Contesting Categories,

Remapping Boundaries
Contesting Categories,
Remapping Boundaries

Literary Interventions
by Tamil Dalits

By

K. A. Geetha
Contesting Categories, Remapping Boundaries:
Literary Interventions by Tamil Dalits

By K. A. Geetha

This book first published 2014

Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Copyright © 2014 by K. A. Geetha

All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without
the prior permission of the copyright owner.

ISBN (10): 1-4438-6808-6

ISBN (13): 978-1-4438-6808-2
 Dedicated to
My dearest
Amma, Appa and Shubi
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface ........................................................................................................ ix

Introduction ................................................................................................. 1

Chapter I ...................................................................................................... 7
Emergence of Caste System in India

Chapter II ................................................................................................... 33
From Depressed Classes to Dalit

Chapter III ................................................................................................. 67

Contemporary Tamil Dalit Literature: Themes and Trends

Chapter IV ............................................................................................... 101

A Dalit among Dalits: The Angst of Tamil Dalit Women

Chapter V ................................................................................................ 129

Tamil Dalit Literature in Academic Spaces

Conclusion ............................................................................................... 161

Bibliography ............................................................................................ 169

Appendices .............................................................................................. 179

 PREFACE

Dalit literature in Tamil is a very recent phenomenon, first beginning

in Maharashtra in the 1950s and 60s. It is only since the 1990s that it has
become a significant presence in Tamil Nadu. Dalits have reclaimed
literary spaces, transforming them into spaces of protest, self-assertion and
identity formation.
Literature produced by historically marginalized communities, it has
been argued, can function as an important tool for social change. However,
much depends on how this literature is received and interpreted. Since the
university is a potential site for social change, it is significant to enquire
whether Dalit literature has been incorporated into mainstream curricula. It
is equally vital to explore how students respond to Dalit literature. This
study analyses the literary works of Tamil Dalits and explores how
students of Tamil and English literary studies have responded to Tamil
Dalit literature and its English translations. This book traces the evolution
of Tamil Dalit writings from the early decades of the twentieth century to
the present and explores its impact on academia.
The book addresses the following issues: What were the socio-cultural
conditions that led to the emergence of contemporary Tamil Dalit
literature? What are the dominant themes and trends in contemporary
Tamil Dalit literature? Should Dalit Literature necessarily be included in
the curriculum? If yes, at what level should it be included? How does the
academia respond to the emergence of Tamil Dalit literature? In particular,
how do students respond to Dalit literature, a literature which has found a
place in both English as well as Tamil literature curricula? How do
students interpret the word Dalit? How is reception of Tamil Dalit
literature influenced by the location and caste of the student? As a form of
literature which possesses an ideological function, how is it received and
understood by readers? Finally, this book seeks to find out whether
reading Dalit literature can bring about a social change.
This study is an outcome of the help and support I had received from a
number of people, whose contributions deserve special mention. I am
deeply indebted to Prof. K. Srilata, (Department of Humanities and Social
sciences, IIT Madras) and the late Prof. Veeraraghavan, (Department of
Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Madras) for contributing immensely,
and for shaping this research through their critical comments and views.
x Preface

Prof. K. Srilata’s knowledge and expertise in creative writing and

translation has been a great inspiration and enriched my growth as a
researcher. I express my gratitude to Prof. Azhagarasan (Department of
English, University of Madras) for going through the earlier versions of
this book and offering his valuable comments. I am thankful to Prof. Maya
Pandit (Department of English, EFLU), Prof. Arun Mukherjee
(Department of English, York University), Prof. Susan Oomen
(Department of English, Stella Maris College) Prof.Elango (Department of
English, Anna University), Prof, Devaki Reddy (Department of
Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Madras) for their valuable comments
and suggestions. I am thankful to all my respondents for expressing their
sincere thoughts and views on the various research questions, without
which a qualitative survey would not have been possible.
I am grateful to Mr. Lloyd Barton, Ms. Carol Koulikourdi, Ms.
Amanda Millar, Mr. Sean Howley, Ms. Elfreda Crehan and all the staff at
Cambridge Scholars Publishing, for their contributions.
I wish to acknowledge the services provided by the members and staff
of the following libraries: Study Centre for Indian Literature and
Translation (Madurai), Indo-American Centre for International Studies
(Hyderabad), CIEFL (Hyderabad), Roja Muthiah Research Library
(Chennai) (special thanks to the librarian Ms. Malathi for her warmth and
promptness in getting books), Madras Institute for Development Studies
(Chennai), Central Library (IIT Madras), USIS (Chennai) and British
Library (Chennai).
This study would not have been possible without the love and support
of some dear friends. I am thankful to my dear friend Joycee, for her love
and care, criticisms, discussions and arguments which helped me to fine
tune my work; Kanthi, for being a loving and reliable friend and rendering
help whenever I needed; Rajesh, for being a good friend and critic; Leena
and Vaishnavi, for taking pains to explain all the details regarding
qualitative survey; Sujatha and Varadarajan, for showing keen interest in
my research. I am grateful to Evangeline, Ruby, Vidhya, Arivanandam,
Lenin, Chithra, Prabheesh, Rekha for being warm and friendly and
offering valuable suggestions and comments during my seminar
presentations which have contributed immensely to this research.
My thanks are due to Ravi and Geetha for providing me a wonderful
stay during my field visit to Salem. I am thankful to Sasi and Malu for
being great hosts in Pondicherry and remaining my dearest friends. I am
grateful to Vatsala aunty for her love, care and best wishes. I thank my
siblings Mahesh, Viju, Archana for their unfailing affection and concern
 Contesting Categories, Remapping Boundaries xi

