The Structure of Indian Society: Then And
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Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 The Structure of Indian Society Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 ii The Structure of Indian Society Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 The Structure of Indian Society Then and Now A. M. Shah LONDON NEW YORK NEW DELHI Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 First published 2010 by Routledge 912 Tolstoy House, 15–17 Tolstoy Marg, New Delhi 110 001 Simultaneously published in the UK by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Transferred to Digital Printing 2010 © 2010 A. M. Shah Typeset by Star Compugraphics Private Limited D–156, Second Floor Sector 7, Noida 201 301 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978-0-415-58622-1 Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 To the memory of Purushottam kaka scholar, educator, reformer Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 vi The Structure of Indian Society Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 Contents Glossary ix Acknowledgements xiii Introduction 1 1. Caste in the 21st Century: From System to Elements 30 2. Purity, Impurity, Untouchability: Then and Now 51 3. Sanskritization Revisited 66 4. Sects and Hindu Social Structure 78 5. The Rural–Urban Networks in India 117 6. The ‘Dalit’ Category and Its Differentiation 147 7. Can the Caste Census be Reliable? 152 8. Division and Hierarchy: An Overview of Caste in Gujarat 156 9. Untouchability, the Untouchables and Social Change in Gujarat 191 10. The Tribes — So-called — of Gujarat: In the Perspective of Time 205 Bibliography 215 About the Author 227 Author Index 229 Subject Index 233 Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 viii The Structure of Indian Society Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 Introduction ix Glossary a¯cha¯rya Chief of a religious sect or school adhika¯r Authority a¯dimja¯ti Aboriginal tribe a¯diva¯si Aborigine a¯gnya¯ Command a¯rati A kind of ritual performed in worshipping a deity a¯shram Hermitage a¯shraya Refuge a¯tman Soul A¯yurvéda A Hindu science of health ba¯ba¯ Revered ascetic Ba¯ba¯ ki langot.i An ascetic’s loin cloth bahén Sister ba¯pu Revered ascetic bara¯t Groom’s party bét.i vyavaha¯r Connubial relations Bha¯gawat Pura¯n.a A purana devoted to god Krishna bha¯i Brother bhand.a¯ro Feast for all Brahmans bha¯n.e khapti Acceptable with regard to commensal relations bhuva¯ Practitioner of magic and witchcraft cha¯nd.a¯la Untouchable in ancient India chora¯si Feast for 40 Brahman subcastes Dévi Maha¯tmya A text in praise of the mother goddess dharmas´a¯la¯ Pilgrim house, hospice Dharmasha¯stra A Hindu treatise on law ékd.a¯ Small endogamous unit within a caste gha¯t Platform on a river bank gira¯s Feudal estate Gita¯ ‘The Celetial Poem’ by god Krishna gol. Small endogamous unit within a caste gosha¯la¯ Enclosure for cows isht.a dévata¯ A person’s favourite deity Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 x The Structure of Indian Society ja¯gir Feudal estate jajma¯ni Patron–client relations between specialized artisans, craftsmen and servants in an Indian village ja¯n Groom’s party janaja¯ti Scheduled Tribe ja¯t A variant of the word jati ja¯ti Endogamous caste jna¯ti Common word for caste in Gujarat kaccha¯ Impure food kant.hi Necklace ka¯rkha¯na¯ Workshop, factory Karmaka¯nd. A corpus of Hindu scriptural rituals katha¯ka¯r Narrator of sacred lore khad. ki Street kha¯ncho Street kirtanka¯r Leader of a group of singers in praise of god ma¯ Mother, holy mother, mother goddess Maha¯bha¯rata An epic narrating the struggle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas maha¯jan Trade guild maha¯raj King maha¯yagya Grand ritual sacrifi ce ma¯i Mother, holy mother, mother goddess ma¯la¯ Garland of fl owers ma¯rg Sect marya¯da¯ Propriety of conduct ma¯ta¯ Mother, holy mother, mother goddess mat.h Monastery méla¯ Fair na¯mam Distinctive mark, usually on the forehead, of a follower of Shri Vaisnava sect na¯t Common word for caste in Gujarat na¯ti Common word for caste in Gujarat na¯t.yasha¯stra Science of dramatics pakka¯ Pure food panch Council of elders pancha¯yat Council of elders Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 Glossary xi pand.it Erudite scholar parampara¯ Tradition pargan.a¯ Administrative unit of villages during the Mughal, Maratha and early British times parikrama¯ Circumambulation pat.