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Sanskritization

Sanskritization is a social change process in India where lower castes or tribes adopt the customs and rituals of higher castes to gain social status, as popularized by M. N. Srinivas. This process has been observed throughout Indian history and involves vertical mobility without structural changes, focusing on positional change within the caste hierarchy. Additionally, the document discusses the concept of dominant castes, factors affecting dominance, and the reverse process known as de-Sanskritization.

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21 views12 pages

Sanskritization

Sanskritization is a social change process in India where lower castes or tribes adopt the customs and rituals of higher castes to gain social status, as popularized by M. N. Srinivas. This process has been observed throughout Indian history and involves vertical mobility without structural changes, focusing on positional change within the caste hierarchy. Additionally, the document discusses the concept of dominant castes, factors affecting dominance, and the reverse process known as de-Sanskritization.

Uploaded by

dmeemroth5
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Sanskritization

 Sanskritization is a particular form of social change found in India,


popularised by M. N. Srinivas in 1950s

 It refers to the process by which a low Hindu caste, or tribal or other


group, changes its customs, rituals, ideology and the way of life in the
direction of a high and frequently, twice born caste

 Sanskritization was found to be a widespread cultural and social process


among Hindus and some tribal groups such as the Bhils and Oraons, in
different parts of India

 It seems to have occurred throughout Indian history and still continues to


occur unlike westernization which refers to the changes introduced in
Indian society during British rule
Sanskritization
 By Sanskritization a caste or a tribal community ventures to gain
higher status in society

 Low caste takes to the conduct, customs and rituals of higher caste

 Brahmins alone are not the object of imitation. Kshatriyas and


Vaishyas are also taken as models

 A caste or a group adopts and follows customs and rituals which


would qualify it for being treated as twice born

 The first three varnas are called dwija or twice born as only they are
entitled to don the sacred thread at the Upnayana which is
interpreted as a second birth
Varna and Caste
 Varna is an all-India framework and in this framework Indian
society is divided into four hierarchical groups (Varnas) Brahmin,
Kshatriya,Vaisya and Shudra

 All four Varnas are found uniformly throughout India with same
hierarchy

 Caste refers to hereditary, endogamous groups which form a


hierarchy, each having a traditional association with one or two
occupations

 Castes groups maintained relations in terms of purity and pollution

 Castes were not found uniformly through out India. In each region
there are certain castes which are considered to be at the top and
certain other castes are considered to be at the bottom
Features of Sanskritization
 It is a vertical mobility

 It is awkward mobility

 It is not meant for untouchables

 Itdoes not lead to structural change, only leads


to positional change

 It is a group process

 It is a longitudinal process
Vertical and Horizontal Integration
As different castes are living in same region,
from highest to the lowest, they speak same
language, celebrate the same festivals and
share certain local deities and beliefs. This is
termed as vertical integration

Horizontal integration occurs within a


members of single caste or Varna
Pre-conditions for Successful Sanskritization
by M. N. Srinivas
 The caste must have a control over traditional
capital (land and property)

 The caste should have a touchable status

 The caste must propagate a myth or a story to


claim high status for example:

 Jatavsof Agra studied by Owen M. Lynch and


Bisipara village of Orissa studied by F. G. Bailley
Dominant Caste
 Inrural life of India there is an agricultural caste, which has
ownership of land. This is the dominant caste.

 According to M. N. Srinivas when any of the caste gains


dominance not on the basis of ritual criteria but on the
basis of non ritual criteria, i.e., secular criteria. It is
supposed to be the dominant caste

 Secular criteria (political, economic and educational criteria)

 For instance Okkalinga caste of Rampura village in Mysore,


Ahir, Jat, Gurjar in North India, Nayyars in Kerala, etc. are
the dominant castes
Shared Dominance & Decisive Dominance
 Some times it may possible that the secular
criteria which determines the dominant caste are
found among two castes then it will be called
Shared Dominance

 But the caste enjoying all the factors of


dominance will be called Decisive Dominance

 S.C. Dube contended that in a Dominant Caste all


individuals are not dominant, only one or two are
dominant hence he gave the concept of Dominant
Individuals instead of Dominant Caste
Features of Dominant Caste
 Landownership is the crucial factor in establishing
dominance

 The caste must have a means of control over ownership of


production

 Should have political power

 Strong numerical strength

 High ritual status

 Tradition in Agriculture (should not be tiller caste ever)


Factors Affecting the Dominance
Western education

Jobs in administration

Urban sources of income

The introduction of adult franchise and


Panchayati Raj
De-Sanskritization
 Refers to the reverse process of Sanskritization, for example the Jats of
Punjab studied by S. K. Srivastav

 In this process the lower castes are not moving towards higher but the
higher castes are abandoning their life style

 It is a process in which the members of the higher castes abandon their


dress and rituals and also sometimes taking to the profession
traditionally reserved for the lower castes

 The higher castes were found to be at the mercy of lower castes who
were dominant and gradually adopted the culture of lower castes such
as (language, meat eating etc)

 Tribalization (concept by S.L.Kalia) in Jaunsar-Bawar in Uttarakhand &


Bastar of MP
Thank You

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