I am grateful to my husband, the late Natarajan for providing the space

to pursue my interest in research. I thank my daughter Shubi for patiently
putting up with my absence from home during field work and library
visits. I owe a lifelong debt to my parents. Dear Appa and Amma, without
your constant love, concern, physical and moral support this book would
not have seen the light of the day. Thanks for everything.
 INTRODUCTION

The social institution of caste is a predominant feature of the Hindu

social organization. Manifesting in diverse beliefs and practices, caste is
an integral part of the Indian society, culture and politics. The social
structure of caste in India is rooted in the Varna system which segregates
the Hindu society hierarchically into four Varnas namely, Brahmins,
Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. The Panchamars or ‘untouchables’
(present day Dalits) are placed below the category of Shudras and exist
outside the four fold Varna system. The caste system attained religious
sanction, since the Vedas and Hindu scriptures served to perpetuate such
stratifications among Hindus. The ideology of the upper castes1 (who were
simultaneously the landowning class) was dominant in the society. The
social institutions of religion, law, politics, art and literature reflected the
dominant ideology of the upper castes. The castes which were lower in the
hierarchy had to comply with the dominant ideology which legitimated
their menial status and subjugation in the society.
The ideology of caste is based on the notions of purity and pollution.
The Panchamars2 were considered the lowest in the society and, apart from
serving the upper caste landlords, they were assigned common duties like
removing dead cattle, cleaning drainage, and played a pivotal role in death
and funeral ceremonies. Due to the nature of their work they were
considered “untouchables” and lived in the fringes of the village. Denied
access to mainstream society, their very sight was believed to cause
pollution. “Untouchables” were expected to tie an earthen pot round their
neck so that their sputum did not fall to the ground and pollute the
atmosphere. They had to tie a broom at their back to erase their foot prints
while they were walking. Living a slavish existence outside the village

1
Castes which were assigned a high position in the caste system were called upper
castes. In recent years, the term upper caste is being substituted with the term Caste
Hindus. However, in this book the two are used interchangeably. The term Caste
Hindu is used to denote the people who follow the norms of the caste order. The
term upper caste is used to denote the power and dominance of castes which were
ranked higher in caste system.
2
The Panchamars or ‘untouchable’ communities were referred to as ‘Depressed
classes’ during the colonial period. They were also referred to as Harijans, a term
coined by Mahatma Gandhi.
2 Introduction

they were dependent on the dominant castes for even basic necessities like
water (Dangle 235-236).
After centuries of suppression, Bhima Rao Ambedkar, launched a fierce
struggle against the caste system and denounced the Manusmriti3 which
legitimated caste ideology. He rejected the caste system which relegated a
section of the society to a slavish existence. Ambedkar opposed terms such
as “Depressed classes” and “Harijans” which were imposed on the
untouchable communities. He emphasized that the untouchable castes
must identify themselves as “Dalits” which signified both their oppressed
state and their rebellion against caste norms and values. In the 1930s,
Ambedkar spearheaded a revolutionary movement which denounced the
established norms and ideology of the upper castes. The movement
interrogated the validity of the caste system based on which Hindus in
India were socially stratified.

Dalit Literature
Dalits articulated their dissent against the dominant ideology not only
in social and political platforms but also through literary forms. Literature
became an effective tool to express their protest and anguish against the
domination of the Caste Hindus. The literature by Dalits exposes the
oppression and exploitation that Dalits continue to face in the hands of the
upper caste forces. Dalit literature not only reveals the angst of being a
Dalit in a caste driven society, it simultaneously registers a revolutionary
discourse which challenges the hegemonic caste structures of the society.
The bourgeoning of Dalit literature began in the 1960s in Maharashtra.
The literary movement spread to other languages like Gujarati, Kannada,
Telugu and Tamil.
Dalit literature has carved a niche for itself in literary studies and is
emerging as an interesting area of study for academic scholars and Dalit
intellectuals. A large number of Dalit literary texts are now available in
English translations. Many publishing houses like Macmillan, Oxford
University Press, Katha, Penguin India and Sahitya Akademi, are
increasingly publishing English translations of Dalit literature.

3
Manu smriti is one of the oldest works on Hindu law and ancient Indian society.
Written by Sage Manu, Manu smriti gives an account of the norms and principles
of the caste system.
 Contesting Categories, Remapping Boundaries 3

Dalit Literature in Tamil

Dalit literature in Tamil is a very recent phenomenon. Dalit literature
which began in Maharashtra in the 1950s and 60s took nearly three
decades to make an imprint in the literary map of Tamil. Compared to the
works available on Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada and Telugu Dalit literature,
there is very little study on Tamil Dalit literature. As a literature, which
has a very definite social purpose it is essential to study the literary
writings of Tamil Dalits and this book is an attempt in that direction.
Literature produced by historically marginalized communities like Dalits
functions as an important tool for social change. However, a lot depends
on how this literature is interpreted and received by readers. Since the
university is a site for social changes, it is significant to enquire whether
Dalit literature has been incorporated in mainstream curricula. It is equally
vital to explore how students respond to Dalit literature. This book
analyses the literary works of Tamil Dalits and explores how students of
Tamil and English literary studies have responded to Tamil Dalit
literature.

