Caste-Based Movements in 19th Century India

Caste-Based Movements in 19th Century India

• Lower castes organized movements against discrimination in the latter half of the 19th century, demanding social equality and justice.
• The Satnami movement, led by Ghasidas, worked to improve the social status of leatherworkers in central India.
• The Matua sect, led by Haridas Thakur in Eastern Bengal, challenged Brahmanical texts justifying caste.
• Shri Narayana Guru, an Ezhava guru in Kerala, advocated for unity and opposed caste-based inequality.

Opposition to Christian Missionaries

• Christian missionaries established schools for tribal and lower-caste children, advocating for social reforms and opposing caste, sati, and advocating education for girls.
• Missionaries faced opposition from orthodox sections of society, who viewed their actions as interfering in religious matters, suspecting their ultimate goal was conversion.
• Progressive Indians (reformers and intellectuals) and those benefiting from missionary reforms supported them.

E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker (Periyar)

• Periyar, a former ascetic, studied Sanskrit and later became a Congressman before distancing himself due to caste-based seating distinctions at a nationalist gathering.
• Founded the Self-Respect Movement to fight for the dignity of untouchables.
• He argued untouchables upheld an original Tamil/Dravidian culture, challenging religious authorities' view of caste as divinely ordained.
• He advocated for untouchables to free themselves from religious dogma to achieve social equality.

Widow Remarriage Movement

• Widow remarriage movements spread across India by the latter half of the 19th century.
• Reformers like Veerasalingam Pantulu in Telugu regions and young intellectuals in Bombay actively supported the cause.
• Swami Dayanand Saraswati's Arya Samaj also promoted widow remarriage.
• Despite efforts, the movement lacked widespread success, with few widows remarrying and facing social ostracization from conservative groups.