Brahmin & Non-Brahmin: Genealogies of the Tamil Political Present

by M.S.S. Pandian

In South India, the categories 'Brahmin' and 'non-Brahmin' are frequently treated as self-evident, both within Tamil politics and mainstream academic discourses. Departing from this 'common sense', the present book historicizes the complex processes by which these categories came into being and acquired political power over the past century. Using archival, regional-language, and unconventional sources, M. S. S. Pandian unsettles the self-evident quality of these categories and opens up a rich theoretical-critical space to rethink them.

In the process, this book also offers a new perspective on colonialism nationalist accounts, it shows the ways in which colonialism was, for Tamil society, a moment of crisis as well as possibilities. This ambiguous quality of colonial rule facilitated new ways of looking at the figure of the Brahmin, even as it enabled the making of a non-Brahmin identity.

The importance of this book for understanding politics and society in Tamil South India can scarcely be exaggerated. The Non-Brahmin Writings and discursive strategies of E. V. Ramasamy 'Periyar', Maraimalai Adigal, and lyothee Thoss, alongside those of an array of Brahminic thinkers and propagandists, are presented here with a degree of sophistication and analytic skill not available in other works of political, social, and intellectual history on the Indian South.

This book will interest every historian, sociologist, and political analyst of India, as well as all who wish to understand anti-Brahmin and anti-upper-caste social movements.

Genres: Politics, History, Nonfiction, India

275 pages, Hardcover

First published February 2, 2007

About the author

He is one of the foremost authority on scholarship of Dravidian movement.Prof. Pandian’s book, “The Image Trap - M G Ramachandran in Films and Politics,” on the Tamilian superstar and his tryst with politics is also considered one of leading authorities on this subject.He was earlier an Associate Professor in the Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai.His publications in the best reputed academic publications were many and his research interests were Nationalism, Caste, Tamil cinema and Popular Culture, among others. He completed his Ph.D in Madras University in 1987.

Prof. Pandian has been writing for national newspapers and the 'Economic and Political Weekly' for several years and known for his incisive articles on Tamil Nadu and Dravidian politics in particular.
until his sudden death , he was serving in the School of Social Sciences’ Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi

Reviews

[Manoj · Rating 5 out of 5]

often thoughts on subjects that make you relentlessly curious evaporate due to that day's urgent need to stay relevant, sociable & productive. glad to see a comprehensive elocution of all thought-themes on a household subject that has run through my head from the age of 10- since the day I saw guys who had geometric paintings on their forehead in my agraharam school. makes me mythologize the word "தலைஎழுத்து"

[Crystaline John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to gain a wholistic understanding of the political present in Tamil Nadu. M. S. S. Pandian divides history into sections that help the reader understand all the different intersections. Also the book clearly goes over the different issues of caste and how it played/plays out in private and public arenas. Definitely a ‘must read’ 😍

[Shanmugam Udhayan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have completed this tremendous work of late professor and Dravidian politics researcher M.S.S. Pandian... I am always sceptical about non-fiction works and in some of the works it is evident that the work is biased one. However Brahmin & Non-Brahmin is definitely unbiased research work which presents only facts and interpretation of that , conclusion is left with readers...
This book is about the history of Dravidian politics and tried to reason with the evolution of today's politics... It explains about the need and emergence of the Non-Brahmin identity and how it attain its present status in political sphere (this helps to understand the uniqueness of tamilnadu political) and towards the end of the book it also tells about the raising voice of Dalit politics in early 90s which has a tone of blaming Non-Brahmin identity claiming that it works predominantly for caste hindus...
The colonialism played an important role in structuring the Dravidian politics..
The book constitute 6 chapters.. The first one gives the overview and the way the book unfolds and the theme of discussion... The second chapter explains the counters of brahminical Hindus against Christian missionaries in colonial state and tried to mimic them by institutionalised the hindu religion and claimed the authoritarian of hindu religion as whole with the help of manu dharma which keep them at the top of the caste hierarchy... They made the colonized believe the claim by making Brahmin rituals and beliefs as a basic beliefs of Hindu religion.... Arya Jana ikiyam was founded to revive the brahminical values and also a weekly The Hindu was also started by some Brahmin youths to support the appointment of muthuswamy iyer as judge and also to propagate the nationalistic ideas and brahminical Hinduism... The third chapter discuss how brahminical Hinduism get pan India approval.. Brahmin used this opportunity and claimed the authenticity of hindu religion portraying their modernity which could help the colonized to rule .,. They tried to show their modernity of religion by studying western education and get stronghold in language with help of that they get a strong foothold in material and political domain.. Brahmins preponderance in all govt jobs and Indian national Congress during this time makes others to unite under the Non-Brahmin identity.... Brahmins thrived well in both cultural and material domain...
The third and rest of the chapters explains how the others fight this dominance in both cultural and material domain....Initially people like Pundit Iyothee dhoss and Maraimalai adigal compete the brahminical Hinduism in cultural sphere by recreating the golden past of their respective community... Iyothee dhoss tried to accentuate his claim with the help of the story of Aswakosa and Maraimalai adigal through the book called Vellalar Nagarigam ... Though the thought of competing against oppression is a good start , it didn't fetch the desired mobilization...
The real progress happened when Justice party was started claiming representational politics for Non-brahmins.. Simultaneously periyar quit congress because of same representational politics for Non-brahmins and founded self respect movement which was the changer of whole Dravidian politics ... A whole chapter was dedicated to Periyar and his movement....This movement later renamed as Dravidar kazhagam used brahmin as a trope to fight against all kind of oppression which was main criteria need to be noted... Towards the end a brief outline about the emergence of Dailt politics was discussed and culminates with the question, what is the future of Non-brahmins?..
It is a must read for both who want to understand and who want oppose the Dravidian politics of Tamilnadu... 👌👌👍👍🙏🙏