Organization of the Book

The main focus of the study is the production and reception of Tamil
Dalit literature. This book will address the following issues: What were the
socio-cultural conditions that led to the emergence of contemporary Tamil
Dalit literature? What are the dominant themes and trends in contemporary
Tamil Dalit literature? How has academia responded to the emergence of
Tamil Dalit literature? In particular, how do students respond to Dalit
literature, which has found its way into both English as well as Tamil
literature curricula?
Dalit literature provides a space to articulate the silenced voices of
Dalits who are marginalized in society on the basis of their caste. Hence
the study of Dalit literature is incomplete without the study of the social
structure of caste in India. Manifested in diverse beliefs and practices,
caste is an integral part of the Indian society, culture and politics, although
there have been conflicting beliefs regarding the origins of the system.
The first chapter enumerates the significant theories regarding caste
formation in India. There are anthropologists and sociologists who view
caste as a product of religious ideas, which designates certain castes as
higher and the others as lower, based on the notions of purity and
pollution. Caste is interpreted as an ideological framework to formulate a
social order. On the other hand, the materialists interpret caste as a
4 Introduction

structured social divide based on the wealth of different social groups. The
higher castes are generally wealthier than the lower castes, and the
ideology formulated by religion legitimates this social division. This
chapter also focuses on the influence of colonial modernity on caste
structures and the changing configurations of caste in the urban and rural
spaces over the years. The spread of scientific and rational knowledge
during the colonial rule led to an interrogation of the social and cultural
practices inherent in the caste system. Social and political movements
spearheaded by leaders like B.R.Ambedkar and E.V.Ramasami Naicker
(Periyar) challenged and opposed the hegemony of the Brahminical beliefs
and practices which legitimated caste discrimination.
The second chapter traces the history of Tamil Dalits from the early
years of the twentieth century till the 1990s. Decades before Ambedkar’s
struggle against untouchability, there were distinct voices of protest
against caste discrimination in Madras presidency. Pioneering protests
against caste hierarchy were organized by a group of Dalit intellectuals
during the Madras presidency, in the early decades of the twentieth
century. Predominant among them was Iyothee Thass Pandithar who was
instrumental in spreading a distinct Dalit sensibility and consciousness in
Tamil Nadu. The period witnessed a proliferation of Dalit journals which
helped to disseminate a distinct politics and identity among Dalits (then
referred to as Adi Dravidars). This chapter traces the evolution of Dalit
consciousness, which began in the days of Iyothee Thass Pandithar. In
particular, the focus will be on Dalit writing, which initially found
expression in Iyothee Thass Pandithar’s journals. Dalit writing, which
began during the colonial rule, evolved into a distinct literary form (as
Dalit literature) in the last decades of the twentieth century.
In Tamil Nadu, the three distinct Scheduled castes are the Pallars,
Parayars and the Arunthathiyars. Though they have been generally
bracketed as Dalits, each caste is distinct and different from each other.
The term Adi Dravidas was the blanket term which referred to all
Scheduled castes in Tamil Nadu during the colonial period. Nevertheless,
there were tendencies of fissures and divergences within the community.
In spite of their unified caste identity, their trajectories for emancipation
and liberation from the early decades of the twentieth century during the
colonial rule were distinct. Thus the political and social movements of the
Parayars, Pallars and the Arunthathiyars form a separate and distinct
history. Against this background the book explores how far the different
Scheduled castes in Tamil Nadu have accepted the pan-Indian Dalit
identity, which became prevalent among Tamil Dalits in the 1990s.
 Contesting Categories, Remapping Boundaries 5

In addition to these debates regarding the pan-Indian Dalit identity,

there are different interpretations of the term ‘Dalit’. In the 1960s when
this term, meaning “crushed” or “rooted in the soil”, became prevalent in
Maharashtra, it referred to the oppressed condition of the Scheduled
castes, discriminated against as untouchables in the society. In recent
years, it is interpreted as referring not to one particular caste, but to any
oppressed section of the society, irrespective of caste. However, in
academia, Dalit literature exists as a ‘literature of Scheduled castes’. The
fifth chapter in this book seeks to find out how far these varying
interpretations of the term ‘Dalit’ have influenced the response of Tamil
and English literature students towards Tamil Dalit literature
In the midst of these ongoing debates on the interpretation of the term
‘Dalit’, Tamil Dalit literature is becoming widely prevalent and is inviting
global attention. The emergence of Tamil Dalit literature in the 1990s has
led to a corpus of novels, short stories, poems and autobiographies. The
third chapter discusses the diverse themes and trends prevalent in Tamil
Dalit literature The general impetus in these writings is to expose the
agonized and marginalized existence of Dalits. Are Tamil Dalit literary
works merely “narratives of suffering”? This chapter argues that Tamil
Dalit literature is not merely a literature of lament and frustration, though
pain and loss continues to be one of its major themes. The various contexts
and heterogeneous experiences of Dalit communities make it a rich source
of Dalit culture, tradition and language
Chapter four discusses the relationship between caste and gender and
its effect on Dalit women. Dalit women lead a precarious existence, since
their problems are compounded not only on the basis of caste and class,
but also on the basis of gender. Caste and gender were considered as two
different social structures till the late 1980s. The relationship between the
two was not explored, until the Mandal commission report
recommendations4 triggered nationwide agitations. The agitations not only
brought the politics of caste into the public sphere, but also revealed the
contradictory configurations of the feminist movement in India. This

