Challenging-the-Caste-System.pptx

history

1. CHALLENGING THE CASTE SYSTEM

2. Caste System In the Early Vedic Period Caste system was a division of society based on occupation. People could move from one caste to the other depending on the job they chose. There were four varnas or castes- (a) Brahmins(Priests) (b) Kshatryas (Warriors) (c) Vaishyas (Traders and Farmers) (d) Shudras (Labourers) There were the chandalas or ati-shudras , who were thought to be outside the caste system and treated as untouchables. By the Later Vedic Period , the caste system became more rigid. Caste became something permanent a person was born into. Various sub –castes came up within the four main castes.

3. Practice of Untouchability It was the worst aspect of the caste system. The untouchables did all the dirty work which involved dirt and germs. The Chandalas were therefore treated as dirty and polluting. They were forbidden entry into upper caste houses, temples, hospitals and other public places. They were not allowed to draw water from village well. At village events, they were not allowed to eat with the rest of the people, nor use the same utensils. Millions of people across India, therefore , led the most wretched lives just because of an accident of birth.

4. How was the caste system enforced? The kings were empowered to punish those who violated the system. The Priests quoted from law books written by sages like Manu to assert their authority. They used superstition to s care the ignorant masses into submission.

5. Adverse effects of the Caste System Social injustices like untouchability and discrimination were given the sanction of religion. Generations of oppression created economic and social inequalities across the country. Indian society became fragmented . People identified first with their caste, and only then with the nation. They had no sense of nationalism. Caste divisions were a hindrance to individual progress; they did not recognise individual talent. It encouraged incompetence and affected the quality of Indian society.

6. HISTORY OF REFORMS As early as the 6 th century BCE , thinkers like Mahavira and Buddha raised their voices against the injustices of the caste system. From the 8 th century CE, the Bhakti saints taught that all humans were equal, and that there was on religious sanction for the caste system. In the 19 th century, many social reformers spoke against the caste system, calling it ‘the greatest evil of our social customs.’

7. Jyotirao Phule(1827-1890) : He was one of the most committed social reformers of the 19 th century. He worked tirelessly for the uplift of the lower castes, and disapproved of the supremacy of the Brahmins. His work earned him the title of Mahatma. He founded the Satya Shodhak Samaj in 1848 in Maharashtra. He told that there was no scientific basis for the religious beliefs and superstitions that had been developed by people of the upper caste to oppress the dalits. According to him in the eyes of god all humans are equal.

8. Sri Narayan Guru(1854-1939 ) : He was one of the first to fight against the evils of the caste system in Kerala. He founded the Sri Narayan Dharma Paripalan Yogam (SNDP) in 1903 to reform society. He established the Aruvipuram temple where people of all castes were allowed entry. He was convinced that the dalits could only progress through education. He established a number of educational institutions, primarily for the education of the backward classes. Main teachings were :- All humans have just one caste, one religion and one god. Any religion will suffice, if it makes a person a better human. Knowledge is power, so gain freedom through education. Unity is strength, so unite and fight for your rights.

9. ARUVIPURAM TEMPLE

10. Kandukuri Veeresalingam (1848-1919 ) : He took up the work of the Brahmo Samaj in andhra Pradesh. He fought for the rights of women, and raised his voice against untouchability and blind religious beliefs. To enlightened the common people, he started a monthly magazine in Telgu , Vivekavardhini , and a weekly, Satyavadini , which was published in both English and Telgu . He also started the Hitakarini Samaj in 1906 to take up reforms in society. He started a school for girls in Dowlaiswaram , and conducted widow remarriage.

11. Periyar Ramasami (1879-1973) :- E V Ramasami , foundly called Periyar , was a crusader for the cause of the downtrodden in Tamil Nadu. He vehemently opposed the atrocities committed against the dalits. He believed that all women and men should be given equal opportunities to develop. He was against the superiority of the Brahmins who according to him were Aryans descended from the north , oppressing the local Dravidians. He started the Self –respect Movement to safeguard the rights of the Dravidian people.

12. He was also a prominent leader of the Justice Party, which he transformed to the Dravidar Kazhagam . Periyar believed that equality for all would become a reality only when the caste system was eradicated. Because of his agitations, the government amended the constitution to protect the rights of the oppressed , and reservation was introduced for the backward classes.

13. Mahatma Gandhi (1869- 1948) :- Mahatma Gandhi’s contribution to the social uplift of the people was great. He knew that there could be no true freedom for India as long as millions of Indians suffered from the scourge of untouchability. He called the untouchables harijans , and fought for their entry into temples. He also started the Anti-Untouchability League on 30 September 1932 to remove untouchability in the society, which later renamed as Harijan Sevak Sangh ("Servants of Untouchables Society"). At the time industrialist Ghanshyam Das Birla was its founding president with Amritlal Takkar as its Secretary. Harijan Sevak Sangh  is a non-profit organisation founded by  Mahatma Gandhi  in 1932 to eradicate  untouchability  in India, working for  Harijan  or  Dalit people  and upliftment of  Depressed Class  of India. It is headquartered at  Kingsway Camp  in Delhi, with branches in 26 states across India He led the people by example.

14. Bhimrao Ambedkar (1891-1956) He is the father of the Indian Constitution. He spent his life fighting to give the dalits their rights, and to ensure that they could lead a life of dignity. He fought for their right to enter temples, and to draw water from public wells. He urged the dalits to cast aside the religious taboos and superstitions that had bound them to servitude. Towards the end of his life , he adopted the Buddhist faith, which he believed worked towards creating a classless society.

15. The Impact of the Reform Movements It awakened & educate the people about caste system. Passing of laws to abolish practices like Sati and Child marriage by the British Government. Growth of nationalism. Constitution assured equality to all. Reservation system.