DOCSLIB.ORG

The Mahars: a Study of Their Religion and Socio-Economic Life

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Mahars: a Study of Their Religion and Socio-Economic Life International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research ISSN: 2455-2070; Impact Factor: RJIF 5.22 Received: 15-11-2018; Accepted: 17-12-2018 www.socialsciencejournal.in Volume 5; Issue 1; January 2019; Page No. 39-45 The Mahars: A study of their religion and socio-economic life Vishwas Sheshrao Padole1, KR Rajani2 1 Ph.D. Student, Department of Philosophy, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India 2 Chairperson, Board Studies, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India 2 Director, Department of Philosophy, Centre for Religious Studies, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India Abstract There are scholars who suggest that the Mahars are the original inhabitants of the state. They are a large community found in very town in Maharashtra. There are fifty-three known endogamous divisions within the Mahar caste, however one can even find more. Among them the Somvanshi are the most numerous and they consider themselves superior to the other clans. The Mahars were also part of the Balutedar system of the village economy, performing certain duties and from which they also received their livelihood. In social status they were regarded as impure and hence they were not allowed to come in contact with caste Hindus for fear of making them impure. They were oppressed and considered worthy for doing the menial works. Traditionally the Mahars as a community never received any proper religious instruction. They had their own belief system and they venerated their deities however, they also celebrated the festivals of other Hindu castes. Keywords: maharvada, balutedar, harijan, warkari, gosavi, chavadi 1. Introduction called “Dalits” [4] A good number of Mahars converted to The Mahars are one of the most important castes among the Christianity. Similarly, a vast majority of them followed the untouchable castes in Maharashtra. In nature, the status of the great personality of their caste Dr. Ambedkar, and embraced caste has always been low in the Hindu caste structure. Over Buddhism, evidence of their desire to free themselves from the centuries, the Mahars are immensely important in the the bondage of the Hindu caste structure. Hindu caste structure from a socio-economic and religious point of view. There was a common saying in Maharashtra, 2. Purpose “Wherever there is a town, there is a Mahar quarter” [1]. This The purpose of this article is to understand the community of suggests that the fact that the Mahars or Mhar, a community the Mahars in their traditional and historical setting in Hindu of untouchables is found throughout the state of Maharashtra. society. The focus will be on the study of their religion and For a Marathi person, the word Mahar was a tone of belief system. Then an attempt will be made to understand contempt. Referring to the way caste Hindus thought of them, the Mahars, though placed outside the Varna system of the R.V. Russell says, “The people say, ‘Mahar sarva jaticha Hindu caste structure, and their socio-economic life in the bahar’, which means that, the Mahar is outside all castes. larger Hindu fold. An attempt will be made to determine Having given them a bad name, they are also given an whether they have any rights and privileges within the unwarrantably bad character; for ‘Mahar jaticha’ is a phrase existing social structure of caste, of which they were proud, used for a person with no moral or kind feelings” [2]. In the and whether they were making any contribution in the on- olden (former) days, when a Mahar met a man of higher caste, going life in their villages. he would use the form of greetings peculiar to his people “johar mayabapa, johar”. This was a traditional greeting, 3. Sources given by a Mahar to their masters and landlords. Robertson Many of the sources consulted for this study are the outcome states that the moment a high caste person heard this greeting, of the study of the Mahars, conducted by reputed scholars and he would know who was greeting him [3]. The caste is one of then published by well-known publishers. In this article, such the most suppressed and neglected castes in the state, but the sources are treated as primary, since they are useful for its community has an important place in the tradition of the purpose and focus. The secondary sources were useful for socio-economic system in the villages in Maharashtra, known elaborating the subject of the study. as the Balutedar system. The Mahars were numerous, and found everywhere in the state. Over a period of time, they 4. Limitations were called by different names. Like other outcastes of India, The Mahars claim to be the original inhabitants of the state of the British called them `depressed classes’, Mahatma Maharashtra. Traditionally, they have been under the Gandhiji, termed them ‘Harijan’ (people of god) and the bondage of the Hindu caste structure and have suffered as a government of India refers to them as ‘Schedule Castes’. community for centuries. This study will picture their However, like other outcastes on India, they prefer to be traditional and historical life setting in the larger Hindu fold. 1 Alexander, Robertson, the Mahar Folks: A Study of Untouchables in 3 Alexander, Robertson, op. cit., 10. Maharashtra (Calcutta: YMCA Printing House, 1938), 44. 