4
The Mandal Commission was established in India in 1979 to consider seat
reservations for Backward and Scheduled castes and tribes in order to redress caste
discrimination. Based on the 1931 census data, the commission estimated that 54%
of the total population (excluding Scheduled castes and Tribes) belonged to Other
Backward classes (OBC).The Mandal commission report submitted in 1990
recommended a 27% reservation (apart from the existing 22.5%resevation for SC’s
and ST’s) in all admissions to institutions of higher education and all public sector
undertakings under the central government. The report released in 1980 triggered
nation-wide agitations by the upper castes.
6 Introduction

chapter details the reasons for the emergence of Dalit women’s movement
in India. It focuses in particular, on Tamil Dalit literary works which have
foregrounded the double oppression of Dalit women.
The relationship between production and reception of literary works is
dialectic and the meaning of a literary work depends on the reader. Since
Tamil Dalit literature and its English translations are becoming a part of
the Tamil and English literary studies curriculum, a qualitative study was
conducted to find out how students have interpreted the word ‘Dalit’. The
fifth chapter analyses the response of students to Tamil Dalit literature and
its English translations. Since Dalit literature has an ideological function in
society, the survey examines whether reception of Tamil Dalit literature
was influenced by the location and caste of the student. Further, it analyses
whether reading Dalit literature can bring about a social change.
 CHAPTER I

EMERGENCE OF CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA

There have been conflicting beliefs regarding the origins of the caste
system in India. This social structure has been a focal point of research for
many anthropologists, sociologists and cultural historians. There are
anthropologists and sociologists who view caste as a product of religious
ideas, which designate certain castes as higher and the others as lower,
based on the notions of purity and pollution. Caste is interpreted as an
ideological framework to formulate a social order. On the other hand, the
materialists interpret caste as a structured social divide based on the wealth
of different social groups. The higher castes are generally wealthier than
the lower castes, and the ideology formulated by religion legitimates this
social division. This chapter enumerates the significant theories regarding
caste formation in India. It also focuses on the changing configurations of
caste in both urban and rural spaces over the years. It explores the context
in which Dalit political and literary movements emerged in India.

Earliest Reference to Caste - Rig Veda and Manusmriti

The Aryan invasion has been considered an important reason for the
formation of caste in India. Scholars like Joanna Liddle and Rama Joshi
consider the Aryan invasion as the basis for the caste system. They argue
that pre-Aryan culture was egalitarian and free from caste. The Vedic age
culminated with the Aryan invasion, and scholars consider the Rig Veda1
as the earliest available reference to the origin of caste system. The hymns
in Rig Veda describe the origin of the universe through a ritual performed
by the Gods with the sacrifice of a ‘cosmic being’ called Purusha. Four
Varnas are believed to have emanated from different parts of the body of
the Purusha. From the mouth of Purusha was born the Brahmin, Kshatriya

1
The Rig Veda is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns and
is counted among the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism known as the Vedas.
It is one of the world's oldest religious texts; its verses are recited at prayers,
religious functions and other auspicious occasions.
8 Chapter I

was born from his two arms, Vaishyas from his thighs and from his feet
the Shudra. Manu, a codifier of laws, who presumably lived during the
second to first centuries, refers to the hymns in the Rig Veda regarding the
formation of castes. In his most influential book Manusmriti (Law book of
Manu), Manu explains that for the sake of the preservation of the entirety
of creation, Purusha, the sacrificial victim, assigned separate duties to
each Varna, which had sprung from the various parts of his body. The
Brahmins were assigned the tasks of teaching, learning and performing
sacrificial rites. The protection of the people, giving away of wealth, and
performing sacrificial rites were the duties assigned to the Kshatriyas. The
Vaishyas were assigned trade and commerce, agriculture, tending of cattle
and performance of sacrificial rites. The Shudras were to be subservient to
the other three classes and serve them sincerely. (Klass 37)

Caste as a Socio-Economic Phenomenon

Though Morton Klass accepts the theory that Aryans invaded India, he
rejects the theory propounded by Liddle and Joshi that the Aryan invasion
was the basis for caste formation in India. In his study of the evolution of
caste system in India, Klass argues that, before the stratification of the
society, the subcontinent was inhabited by various hunting and gathering
societies. Based on different ecosystems, there must have been significant
differences among the societies in terms of social organization and
ideology. The groups probably spoke distinctive and even mutually
unintelligible languages. Klass further argues that they must have been
economically and socially independent. Economic exchange must have
been limited, reciprocal within smaller groups, and restricted to raw
materials. Social exchange in the form of the exchange of marriage
partners would have been rare, and if it had occurred, must have been
‘within’ the community and not ‘between’ communities. Klass argues that
it was this ‘pre-caste’ Asian system, which consisted to a large extent of
endogamous clusters of exogamous, unstratified, stipulated-descent
equalitarian “clans” that was later transformed into a stratified socioeconomic
system, a system known as “caste” (158).
Klass attributes “absolute surplus” as one of the main reasons for the
emergence of the caste system in India. His theory is based largely on
Marvin Harris’ research paper titled “The Economy Has No Surplus?”
which emphasizes that for the occurrence of stratification anywhere, the
occurrence of ‘absolute surplus’ is necessary. The emergence of agriculture
as an alternative occupation for livelihood had engineered stratification
among hunting and gathering societies. The hunting and gathering
 Emergence of Caste System in India 9

