Sanskritisation

Context: A long-drawn phenomenon that is not restricted to caste hierarchy, but also encompasses a wider social and cultural process.

Concept of Sanskritization

It was coined and popularised by M.N. Srinivas, an eminent social anthropologist in his book Religion and Society Among the Coorgs of South India (Oxford, 1952),

Initially, ‘Sanskritization’ referred to the lower castes’ adoption of the “Brahmanical” ways of life. But gradually, the process also involved the adoption of the practices and rites of the locally dominant caste in a particular region. It included non-Brahmin castes which were politically powerful, socio-economically influential and ritually higher in the local caste hierarchy.

It allowed the mobility in caste positions/roles for certain castes.

What are the limitations of the Sanskritization Phenomenon?

The process itself do not always result in higher social status for the lower castes. For example, it did not guarantee higher social stature and did not lead to improvement in the everyday life of Dalits.

It is because other factors such as economic well-being, political power, education, establishment of historical evidence for their affiliation to/descent from a particular caste/caste lineage were also important for their aspirations for higher social positions

Multiple angles about the nature of Sanskritization

First viewpoint: Sanskritization’ was a civil campaign of dissent, resistance and challenge against the hierarchical and hereditary nature of the caste structure in Indian society

Second viewpoint: Multiple developments in Indian socio-polity opened up a range of socio-political issues/changes in India not entirely related to Sanskritization. For example, modernity, political independence, social reform movements, agrarian class relations,  anti-caste struggles, globalisation, etc. These developments have indicated the problems in assessing and analysing caste relations and the Hindu social structure through the exclusive prism of Sanskritisation.

What are various issues in the study of the phenomenon of Sanskritization alone?

Although, Sanskritization movement allows social mobility within the Indian society. But it encompasses a number of problems: These are

It reinforces the graded inequalities and practices in the name of caste in Indian society. It does not offer a strong critique and denunciation of the caste system as a whole.

It ignores the existence of a pre-/non-caste, egalitarian society that sued to be present in Indian society.

It ignores the role of anti-caste struggles which did not follow the cultural-ritual trajectory of Sanskritization. Unlike the Sanskritization model, which reinforces caste relations, anti-caste politics emphasises the destruction of the caste system. It advocates the destruction of other undemocratic/inegalitarian values, customs and institutions associated with it. The approach advocates for ‘casteless humans.

Way Ahead

Indian society continues to witness movements of both the types – Sanskritization as well as Anti-caste struggles.

Therefore, both the processes require a separate and integrated study and analysis, taking into consideration socio-economic, cultural and political factors.

Source: The post is based on an article “Sanskritization” published in the Hindu on 15^th march 2022