4 The term ‘Dalits is derived from the Sanskrit work ‘dal’ which means 2 R.V. Russell and Hiralal, the Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces cracked, split, broken, down trodden, crushed, destroyed and oppressed. of India, Vol. IV (Delhi: Cosmos Publications, 1975), 142. James Massey, Indigenous People: Dalits (Delhi: ISPCK, 1994), 6 39 International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research The article will not cover the time when a good number of animistic practices more and more in the direction of Mahars opted for a new religion and embraced it for various Orthodox Hinduism [13]. reasons and purposes. According to a popular belief, the Mahars are divided into twelve and a half castes [14]. But according to Enthoven one 5. Methodology can go further. He mentions fifty-three endogamous divisions The methodology adopted in this article is historical, within the Mahar caste. Among them the Somvanshi [15]. are documentary, and also analytical. the most numerous and they were found everywhere in Maharashtra. Moreover, they consider themselves superior to 6. Historical Background of Maharashtra the other clans [16]. There are various legendary stories that The state of Maharashtra, the largest state in population and explains the origin of the Mahars in Maharashtra. “According size in the country, was inaugurated on May 1, 1960 as a to Hindu tradition, Mahars were originally night rovers distinctively Marathi state. Prior to this, the area was under (nishachar), whom the god Brahma transformed into men, the Bombay Presidency and the Central Provinces [5]. lest they eat his whole creation” [17]. People who lived in the Politically, the state is well known from ancient history. Nasik region believe that the founder of the Mahar caste was Many dynasties, both ancient and modern have ruled from Svarup Somaji who originated from the sole of Brahma’s foot here. The final defeat of Peshva Bajirao II and the annexation [18]. People living in the Ahmednagar region believe that they of the Kingdom of the Marathas to the British Bombay are the descendants of Mahars who came from one of the four Presidency in 1818, opened a new era in the political history cow-born castes [19]. of Maharashtra [6]. The predominant religion of Maharashtra is Hinduism. A large number of people adhere to it in one 8. Religions and Religious life of the Mahars way or the other. The Aryans, who came to India in the The study done by Vetschera on the Mahars shows that most middle of the second millennium B.C., imposed their social Mahars are not deeply religious [20]. The Mahars attend yatras order upon the inhabitants of the country. The Rigveda refers (religious fairs) with enthusiasm, which take place at Hindu to the four varnas - namely the Brahmans, the Kshatriya, the temples in different places. Often, their motives will be Vaishya, and last of all, the Shudras. Outside the above four entertainment or to do business rather than religious. Many varnas there are numerous outcastes [7]. This caste structure actively participate in the festival of god Khandoba, the existed throughout the villages in Maharashtra. warkari cult, and make the pilgrimage to Pandharpur, Alandi, Jejuri and Tuljapur [21]. They also are devoted to 7. Origin of the Mahars various non-Sanskritic gods. There are scholars who suggest that the Mahars are the The Mahar as a community never received any proper original inhabitants of Maharashtra. The name Maharashtra religious instruction. Though they were not allowed to enter is derived from the word Mahar. R.V. Russel [8] and Enthoven Hindu temples they practised Hinduism. They celebrated the [9] seem to have argued that the Mahars could have been festivals of other Hindu castes [22] like Holi, Dasahra, original inhabitants of the land, whom the Aryans first Dipavali Gudhipadva, Akhadi, Vata Pornima (Vata Savitri), encountered. Robertson suggests that the saying, “Wherever Naga-Panchami, Rakhi Pornima, and Pola. On the festival of there is a village, there is a maharvada” (living quarters of Nag-Panchami, they made images of Nag (snake) out of flour the Mahar community) may be taken literally to mean that, and sugar and ate it [23]. A special bathing-ghat is set apart at formerly, the Mahars were ‘so great a nation that their Ramtek near Nagpur for the Mahars living there. Russell remnants are found in every town throughout the state [10] He states, after the bath they can enter the citadel leading up to even goes a step further and suggests that the Mahars might the temple to offer their worship and believe that god accepts have given their name to the state Maharashtra [11].