él Headman pa¯t.hsha¯la¯ School for studying Hindu religion péd.hi Family business fi rm pol. Street prasa¯d Food consecrated by being offered to a deity puja¯ Worship with rituals pura¯n.a Sacred text narrating the life of a deity pura¯n.i Narrator of puranas Ra¯ma¯yan.a An epic devoted to god Rama rot.i vyavaha¯r Commensal relations sa¯dhu Mendicant sama¯j séva¯ Social service sama¯j sudha¯ro Social reform sa¯mkhya One of the six systems of Hindu philosophy samprada¯ya Sect samsa¯r World samska¯ra Hindu rite of passage sanstha¯ Institution sanya¯s Renunciation of the world sanya¯si Renouncer sha¯stra Scripture, school of philosophy, science sha¯stra¯rtha Experts’ debate on religious texts sha¯stri Person learned in scriptures shéri Street Shiva Purana A purana devoted to Shiva suddha¯dvaita Doctrine of pure non-dualism Swa¯dhya¯ya A recent religious movement founded in western India by Pandurang Athavale swa¯mi Master, spiritual preceptor tad. ‘Split’ within an endogamous group ta¯luka¯ Subdivision of a district t.hakara¯t Feudal estate t.hika¯na¯ Feudal estate Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 xii The Structure of Indian Society va¯d. Street va¯d.i Orchard varn.a One of the traditional four divisions of Hindu society Va¯stu Sha¯stra A Hindu science of architecture vishishta¯dvaita Doctrine of distinctive non-dualism wa¯nt.a¯ Feudal estate Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 Acknowledgements After the articles reprinted in this book were published, a number of friends and colleagues commented on them in various ways. I thank all of them for responding so generously. I am especially grateful to B.S. Baviskar, Simon Charsley, Lancy Lobo, Owen Lynch, McKim Marriott, P.J. Patel, Tulsi Patel and N.R. Sheth. I would especially like to thank Professor I.P. Desai whose dialogue with me on the article, ‘Division and Hierarchy: An Overview of Caste in Gujarat’ (1982, Chapter 8 in this book) was invaluable. The dialogue was published jointly as a book under the same title, with a Foreword by Professor M.N. Srinivas (1988). The book attracted, apart from a number of reviews, a review article, ‘The Future of Caste in India: A Dialogue’ by D.L. Sheth in Contributions to Indian Sociology (1991). Both the 1982 article and the book were translated into Gujarati, which in turn attracted further comments. The original publication details of every article reprinted here are provided at its beginning in an unnumbered footnote. I thank the editors of the following journals and books for permission to reprint the articles: Economic & Political Weekly; Contributions to Indian Sociology; Sociological Bulletin; South Asia: Journal of the South Asia Studies Association of Australia; and Dimensions of Social Life: Essays in Honor of David G. Mandelbaum (ed. Paul Hockings). The references for all the articles are put together at the end of the book. Otherwise the articles are reprinted as they were in the original, including the place names, dates, and demographic data, except making minor editorial changes. Vadodara A. M. Shah May 2010 Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 xiv The Structure of Indian Society Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 01:22 24 May 2016 Introduction 1 Introduction In this book I have presented 10 of my essays published in various journals and symposia during 1982–2007 on several of the structural features of Indian society, those groups, institutions and processes which have endured for a long time. There are fi ve essays on caste (including Dalit caste) and one each on tribe, sect, sanskritization, the cultural complex of purity, impurity and untouchabilty, and rural– urban relations.1 Although each essay is concerned with a particular theme, certain threads run through the essays. While the last three essays deal specifi cally with Gujarat, I have used my knowledge of Gujarat also in the rest of the essays dealing with India in general. I carried out fi eldwork in its Panchmahals district for about six months during 1953–1954, and in Kheda district for three years during 1955–1958.2 The Panchmahals, located mostly in the highlands of eastern Gujarat, is less developed, with a large tribal population, while Kheda, located in the lowlands bordering the sea coast in central Gujarat, is well developed with a mainly Hindu caste population.