[Gowtham · Rating 5 out of 5]

2006 ஆம் ஆண்டு வெளிவந்த இந்த நூல் சமகாலத்தில் நிகழ்ந்த கலாச்சார மற்றும் அடையாள அரசியல் மாற்றங்களுக்கான காரணிகள் பற்றிய கட்டுரைகளின் தொகுப்பு பல அறியப்படாத செய்திகளுடன் புத்தகம் முழுவதும் நம்மை பிரம்மிக்க வைக்கிறார் ஆய்வறிஞர் MSS.பாண்டியன்.

நூல் மொத்தம் 6 பகுதிகளாக பிரிக்க பட்டுள்ளது. முதல் பகுதி பிரிட்டிஷ் காலனித்துவம் தொடங்கியதிற்கு பிறகான அரசியல் மாற்றத்தையும் பார்ப்பனர்கள் எப்படி தங்களின் கலாச்சாரத்தை நவீனத்துவ படுத்தினார்கள் என்பதை பற்றிய செய்திகள் அடக்கியது .

இரண்டாவது பகுதி பார்ப்பனர்கள் எப்படி தங்களை பல தளங்களில் முதன்மை படுத்தி ஹிந்து மக்களின் பிரதிநிதியாக ஆகினார்கள் என்ற செய்திகளை சொல்லும்.

மூன்றாவது பகுதி பிரிட்டிஷ் காலனித்துவமும் பார்பனீயமும் கை கோர்த்த கதையும், பார்ப்பனர்கள் அந்த காலத்தில் நடத்திய கூட்டங்கள் மற்றும் நவீனத்துவ படுத்துவதற்காக அவர்கள் அமைத்த சங்கங்கள் பற்றிய தொகுப்பு.

நான்காவது பகுதி முதல் முதலில் பார்ப்பனர் அல்லாத மக்களில் அரசியல் மாற்றத்தை முன்னெடுத்த அயோத்திதாசர் மற்றும் மறைமலை அடிகள் பற்றிய சுருக்கமான வரலாறு

ஐந்தாவது பகுதி அயோத்திதாசர் மற்றும் மறைமலை அடிகள் முன்னெடுத்த கலாச்சார அரசியலின்

போதாமைகள் பற்றியும் தென்னிந்திய கூட்டமைப்பு காங்கிரசை உடைத்து பின்னர் தென்னிந்திய நல உரிமை சங்கமாகி எப்படி நீதிக்கட்சியானது என்ற வரலாறும். அதன் பிறகு பார்ப்பனர் அல்லாத மக்களுக்கான பிரதிநிதித்துவத்தை அது உறுதி செய்த விதமும் அப்போது நிகழ்ந்த அரசியல் போராட்டங்கள் பற்றிய செய்திகளை தெளிவு பட விளக்கும்.

ஆறாவது பகுதி சுயமரியாதை இயக்கத்தின் தோற்றம், பின் அதனால் ஏற்பட்ட சமூக மாற்றம் பற்றியும்.பெரியார் பற்றியும் திராவிட இயக்கம் பார்ப்பனர் அல்லாத மக்களுக்கு செய்த சிறு சிறு மாற்றங்களும். கூட்டங்களில் நடத்தப்படும் காலாச்சார சீர்திருத்தங்கள் பற்றியும், அது மிக பெரிய அரசியல் இயக்கமாக உருப்பெற்ற காரணிகளையும் திறம்பட விளக்கும்.