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 203Rd Anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon Battle
    203rd Anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon Battle drishtiias.com/printpdf/203rd-anniversary-of-the-bhima-koregaon-battle Why in News The victory pillar (also known as Ranstambh or Jaystambh) in Bhima-Koregaon village (Pune district of Maharashtra) celebrated the 203rd anniversary of the Bhima- Koregaon battle of 1818 on 1st January, 2021. In 2018, incidents of violent clashes between Dalit and Maratha groups were registered during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle. Key Points 1/2 Historical Background: A battle was fought in Bhima Koregaon between the Peshwa forces and the British on 1st January, 1818. The British army, which comprised mainly of Dalit soldiers, fought the upper caste-dominated Peshwa army. The British troops defeated the Peshwa army. Peshwa Bajirao II had insulted the Mahar community and terminated them from the service of his army. This caused them to side with the English against the Peshwa’s numerically superior army. Mahar, caste-cluster, or group of many endogamous castes, living chiefly in Maharashtra state and in adjoining states. They mostly speak Marathi, the official language of Maharashtra. They are officially designated Scheduled Castes. The defeat of Peshwa army was considered to be a victory against caste-based discrimination and oppression. It was one of the last battles of the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-18), which ended the Peshwa domination. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s visit to the site on 1st January, 1927, revitalised the memory of the battle for the Dalit community, making it a rallying point and an assertion of pride. The Victory Pillar Memorial: It was erected by the British in Perne village in the district for the soldiers killed in the Koregaon Bhima battle.
    [Show full text]
  • Three Women Sants of Maharashtra: Muktabai, Janabai, Bahinabai
    Three Women Sants of Maharashtra Muktabai, Janabai, Bahinabai by Ruth Vanita Page from a handwritten manuscript of Sant Bahina’s poems at Sheor f”kÅj ;sFkhy gLrfyf[kukP;k ,dk i~’Bkpk QksVks NUMBER 50-51-52 (January-June 1989) An ant flew to the sky and swallowed the sun Another wonder - a barren woman had a son. A scorpion went to the underworld, set its foot on the Shesh Nag’s head. A fly gave birth to a kite. Looking on, Muktabai laughed. -Muktabai- 46 MANUSHI THE main trends in bhakti in Maharashtra is the Varkari tradition which brick towards Krishna for him to stand on. Maharashtra took the form of a number of still has the largest mass following. Krishna stood on the brick and was so sant traditions which developed between Founded in the late thirteenth and early lost in Pundalik’s devotion that he forgot the thirteenth and the seventeenth fourteenth centuries1 by Namdev (a sant to return to heaven. His wife Rukmani had centuries. The sants in Maharashtra were of the tailor community, and Jnaneshwar, to come and join him in Pandharpur where men and women from different castes and son of a socially outcasted Brahman) who she stands as Rakhumai beside Krishna in communities, including Brahmans, wrote the famous Jnaneshwari, a versified the form of Vitthal (said to be derived from Vaishyas, Shudras and Muslims, who commentary in Marathi on the Bhagwad vitha or brick). emphasised devotion to god’s name, to Gita, the Varkari (pilgrim) tradition, like the The Maharashtrian sants’ relationship the guru, and to satsang, the company of Mahanubhav, practises nonviolence and to Vitthal is one of tender and intimate love.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Modern Maharashtra (1818-1920)
    1 1 MAHARASHTRA ON – THE EVE OF BRITISH CONQUEST UNIT STRUCTURE 1.0 Objectives 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Political conditions before the British conquest 1.3 Economic Conditions in Maharashtra before the British Conquest. 1.4 Social Conditions before the British Conquest. 1.5 Summary 1.6 Questions 1.0 OBJECTIVES : 1 To understand Political conditions before the British Conquest. 2 To know armed resistance to the British occupation. 3 To evaluate Economic conditions before British Conquest. 4 To analyse Social conditions before the British Conquest. 5 To examine Cultural conditions before the British Conquest. 1.1 INTRODUCTION : With the discovery of the Sea-routes in the 15th Century the Europeans discovered Sea route to reach the east. The Portuguese, Dutch, French and the English came to India to promote trade and commerce. The English who established the East-India Co. in 1600, gradually consolidated their hold in different parts of India. They had very capable men like Sir. Thomas Roe, Colonel Close, General Smith, Elphinstone, Grant Duff etc . The English shrewdly exploited the disunity among the Indian rulers. They were very diplomatic in their approach. Due to their far sighted policies, the English were able to expand and consolidate their rule in Maharashtra. 2 The Company’s government had trapped most of the Maratha rulers in Subsidiary Alliances and fought three important wars with Marathas over a period of 43 years (1775 -1818). 1.2 POLITICAL CONDITIONS BEFORE THE BRITISH CONQUEST : The Company’s Directors sent Lord Wellesley as the Governor- General of the Company’s territories in India, in 1798.
