1. Details of Module and its Structure Module Detail Subject Name Sociology Paper Name Sociology of India Module Name/Title Non Brahmin Approach: Mahatma Phule Pre-requisites Basic thoughts about caste system in India, low caste protest in nineteenth century western India, religion and society under early British rule in India. Objectives To introduce the students to the non-brahmanical approach. To familiarize students with the contribution of Mahatma Phule To acquaint the students with the perspectives of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. Keywords Brahmanism, caste, peasant oppression, non brahmanical approach, varna, women oppression, dichotomy, caste conflict. 2. Development Team Role Name Affiliation Principal Investigator Sujata Patel Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad Paper Coordinator Anurekha Chari Wagh Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Savitribai Phule Pune Univiersity Content Writer/Author Deepti Gokhale Oak Assistant Lecturer, St. Bishop’s Junior (CW) College, Camp, Pune Content Reviewer (CR) Anurekha Chari Wagh Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Savitribai Phule Pune Univiersity Language Editor (LE) Erika Mascarenas Senior English Teacher, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pune Table of Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Section One: Understanding Nineteenth Century: Mahatma Phule, 3. Section Two: Dharma and Caste: Mahatma Phule, 4. Section Three: Women and Education: Philosophy of Mahatma Phule, 5. Section Four: Agriculture and Peasants: Mahatma Phule, 6. Section Five: Satyashodhak Samaj and Non-Brahmin Movement 7. Conclusion. Non Brahmanical Approach to the Study of Society in India: Mahatma Phule Introduction A non Brahmanical approach to the study of society in India, is based on rejection of Brahmanical history from the shudraatishudra perspective. Indian society was hierarchically structured according to the varna system, where ancient lawmaker Manu who is considered the architect of Brahmanical tradition wrote in his Manusmriti: ‘When a Brahman is born he springs to light above the world; he is the chief of all creatures, entitled by eminence of birth to the wealth of the world’1 The religious practices and beliefs of ancient India as reflected in the Vedas and the Upanishadas and believed by the Hindus, especially the Brahamins, were based on a caste structure and various forms of pantheism. The rules of purity and pollution like untouchability and distance pollution were rigorously followed. The Hindu ideology believed in the Varna system with Manusmriti and Bhagvat Gita interpreting Varna in terms of occupations. Brahamins could engage in education, both teaching and learning as well as priesthood; Kshatriyas in military or police forces and administration; Vaishyas could engage in trade or cultivation; however, occupations of Shudras were not mentioned. This might have meant that they could undertake any of the occupations not prescribed to the other three varnas. Generally they were duty bound to serve the other three. This caste polarity and disparity led to a distinct divide in the society with formation of the two distinct caste groups as Brahmins- non brahmins. The masses (Bahujan samaj) that have been devoid of humanity for centuries, and a handful who take their pleasure, call themselves superior, and live at the cost of the masses. Ones welfare is another's misery- that is their connection. Thus, the non brahamical perspective looks at this dichotomous caste structure as oppressive for the non brahamins. It opposes the social, political and economic domination of the caste elites in society and questions the cultural hegemony of Brahamanism (Omvedt, 1976) Mahatma Phule is one of the important revolutionary philosopher and activist who theorized on the non-brahmanical perspective. According to Phule Brahmanism was historical, constructed over time and was based on the ideology of oppression and dominance. Phule’s writing and theorization is ‘shudraatishudra’ rewriting of history, whose purpose is subversion and destruction. Phule’s canvas was broad, where he rejected the view that the sufferings of the lower castes was the product of a social system supported by all except untouchable castes. Phule identified and theorised on most of the questions of his time- religion, varna, ritualism, agriculture, peasantry and gender. One has to identify Mahatma Phule as a revolutionary and not a reformer – he did not believe in tinkering with some aspects of the structure – but wanted to smash up the entire oppressive structure ideological and material 1 R Ramachandran, Hinduism in the context of Manusmriti, Vedas & Bhagvad Gita, Pg. 254 The module has five sections. Section One, Understanding Nineteenth Century: Mahatma Phule, Section