societies favored the new technology of cultivating lands, since it provided

a better way of life. The advent of agriculture had resulted in the
acquisition of cultivable land. At an earlier stage, land might have been
available in plenty, but with increasing number of communities shifting
their occupation from hunting to agriculture, cultivable land must have
slowly become scarce. With the absence of ‘free’ land, population pressure
becomes a major factor. Klass points out that when population increases in
a particular region, it is likely to be divided into three distinct categories:
those who own the cultivable lands, those who are willing to establish
settlements in some other region, and those who prefer to remain in the
known territory and to seek some means of sharing in the harvest. It
simultaneously sanctions the emergence of ‘land owning groups’ and
‘landless groups’, which are dependent on the former for their survival.
Landless groups offered services in exchange for the share of harvest. The
services ranged from working in the fields to animal husbandry. Slowly it
included menial jobs from clearing night soil to burying the dead (177-
179).
The social divide generated between the landowners and landless
groups enabled the emergence of “absolute surplus” in cultivation of
crops. Despite occasional poor crops and population increase, more food
was produced than was required, which over the years, must have slowly
contributed to an ‘absolute surplus’ (Klass 176). Klass argues that
‘absolute surplus’ coupled with ‘equalitarian ‘clan structured societies led
to the caste stratified societies, in which the different occupations were
subsumed under the notions of Varna. Endogamy continued to
characterize the social groups, and exogamy characterized the sub-units
within each group, which later came to be referred to as Jati. Though there
was exchange of goods and services in this system, it was based on
hierarchy. Thus, an ‘unstratified equalitarian hunting and gathering
community’ was transformed into a complex stratified agricultural
production system known as “the caste system” (Klass 181).
Echoing the ideas of Klass, Nesfields’ occupational theory holds that
caste originated in the division of labor or the specialization of various
functions in society. According to Nesfield, the gradations of castes in
India correspond to the different levels of civilization, at which these
traditional occupations originated. Thus, primitive occupation of hunting
would correspond to the lowest castes, since hunting was the earliest
occupation of human beings. Next in order were the fishing castes, since
their occupation was considered somewhat higher. Above them were the
pastoral castes and the agricultural castes above the pastoral castes. At the
10 Chapter I

top were the Kshatriyas, the ruling class and the Brahmanas, their priest
and guru (Sinha 23-24).
Similar to the ideas of Klass and Nesfield is Gail Omvedt’s theory on
the interconnectedness of caste and class. However, Omvedt’s theory is
premised on the Marxist theory of economic production. In the base and
superstructure theory of Marxism, the base represents the economic
aspect, and relations of production are hence analyzed in terms of class. In
India, however, along with class, caste plays a crucial factor in
determining the relations of social and material production. Omvedt argues
that caste has coexisted with different modes of production from the
tributary mode through the feudal period to the capitalist colonial and
post-colonial nation state. Caste cannot be identified with any single mode
of production, though the system of caste relied on the existence of surplus
and economic inequality. Omvedt points out that caste is a social
phenomenon in which the sub caste or jati regulates the social system of
kinship. The broader caste or Varna was for a long time the basic unit of
the social division of labor, which continues to some extent to date
(Omvedt “Class, Caste and Land in India” 12-14).
Omvedt argues that Marx himself recognized that it is only with the
birth of the capitalist society that the ‘economy’ comes to existence as a
concrete phenomenon, separate from the political, social and other levels
of society. Further, it is only with capitalism that classes come into
existence as phenomena clearly and apparently, defined first at the level of
economic production. In contrast, in pre-capitalist societies, classes were
defined not merely in terms of the economic aspect of the relations of
production but rather in social, religious, political and other super
structural forms. Omvedt hence argues that it is only in a formalistic sense
that class can be distinguished from caste. Both caste and class, (one
‘social and the other ‘economic’) have coexisted in India since the
beginning of the generation of a surplus and economic inequality. It is
hence difficult to look at the caste-class system as separate concrete
phenomena and the two were interwoven, and the Indian feudal system
was actually based on caste-feudal mode of production (Omvedt “Class,
Caste and Land in India”12-14).
Omvedt argues that with the beginning of capitalism during the
colonial rule, the caste system was separated from the class structure. The
colonial government redefined and reshaped caste as a separate social
phenomenon (Omvedt “Class, Caste and Land in India” 14). In the feudal
society the very structuring of the relations of production were defined in
terms of the caste system. During harvest times, the agricultural produce
was distributed based on the services performed by different castes.
 Emergence of Caste System in India 11

Members of the different caste or sub-castes who had performed their

traditional duties throughout the year claimed as their right, a portion of
the grain. Caste was thus a crucial aspect in defining the relations of
production (Omvedt “Class, Caste and Land in India” 15-16).
During the colonial rule, Indian feudalism was transformed to suit the
needs of the development of capitalism in Britain (Omvedt “Class, Caste
and Land in India” 19).The British imposed legal relationships of land
ownership and tenancy, which in turn abolished the pre-existing caste
based access to land. The British imposition of legal rights of property
ownership, produced classes of ‘landlords,’ ‘tenants’ and ‘laborers’, who
were now constituted as legal-economic entities formally separate from
the caste system. Rights were no longer linked to kinship and sub-caste
membership, but were instead appropriated on an individual basis. The
separation of the economic and social levels began in India under colonial
rule (Omvedt “Class, Caste and Land in India” 20). However, Omvedt
argues that caste and class continued to be heavily interlinked in colonial
India. The legal rights of property ownership, which was open to
individuals and all sections of society, was still heavily dependent on
economic power. Omvedt points out that the pre-existing power, wealth
and social traditions of the upper castes gave them an advantage in
continuing to control the agricultural lands legally, as ‘landlords’. The
British, for reasons of political stability, allied with the land controlling
landlords and merchants, and ensured that the power of the upper castes
was maintained at the local level. Further, within the village, production
continued to be organized via the jajmani2 system, which continued to
subordinate the artisans and untouchable laborers, whose traditional caste
duties became part of the unpaid labor extracted by landlords in the feudal
society. Thus, the colonial government maintained the pre-capitalist forms
of production for stabilizing its power. Though caste was formally
separated from class as a separate social phenomenon, Omvedt argues that
both continued to be interlinked in colonial and post-colonial India.
Omvedt argues that caste and class are not separate but highly
interconnected structures and together form the social economic material
base in India on which the social, religious and political superstructures
are formed (Omvedt “Class, Caste and Land in India” 20).