    [Show full text]
  • Maharashtra Data Highlights: the Scheduled
    MAHARASHTRA DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES Census of India 2001 The total population of Maharashtra, as per the 2001 Census, is 96,878,627. Of this, 9,881,656 (10.2 per cent) are Scheduled Castes (SCs). The SC population constitutes 5.9 per cent of the country’s SC population. Fiftynine (59) SCs have been notified in Maharashtra under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act, 1976. Only one SC, Kaikadi has been notified in the state with an area restriction. 2. The growth rate of SC population in the decade 1991-2001 at 12.8 per cent has been considerably lower if compared to the overall growth rate of 22.7 per cent of the state population. Among the numerically major SCs, Mang have recorded the highest growth rate of 21.2 per cent, followed by Bhambi (16.1 per cent) and Mahar (10.9 per cent). The lowest growth rate (6.2 per cent) is registered among Bhangi at the 2001 Census. Population- Size and Distribution 3. Out of 59 SCs, Mahar, Mang, Bhambi and Bhangi together constitute 92 per cent of the SC population of the state. Mahar are numerically the largest SC with a population of 5,678,912, constituting 57.5 per cent of the SC population of the state. They are followed by Mang 2,003,996 (20.3 per cent), Bhambi 1,234,874 (12.5 per cent) and Bhangi 186,776 (1.9 per cent). Twenty-eight (28) SCs have returned population below 1000 at the 2001 Census. 4.
    [Show full text]
  • The Caste Question: Dalits and the Politics of Modern India
    chapter 1 Caste Radicalism and the Making of a New Political Subject In colonial India, print capitalism facilitated the rise of multiple, dis- tinctive vernacular publics. Typically associated with urbanization and middle-class formation, this new public sphere was given material form through the consumption and circulation of print media, and character- ized by vigorous debate over social ideology and religio-cultural prac- tices. Studies examining the roots of nationalist mobilization have argued that these colonial publics politicized daily life even as they hardened cleavages along fault lines of gender, caste, and religious identity.1 In west- ern India, the Marathi-language public sphere enabled an innovative, rad- ical form of caste critique whose greatest initial success was in rural areas, where it created novel alliances between peasant protest and anticaste thought.2 The Marathi non-Brahmin public sphere was distinguished by a cri- tique of caste hegemony and the ritual and temporal power of the Brah- min. In the latter part of the nineteenth century, Jotirao Phule’s writings against Brahminism utilized forms of speech and rhetorical styles asso- ciated with the rustic language of peasants but infused them with demands for human rights and social equality that bore the influence of noncon- formist Christianity to produce a unique discourse of caste radicalism.3 Phule’s political activities, like those of the Satyashodak Samaj (Truth Seeking Society) he established in 1873, showed keen awareness of trans- formations wrought by colonial modernity, not least of which was the “new” Brahmin, a product of the colonial bureaucracy. Like his anticaste, 39 40 Emancipation non-Brahmin compatriots in the Tamil country, Phule asserted that per- manent war between Brahmin and non-Brahmin defined the historical process.
