection of Hinduism and its Relation to Racial Ideologies

Essay , 2013 , 15 Pages , Grade: 1,0

Asian studies

This paper will deal with the concept of race as configured by low caste movements in India and social reformers seeking to abolish Untouchability and to improve the status of lower castes by way of opposing Brahmin hegemony. It will be shown that the formulation of a distinct racial identity often goes hand in hand with the rejection of Hinduism, the religion the discriminatory caste system originated from.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries there have been many different strategies by means of which the Untouchables have tried to escape their subjugated position within the discriminatory Hindu social order. Along inevitably came the need for the formulation of a separate identity that, obviously, did not emphasise their supposed ritual impurity or their long history of oppression, but rather a prestigious heritage and equality, if not superiority not only in a moral, but cultural and even biological sense. In line with the nationalist movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that drew much of their inspiration from Orientalist knowledge and colonial ethnographic theories regarding the racial origins of Indian society, another factor may have contributed to the Untouchables‘ rejection of Hindu orthodoxy: That of a racialised thinking and pronounced, separate ethnic identity. Thus, in what ways is the Untouchables‘ rejection of Hinduism related to racial ideologies?

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• The Untouchables' Rejection of Hinduism and its Relation to Racial Ideologies
• Introduction
• Caste and Race
• The Aryan Invasion Theory
• The Satyashodak Samaj and Mahatma Jotirao Phule

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper explores the relationship between the rejection of Hinduism by Untouchables and the development of racial ideologies within low caste movements in 19th and 20th century India. It examines how social reformers sought to abolish Untouchability and improve the status of lower castes by opposing Brahmin hegemony.

• The historical development of Untouchability and its connection to caste and racial ideologies
• The role of Orientalist scholarship in shaping understandings of caste and race in India
• The emergence of low caste movements and their rejection of Hinduism as a means of achieving social justice
• The influence of racial thinking on the formulation of distinct identities for Untouchables
• The use of historical narratives and origin myths to justify social hierarchies and oppression

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter introduces the concept of Untouchability and its historical context, highlighting the social exclusion and racial prejudice faced by Untouchables. It also introduces the key figures and movements that will be discussed in the paper.
• Caste and Race: This chapter explores the complex relationship between caste and race, examining how the two concepts were intertwined in colonial and post-colonial India. It discusses the challenges of defining and distinguishing between these categories, particularly within the context of low caste movements.
• The Aryan Invasion Theory: This chapter examines the Aryan Invasion Theory and its impact on the construction of racial identities in India. It discusses how Orientalist scholarship influenced the understanding of caste and race, and how these ideas were used to justify social hierarchies and oppression.
• The Satyashodak Samaj and Mahatma Jotirao Phule: This chapter focuses on the Satyashodak Samaj, a social reform movement founded by Mahatma Jotirao Phule. It examines Phule's views on caste and race, his rejection of Brahmin Hinduism, and his efforts to uplift the status of Shudras and Untouchables.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key terms and concepts explored in this paper include Untouchability, caste, race, Hinduism, Brahmin hegemony, low caste movements, social reform, Orientalism, Aryan Invasion Theory, Dravidian, Satyashodak Samaj, Mahatma Jotirao Phule, and Periyar E. V. Ramaswami.

• College: University of Göttingen (Centre for Modern Indian Studies)
• Course: Untouchability and religious identity in modern India
• Grade: 1,0
• Author: Nejla Demirkaya (Author)
• Publication Year: 2013
• Pages: 15
• Catalog Number: V307612
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668058361
• ISBN (Book): 9783668058378
• Language: English
• Tags: untouchables, india, hinduism, religion, rejection, racial ideology, ideology, racism, caste system, identity