Two, Dharma and Caste: Mahatma Phule, Section Three, Women and Education: Philosophy of Mahatma Phule, Section Four, Agriculture and Peasants: Mahatma Phule, and Section Five, Satyashodhak Samaj and Non-Brahmin Movement each dealing with different aspects of Phule’s analysis. This is followed by the conclusion. Section One: Understanding 19th Century: Jyotirao Govindrao Phule2 This section would draw upon the life history of Jyotirao Govindrao Phule and establish him as a liberal thinker who was an activist-academic, addressing and theorizing on issues of caste, gender, education and draw its interlinkages within the period of 19th century. Phule’s ideas were radical as it was based on challenging the unequal social structures rather than ‘reforming’ them, which was the agenda of many of the social reformers of the time. Khumbhojakar (2009), argues that Mahatma Phule’s contribution to the making of modern Maharashtra is seminal. Why is that? Khumbhokar argues that Phule was seminal as he widened the horizons of identity of exclusion and suffering by building a holistic vision which encompassed the aspirations of various oppressed classes such as the shudras, women, slaves, African American. It is important to see how Phule in his ideology made it possible for all the oppressed to come together. Dixit (2009) argues that it was in the 19th century, that one could see the presence of what her refers to as ‘war of positions’ within the intellectual and philosophical realm. Within this realm three positions were fighting for a hold: colonial – native, Hindu-Muslim and High caste- Low caste. Thus the ideas of Phule bringing in a narrative that excluded castes and class, presented the evolution of a counter-historiography that can be embodied in his writings. Why was this happening? The history of Non- Brahmanical sentiment was seen as a product of the period of the Peshwa state and the institutions of colonial bureaucracy which had further empowered brahamins as witnessed in Maharashtra. The conservative brahamans insisted that there would be only two castes in the social world in the 'kaliyuga' that of Brahmans and Shudras, without any intermediate varna categories. The late -eighteenth and the early nineteenth centuary demonstrates the essence of such interlectual arguments in Maharashtra. The brahaminical domination led to oppression and exploitation of the non brahamins at the hands of the educated brahamins. It was in relation to this social condition that Phule and his peers developed their ideology of non-brahmanism (O'Hanlon,1985). This was also the time, when Phule through his writings develoed counter-culture. Dixit (2009) argues that the 19th Century saw the Maharashtrian elite using history on one hand, as a Nationalist weapon to fight against the British, and on the other, as an instrument of creating and legitimizing their hegemony within the indigenous society. In this context, Phule writings, which challenged the ‘elitist’ construction of history lead to the birth of subaltern streams (rather non-brahmanic) in Marathi historiography. Further Dixit argues, Phule’s severe critique of Aryan-Brahmanic tradition, his emphasis on idea of Buddha, Charvaka, Kabir, Tukaram and Shivaji and the glorification of 2 Mahatma Jyotirao Govindrao Phule (11 April 1827 – 28 November 1890) was an Indian activist, thinker, social reformer of the 19th centuary Maharashtra, writer and theologist . He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of women's education in India. ‘Baliraja’- a pro-people rule reveal the role of an organic intellectual aiming at creating counter culture. India during the 19th century was a period which saw the beginning of a challenge to the upper caste domination in society. Phule noted that caste oppression, gender inequality, class hierarchies and racial injustice were deeply interconnected. Phule theorized on issues of education, especially rights of low caste and women to have equal access to it, he debated on ow to address problems inflicting agriculture and the rights of peasants and also addressed the notion of stigma attached to ‘widowhood’ and demanded for the removal of untouchability. Phule focused on addressing the patriarchal and brahmanical ideological structures which he believed lead the margianlised status of the bahujan and women. Thus his ideology of social revolution was a peasant and anti-caste outlook (Omvedt 1976, O’Hanlon 1985). Phule believed in democratization of education system as one of the important ways to address the problem of inequality and exploitation. Towards this aim, he first taught his wife, savitribai Phule, who became his steadfast partner in this crusade against injustice. Towards realizing this goal, Phule opened the first school for girls in India in August 1848.further challenging caste rules