    [Show full text]
  • Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar Was Born in a Mahar Family at Mhow in Maharashtra on 14Th
    CHAPTER - II AMBEDKAR: A VICTIM OF UNTOUCHABILITY Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born in a Mahar family at Mhow in Maharashtra on 14th April, 1891. His father Ramji Maloji Sankpal was a military Subedar and was a Kabirpanthi supporter and his mother Bhimbai was a house wife. This family was located a remote village, Ambad, in the old Taluka Dapoli of Ratnagiri District. Due to job constraint, the father of Ambedkar was compelled to move from one military camp to another camp. Ambedkar was the fourteenth child of his parents. Although his family was respected by the neighbors, but Ambedkar very often had been the victim of the joke Chavadave Ratna made by his neighbors suggesting that he was born from beat of others. In the year of 1905 when Ambedkar was 14, he married nine years old Ramabai. She was from poor and illiterate Mahar family. However, in the year of 1935 Ramabai was died. That is why Ambedkar married a second time to Dr. Sharada Kabir (Later named Savita) in the year of 1948. She was from a Saraswat Brahmin family of Bombay. Ambedkar had completed to get his early education from Satara. He completed Matriculate from the Elphinstone High School, Bombay in 1908 and graduated from the Elphinstone College in 1912. After that he went to the U.S.A. in 1913, on a Baroda State Scholarship and joined the Columbia University from where he took his M.A. in Economic in1915 and Ph.D. in 1916. After completed his masters he went to England and joined the London School of Economics and Political Science and also the Gray’s Inn.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction
    Introduction very sixth human being in the world today is an Indian, and Eevery sixth Indian is an erstwhile untouchable, a Dalit. Today there are 165 million Dalits (equal to more than half the population of the United States) and they continue to suffer under India’s 3,500-year-old caste system, which remains a stigma on humanityy. However, Dalits are awakening. We are struggling against caste dis- crimination, illiteracy, and poverty; our weapons are education, self-empowerment, and democracyy. Hindus believe that God created the caste system. The sacred Rig-Veda, the earliest literary source in India, dating back to around 1000 b.c., describes how human stratification came about: a cosmic giant, Purusha, sacrificed parts of his body to create mankind. His mouth became the Brahmin, the priestly class; his arms the Kshatriya, the warriors and landowners; his thighs were made into Vaishya, the merchants; and from his feet were born Shudra, the servants. This fourfold division of society is called the Four Varnas (Chaturvarna). The untouchables have no place in the Chaturvarna, and are placed even below the lowest Shudra Varna. Ancient Hindu law books such as Manu Smruti and Gautama Dharma Shastra did not allow Shudras and Dalits to possess any wealth other than “dogs and donkeys.” The doors of education were closed to them. This is what the law books prescribe for untouchables who dare approach the sacred texts: 1 NARENDRA JADHAV If he listens intentionally to the Vedas, his ears shall be filled with lead. If he recites them, his tongue shall be cut out.
    [Show full text]
  • Chokhamela and Eknath
    Chokhamela and Eknath: Two Bhakti Modes of Legitimacy for Modern Change ELEANOR ZELLIOT Carleton College, Northfield, U.S.A. C HOKHAMELA, a thirteenth to fourteenth century Maharashtrian santl in the bhakti tradition, and Eknath, a sixteenth century sant, are both revered figures in the Warkari sampradaya, 2 the tradition of pilgrimage to Pan- dharpur which marks the important bhakti movement in the Marathi-speaking area. The lives of both are known by legend; their songs are sung by devotees on the pilgrimage and in bhajan sessions. Chokhamela was a Mahar, the only important bhakti figure in Maharashtra from an Untouchable caste. Eknath was a Brahman from the holy city of Paithan who wrote about Chokhamela, ate with Mahars, allowed Untouchables into his bhajans, and wrote poems in the persona of a Mahar who was wiser in spiritual matters than the Brahmans. Both, then, offer models for contemporary change in regard to Un- touchability : even though an Untouchable, Chokhamela achieved sanctity and a place among the bhakti pantheon of sants; Eknath, even though a Brahman from a distinguished scholarly family, showed by his actions that there was equality among the true bhaktas. This paper will explore the thought and the actions of each bhakti figure in an attempt to determine their basic social and religious ideas, and then note the contemporary attempts to legitimize change through reference to these earlier religious figures. Chokhamela was born in the second half of the thirteenth century, prob- ably about the time that Dnyaneshwar, who is considered the founder of the bhakti sect in Maharashtra, was born.