முடிவுரை பகுதியில் அறிஞர் நிறைவு செய்த விதம் மிக முக்கியமான ஒன்றாக தெரிகிறது பார்ப்பனர, பார்ப்பனர் அல்லாதோர் அரசியலை கடந்து மற்றுமொரு அடையாள அரசியலுக்கான தேவையை குறிப்பிட்டு.ராஜ் கௌதமன் மற்றும் தி.பெ.கமலநாதன் முன்னெடுத்த தலித் அரசியலுக்கான அவசியத்தையும் , அப்போது நடந்த நிகழ்வில் வழியாக சொல்லி நிறையும் செய்கிறார்.

திராவிட இயக்கம் பற்றிய மிக சிறந்த ஆய்வு நூலக நிச்சயம் அமையும் இந்நூலின் சிறப்பாக நான் பார்ப்பது எந்த பக்க சார்பும் இல்லாமல் செய்திகளை இருந்தார் போலவே ஆதாரத்துடன் சொல்லும் விதம்.

இந்நூல் தமிழில் மொழிபெயர்க்க பட வேண்டிய மிக முக்கியமான நூல் என்பதால். அது அண்ணன் பூ.கொ. சரவணன் மூலம் விரைவில் நடக்கும் என்ற எதிர்பார்ப்பு கூடிய நம்பிக்கையுடன் இந்நூலை அனைவர்க்கும் பரிந்துரைக்கிறேன்.

[Ryan Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

9.2/10

The more I read about Tamil Nadu, the more I understand both it and the rest of India. The more I do that, the more my admiration for the former, and revulsion for the latter, grow.

The British Raj, by the time of its decline, was a horribly unequal society. Massive poverty and self internalizations of superiority and inferiority complexes ruled the colony. Caste was mapped onto this unequal structure, and while the origins of caste do not matter to me at the moment, it was reinforced by the colonial system. The few state and administrative positions were almost entirely monopolized by Brahmins, the highest ranking caste in India. The mass of Indians, and Tamils, were not Brahmin, and also also not the beneficiaries of this colonial enterprise.

Independence meant the exiting of the British, but not the exiting of these categories of people. Successive anti-Brahmin movements in Tamil Nadu understood this. In building myths, politics and mass mobilizations around this understanding, Tamil Nadu sought not only to knock Brahmins off their positions of power in society, but actually to disrupt the founding myth of the modern nation of India. This, as you read the book, is entirely just.

I am personally inspired by the figure of E.M. Ramasamy, Periyar. His clarity of understanding and apparent charisma put him in the pantheon of true “men of the people.” Visiting the USSR, championing rights and equality for the lowest of the low in society (low castes, women, Muslims, manual laborers). Literally choosing to write wrong in order to better be one with the uneducated oppressed in Tamil Nadu, is incredible.

Even given the flaws in anti-Brahminism as a guiding ideology, which are valid and which the book addresses, it is no surprise that this sort of ideology can lead to modern day Tamil Nadu, a state on top of most quality of life metrics in India. This is the product of coordinated campaigns to right historical wrongs, and it would be wise for us in the U.S. to learn from these campaigns and apply them to the remnants of our own Caste system.

[Rick Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Excellent Work on Brahmin and Non-Brahmin discourse in Tamil Nadu.

This work is worth, for references cited.

Similar to Rupa Viswanath's The Pariah Problem.

One would learn from this work, scholars from Past.

The only area of clear disagreement would be using, racial lines to delineate Tamil People.

Origin of Tamil People is highly contentious, with many theories put forward, i.e not defendable.

Instead, using the term, "Dravidian", using Linguistic lines is clearly defendable and accurate. Dravidian Family of Languages

Question:

What narrative of Tamil people is true?

What actions, steps would enable flourishing of Tamils?


Deus Vult,
Gottfried

[Nallasivan V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great summary of how Dravidian parties emerged from the identity politics in the pre-independence Tamil Nadu. I say "identity politics" without the usual negative connotation. MSS Pandian captures eloquently how the identity of the elite i.e, Brahmin and the identity of the challenger, Non-Brahmin/Dravidian were formed over the first half of the twentieth century. And how this identity formulations still influence the politics of Tamil Nadu even today!

[Sarthak Sharma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fully agenda-driven book on hating Hindus and legitimizing the Dravidian movement as natural in the eyes of readers. Use complex verbiage and then bring a layer of falsehood after falsehood into it.