2
Jajmani is a system where the land owning upper castes gives a fixed share of
their agricultural produce in exchange for craft and menial services rendered by the
landless lower castes.
12 Chapter I

Caste as a Religious Phenomenon

Contrary to Klass and Nesfield’s socio-economic interpretation of the
origin of the caste system, the theory proposed by B.R.Ambedkar,
A.M.Hocart and Louis Dumont is based on the religious ideology
underlying the caste system. Their analysis of caste is based on the Vedic
theory, which accurately details the nature of the four varnas of the Hindu
society - Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Sudras. However, there
are differences in their analysis of the caste system. Dumont considers
‘hierarchy’ as the predominant feature of the caste system. Hocart regards
‘sacrificial ritual’ as the pivotal element of caste system. Ambedkar argues
that the basic characteristic of caste system is ‘endogamy’.

Ambedkar – Endogamy is the Origin of Caste

According to Ambedkar, the custom of endogamy forms the genesis
and mechanism of caste in India. Ambedkar points out that without the
practice of endogamy, the caste system cannot survive, and he therefore
equates the origin of caste to the origin of the mechanism of endogamy.
Though intermarriage or exogamy had been prevalent in ancient India, it
had been replaced with the custom of endogamy, which in turn has
resulted in the creation of castes. The practice of endogamy enables a caste
group in India to remain ‘closed units’ without any fusion with other
castes.
Ancient Hindu society, according to Ambedkar, consisted of four
major classes: Brahmins or priestly class, Kshatriyas or military class, the
Vaishya or the merchant class and the Shudra or the artisan and menial
class. Ambedkar argues that it was essentially a class system, which
allowed individuals to change their class, if they were qualified to join
other classes. However at some point of time, Brahmins or the priestly
class decided to detach themselves from the other classes. They could
achieve this only through the custom of endogamy. Thus the custom of
endogamy was initially followed by the Brahmins or priestly class, who
occupied the highest position in the social hierarchy of Hindu society.
Over the years endogamy became a fashion in the Hindu society since it
originated from the priestly class, who were venerated and idolized in the
scriptures. Ambedkar points out that through “the infection of imitation”,
endogamy or “closed-door system” spread to the non-Brahmin classes.
People who violated this practice by marrying outside their caste were
excommunicated. Endogamy was thus practiced by all the classes in the
Hindu society, which ultimately resulted in the rigid formation of castes.
 Emergence of Caste System in India 13

Along with endogamy, Brahmins followed the custom of Sati and

enforced widowhood which later spread to other castes. Ambedkar argues
that intermarrying or exogamy will eventually dismantle the caste system
(Ambedkar “Castes in India” 5-22).

Sacrificial Rituals –Pivotal Element

Hocart’s theory of caste revolves around four concepts: kingship,
domination, ritual and pollution. Asserting that the ‘Kshatriya Caste’ is at
the apex of the caste system, Hocart interprets sacrificial function as the
pivotal element of the caste system. The king’s function is to command
rituals, which guarantee the well-being of the community. Each of the four
castes has a specific ritual function. The king’s function is to offer
sacrifices for the well-being of his community. Since performing these
rituals brings pollution, the king does not perform these rituals, but instead
commands the Brahman priests to perform the rituals and bears the
expenses. The second in the hierarchy are hence Brahmans, who perform
the rituals for the king. The third caste in order, are the Vaishyas, who
support the king and the Brahmans who perform sacrificial rites. The
fourth, the Sudras are excluded from the services of the other castes. They
perform duties that upper caste priests cannot touch. Since the Brahmans
cannot touch dead bodies (as it will cause pollution), Hocart points out that
the Sudras are those that deal with dead bodies. Those communities, which
were outside the caste society, were untouchables.
Hocart’s theory emphasizes that caste is fundamentally about kingship
and ritual and that the two are inseparable. Though Hocart’s theory is
based on religious scriptures, he challenges the idea that members of any
caste always follow a particular occupation. He argues that carpenters by
caste are not wood workers and farmers by caste need not necessarily be
cultivators. Hocart thus saw a disjuncture between castes and occupations,
which were to be synonymous in the notion of varna (qtd.in Quigley 114-
121).

Louis Dumont’s Homo Hierarchicus

Louis Dumont’s Homo Hierarchicus is one of the most influential
contributions to the study of caste in India. Dumont draws a distinction
between traditional and modern societies. He asserts that traditional
ideology places the highest value on the moral value of the society;
whereas modern ideology places the highest value on the idea of the
individual. Traditional society is hence holistic and modern society is
14 Chapter I