    [Show full text]
  • The Vithoba Temple of Pan<Jharpur and Its Mythological Structure
    Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 19S8 15/2-3 The Vithoba Faith of Mahara§tra: The Vithoba Temple of Pan<Jharpur and Its Mythological Structure SHIMA Iwao 島 岩 The Bhakti Movement in Hinduism and the Vithobd Faith o f MaM rdstra1 The Hinduism of India was formed between the sixth century B.C. and the sixth century A.D., when Aryan Brahmanism based on Vedic texts incor­ porated non-Aryan indigenous elements. Hinduism was established after the seventh century A.D. through its resurgence in response to non-Brah- manistic traditions such as Buddhism. It has continuously incorporated different and new cultural elements while transfiguring itself up to the present day. A powerful factor in this formation and establishment of Hinduism, and a major religious movement characteristic especially of medieval Hin­ duism, is the bhakti movement (a religious movement in which it is believed that salvation comes through the grace of and faith in the supreme God). This bhakti movement originated in the Bhagavad GUd of the first century B.C., flourishing especially from the middle of the seventh to the middle of the ninth century A.D. among the religious poets of Tamil, such as Alvars, in southern India. This bhakti movement spread throughout India through its incorporation into the tradition of Brahmanism, and later developed in three ways. First, the bhakti movement which had originated in the non-Aryan cul­ ture of Tamil was incorporated into Brahmanism. Originally bhakti was a strong emotional love for the supreme God, and this was reinterpreted to 1 In connection with this research, I am very grateful to Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • Note to Users
    NOTE TO USERS This reproduction is the best copy available. ® UMI Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with with permission permission of the of copyright the copyright owner. Furtherowner. reproduction Further reproduction prohibited without prohibited permission. without permission. HISTORICISM, HINDUISM AND MODERNITY IN COLONIAL INDIA By Apama Devare Submitted to the Faculty of the School of International Service of American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In International Relations Chai Dean of the School of International Service 2005 American University Washington, D.C. 20016 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3207285 Copyright 2005 by Devare, Aparna All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 3207285 Copyright 2006 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
    [Show full text]
  • Cokhāmelā, the Modern Dalit Movement, and the Dalit Christian Theology
    College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University DigitalCommons@CSB/SJU School of Theology and Seminary Faculty Publications School of Theology and Seminary 2017 “I am the Mahar of your Mahars:” Cokhāmelā, the Modern Dalit Movement, and the Dalit Christian Theology Chris Conway College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/sot_pubs Part of the Christianity Commons, Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, Hindu Studies Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Conway, Christopher. “‘I am the Mahar of your Mahars:’ Cokhāmelā, the Modern Dalit Movement, and the Dalit Christian Theology”. The Apollonian 4: 1-2 (March-June 2017): 5-26. © 2017 The Apollonian The Apollonian A Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Open-access | Peer-reviewed Vol 4, Issues 1&2 (March-June 2017) Submission details and instructions for authors: http://theapollonian.in/index.php/submission- guidelines/ SPECIAL ISSUE | INTER-FAITH DIALOGUE IN INDIA: THEOLOGICAL REVISIONING “I am the Mahar of your Mahars:” Cokhāmelā, the Modern Dalit Movement, and the Dalit Christian Theology Christopher Conway To cite this article: Conway, Christopher. “‘I am the Mahar of your Mahars:’ Cokhāmelā, the Modern Dalit Movement, and the Dalit Christian Theology”. The Apollonian 4: 1-2 (March-June 2017): 5-26. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly prohibited. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date.
    [Show full text]
  • A Reflection on the Cultural Synthesis of Karnataka – Maharashtra Border Region
    International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN (Online): 2319-7064 A Reflection on the Cultural Synthesis of Karnataka – Maharashtra Border Region Shobha Shivaprasad Nayak Assistant Professor, School of Classical Kannada studies, Rani Channamma University, Belgaum, Karnataka, India Abstract: Both Kannada and Marathi are very old languages. Both have their own scripts, words with a rich vocabulary, meaning and usages. Synthesis and exchange between Kannada and Marathi in the field of Music, Drama, Painting, Folklore and various other forms of art and literature can be noticed. This paper deals on the cultural heritage or legacy of the Karnataka. Karnataka-Maharashtra border region is primarily concerning Kannada-Marathi languages and the relation between the people speaking these two languages. It is mainly focused on how both Kannada and Marathi languages have influenced each other and have blended together. Keywords: Karnataka, Marathi, Cultural, Maharashtra and Kannada 1. Introduction contemporary, occupy a unique place of importance in respective literatures. Regardless of the difference of age The discussion on the cultural heritage or legacy of the between Purandara Dasa in Kannada and Eknatha in Karnataka- Maharashtra border region is primarily a Marathi, one can observe substantive similarity in their discussion concerning Kannada-Marathi languages and the thinking, expressions and opinions. Both Purandara and relation between the people speaking these two languages. Eknatha being ‘Vitthala’ devotees, through their ‘Geya Having a rich and a long history how both Kannada and pada’ and ‘Keeratanas’ exalted the virtues like self conduct, Marathi languages have influenced each other? How they self control and they themselves became the paragons of it.
    [Show full text]