Caste, Conflict and Ideology: Mahatma Jotirao Phule and Low Caste Protest in Nineteenth-Century Western India

Cambridge South Asian Studies

by Rosalind O'Hanlon

The nineteenth century saw the beginning of a violent and controversial movement of protest amongst western India's low and untouchable castes, aimed at the effects of their lowly position within the Hindu caste hierarchy. The leaders of this movement were convinced that religious hierarchies had combined with the effects of British colonial rule to produce inequality and injustice in many fields, from religion to politics and education. This study concentrates on the first leader of this movement, Mahatma Jotirao Phule. It shows him as its first ideologist, working out a unique brand of radical humanism. It analyses his contribution to one of the most important and neglected social developments in western India in this period - the formation of a new regional identity. This process of identity formation is studied against the background of the earlier history of caste relations in this area of India, and contributes important evidence about the relationship between ritual status and political power.The movement itself provides a fascinating example of early Third World radicalism, illustrating the role of ideology and religion in the struggle against British colonial power.

Genres: History, India, Nonfiction, Politics

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Revanth Ukkalam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The chapters on Jotirao Phule are very powerful and affective but the book overall is quite scattered and seems to have been assembled from different essays written on caste movements over a long period of time.

[AskHistorians]

A comprehensive account of the emergence of caste consciousness in Western India in the late 19th century. O'Hanlon highlights the history of lower caste struggle while also outlining its larger context. The work was influential in understanding the means of lower caste subjugation and the contentious history of their historic marginalisation.