individualistic. In an individualistic modern society, hierarchy is perceived

in terms of inequality. In the modern west, inequality is perceived in terms
of ‘exploitation’, ‘discrimination’, or ‘segregation’. However, in a
traditional society, hierarchy is perceived in terms of holism. Dumont
interprets the principle of hierarchy as “the attribution of a rank to each
element in relation to the whole” (91). Since the ranking is religious in
nature, there is a consensus of values regarding hierarchy in traditional
societies. Dumont argues that we need to transcend our modern
individualistic ideology, to understand the holistic vision of the traditional
society.
Dumont proposes that the principle of hierarchy, as manifested in the
caste system in India, is based on the notions of purity and pollution.
Celestin Bougle at the beginning of the twentieth century had enumerated
three essential features of the caste system - separation, interdependence,
and hierarchy. Separation, in matters of marriage and contact;
interdependence, since each group is assigned a specific profession and
depend on the services of other communities; hierarchy, which ranks the
groups as relatively superior or inferior to one another. Dumont insists that
these three characteristics are reducible to a ‘single true principle’ –namely
the opposition of pure and impure. Dumont argues that the principle of
hierarchy is pivoted on the opposition between purity and pollution, which
corresponds to the notions of superiority and inferiority (qtd.in Quigley
25-26).
According to Dumont, the opposition between pure and impure is
sustained by the disjunction between the ritual status of the Brahmans and
the secular power of the Kshatriyas. He argues that in the ideology of
caste, though the kings are politically dominant, their temporal authority is
subordinated to the spiritual authority of Brahmans. This disjunction
between power and status is implicit in the hierarchical opposition of pure
and impure. “Thus in the theory of varnas one finds that status and power
are differentiated, just as the general consideration of hierarchy seemed to
require” (Dumont 72).
Dumont’s theory of caste is an attempt to find reasons behind the
monopoly and superior status that Brahmins enjoy in the religious domain.
Brahmins enjoyed the privilege of performing sacrificial rites on behalf of
the kings and hence guaranteed the spiritual welfare of their political
masters. Based on the principle of purity, Brahmins were accorded the
highest status in the caste structure. The politically dominant Kshatriyas
were ranked next in order. Other ranks in the society were segregated
according to the hierarchical principle of purity and impurity. Those who
deal professionally with natural, impure substances, like dead bodies and
 Emergence of Caste System in India 15

night soil, were designated the lowest position. Those who were neither
specialists of purity nor impurity were ranked along this pure-impure axis
where Brahmins formed the apex and the untouchables, the bottom.
Dumont’s theory has been criticized as a Brahminic view of caste,
which fails to reflect the actual, lived world of caste. Srinivas argues that
Dumont had assumed the existence of homology between varna and jati.
Srinivas points out that there are two models of caste system operating in
India – varna and jati, and that there exist certain differences between the
two systems. Varna is the Vedic classification of the four ranked
occupational orders, whereas jati refers to ranked hereditary, endogamous
and occupational groups separated from each other by the ideas of purity
and pollution. In the jati model of caste, the function that is performed by
the king in the varna system is performed by the dominant caste. Dumont
asserts that similar to the phenomenon of the Brahmins and the king
assuming supremacy in the varna system, the Brahmins and the dominant
caste assert their supremacy over other castes in the jati model.
Srinivas refutes this theory by pointing out that in some areas, the
dominant castes are highly Sanskritized, and show respect to Brahmins.
However, there are areas where the dominant castes are antagonistic to
Brahmins and refuse to consider them as higher caste. Srinivas further
argues that at the royal or kingly level, the coronation ceremony was
essential to legitimate the powers of the King. The Brahmin priests
assumed importance since they had the sole rights to perform the rites. The
absence of coronation ceremony for the dominant castes in the jati system
relegates the importance of the Brahmins (Srinivas “Some reflections”
100-103).
Quigley contends Dumont’s claim that Brahmins form the apex of the
caste hierarchy because of their purity. He points out that there are varying
degrees of purity assigned to different Brahmins. He draws our attention to
the fact that priestly activity is a source of degradation and impurity, and
that priesthood is the quintessential source of impurity (Quigley 58). The
‘purest’ Brahmin is the ‘renouncer’, who does not belong to the ordinary
world of social relations. He does not perform any priestly function and
does not accept any reward. Next in order, is the Brahman who functions
as a spiritual guide, referred to as a guru purohita. Among the Brahmins
who work as priests, the purohita - the family priests, who perform
sacrificial rituals for wealthy patrons, are considered the ‘highest’. The
impurity of the patron is supposed to have been absorbed by the family
priests, through the payments he receives for performing the rituals. The
temple priests are considered inferior to the family priests, since they
absorb the impurity of all and sundry who make offerings to the gods in
16 Chapter I

the temple. The temple priests are superior to the funeral priests, who
absorb the pollution of death. Lowest in the order are those who officiate
as funeral priests to lower castes. Quigley argues that to regard Brahmins
as the purest in the caste structure is a position fraught with contradictions
(67).

Caste as a Colonial Construct

Scholars like Bernard Cohn, Ronald Inden and Nicholas Dirks have
argued that caste is a product of colonialist imperial designs to strengthen
their power over the native Indians. The colonial government endeavored
to gain not only political control but also cultural domination over the
Indians, with a hidden agenda, which sought to establish the pernicious
beliefs and practices of Indians engendered in the caste system as
primitive and barbaric, while simultaneously reinforcing the superiority of
western institutions based on equality and rationality. In their efforts to
construct the Oriental, ‘other’, the British in colonial India labeled the
beliefs, practices and customs of the native Indians as ‘tradition’. Foremost
among the belief systems was the social institution of caste, which the
British identified as ‘traditional’ as opposed to the ‘western modernity.
Equating western modernity to rationality and equality, colonial
administration established cultural superiority over the Indians, in turn
legitimating the need for Indians to be governed by western administration
(Inden 1986; Cohn 1987; Dirks 2002).
Dirks argues that caste was not a basic tradition or core civilizational
value in ancient India. It is a modern phenomenon and became a central
symbol of Indian society only during the colonial period. Countering the
idea that caste is a fundamental religious and social order, Dirks argues
that caste has always been political and has shaped political struggles and
processes in pre-colonial India. Social identity was not confined to
endogamous caste groups; rather it was multiple and heterogeneous. Caste
was not a single logic for categorization and identity. Regional, village,
residential and temple communities, territorial groups, lineage segments
and occupational groups were other significant units of identification.
Social identity was importantly political, and political affiliations decided
the way caste was organized in pre-colonial India. (Dirks Castes of Mind
13)
Dirks points out that some of the present standardized caste titles and
social positions were political markers in the old regime of kingship. To
exemplify that present caste titles were political in origin and meaning,
Dirks refers to the political milieu of a princely kingdom in Tamil Nadu,
 Emergence of Caste System in India 17

Pudukkotai. In the pre-colonial period, the Tondaiman dynasty of Kallar

kings ruled Pudukottai. Primarily an agricultural society, seventy percent
of the cultivable land enjoyed tax-free benefice, while thirty percent of the
cultivable land was taxed. Based on archival evidence, Dirks affirms that
during the early period of British control, seventy percent of the cultivable
land enjoyed tax free benefice or inam. This was allotted for military
chiefs, palace guards and servants. Twenty five percent was allotted to
village officers, artisans, and servants and the remaining forty five was
allotted to temples, monasteries and Brahmin priests and pilgrims.
Dirks points out that the structure of the privileged landholdings
reflects the structure of political power and social positions in the state and
village institutions in pre-colonial India. The chief landholders in
Pudukottai during the Kallar regime were the Kallar Jagirdars and
Cervaikarars. The Jagirdars, the collateral relations of the king, had small
courts and enjoyed full imam grants, including military ones. Just below
the Jagirdars came the Cervaikarars who were the same ‘subcaste’ as the
king and had one or more direct ties with the royal family. These collateral
families, Jagirdars and Cervaikarars were given large grants of land,
titles, honors, emblems and military retinues to serve under them. The
lesser chiefs were kuriakarars who belonged to the Kallar sub caste rather
than the royal one. They were given lands lesser than the Jagirs and
Cervaikaars, though they enjoyed more benefits and privileges than the
other communities in Pudukkotai. The Uriyakarars, who belonged to a
separate caste group called Akampatiyars, protected the royal family and
court. Due to their connection and services to the king, the Uriyakarars
were given special privileges when compared to the other Akampatiyars in
the village.
The headman in each village was given lands in recognition of his
services. The village headmen or ampalams were from the Kallar or
Maravar caste, both dominant castes in the state. In certain places, the
occupational term ampalam was used as a caste title of the village
headmen. Similarly, maniam or imam lands were given by the state to
village officers or headman, to priests of small temples or shrines, or to
other local personages, for their services in the state and village festivals.
Since receiving maniyam from the state simultaneously accorded a
privileged status and established links with the king, it came to designate a
social and caste title (in some areas), namely Maniyakar.
The Brahmin priests were granted lands, but Dirks points out that they
did not enjoy any special status in the society, other than the respect
gained from the kings due to their knowledge. Dirks argues that in the
Kallar regime, the kings enjoyed absolute authority and temporal authority
18 Chapter I

was not subordinated to the spiritual authority (Dirks Castes of Mind 65-
69). Dirks points out that in the pre-colonial period, social hierarchy was
not determined by caste but rather by political hierarchy and the proximity
of the communities to the royal family. Politics was fundamental to the
processes of hierarchy and the formations of units of identity (Dirks
Castes of Mind 71-73).
Brahmins were necessary for the ideological maintenance of Hindu
kingship, but they neither defined nor provided the principles that
organized hierarchy for Indian social order throughout all time. It was only
in the colonial period, that the Brahmins assumed importance because of
their knowledge of the Vedas and the Hindu religious scriptures. The great
rebellion of 1857 stressed the need to consolidate the British sovereignty
over Indians. The rebellion provided the ground for the British
administration to count and classify Indians based on their social identity.
In this context, caste emerged as the fundamental and primary marker of
identity, to know and rule India (Dirks Castes of Mind 123). The British
had to rely on Brahminical knowledge in all religious matters and this
simultaneously established the superiority of Brahmins. The Brahminical
world-view accorded a privileged status to Brahmins and relegated all
other caste as inferior based on the notions of purity and pollution. In the
colonial period, with the Brahminical interpretation of the Vedas and
religious scriptures, caste emerged as a principle unit of identity and the
basis of social hierarchy (Dirks Castes of Mind 73)
Caste became a significant marker of identity in the colonial rule,
expressed most saliently in the census. The census taken in 1881 and 1931
further consolidated the caste system in India .The British attempted to
reduce the complexity by slotting all groups into caste-ordered pigeonholes.
Bernard Cohn draws attention to the fact that the principle of organization
was to try to place castes in the four varna or in categories of outcastes
and aborigines. Cohn notes that for the 1881 census, the then lieutenant –
Governor ordered that any confusion about a caste’s social position should
be resolved by referring to a list drawn up by “the outstanding Indian
Sanskrit scholar of the time” (qtd. in Quigley 16). Colonial government, in
relying on Brahminical knowledge for comprehending religious and
cultural issues, was simultaneously sanctioning the hegemony of Brahminical
discourses. Sustaining certain discourses as superior, the British were
discreetly constructing categories of high and low religions, or rather
Brahmin and non-Brahmin. Dirks points out that the colonial construct and
categorization of high and low religion or Brahmin and non-Brahmin
survived much longer than the colonial regime and persists till date (Dirks
Castes of Mind 172). Dirks argues that colonialism made caste what it is