Question

Describe the movements organised by Non-Brahman Castes against caste discrimination.
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Answer 1

Answer:

Caste And Social Reform

During the course of the 19th century, Christian missionaries became active. They set up schools for tribal groups and lower-caste children.

But at the same time, the people from low caste, in order to get  rid of the exploitation from upper-caste, began to migrate to cities where there was new demand for labour.

Who Could Produce Shoes?

No Place Inside The Classroom

Demands For Equality And Justice

People belonging to lower castes began to organise movement from the second half of the 19th century against caste discrimination. They demand social equality and justice. In this connection we can came from a low caste.

In eastern Bengal, Haridas thakur’s Matua sect worked among low caste Chandala cultivators.

Gulamgiri

Jyotirao Phule, also a low-casted leader, affected the Brahmins, claim that brahmins were superior to others, since they were aryans. He founded Satyashodhak Samaj that propagated caste equality. In 1873, he wrote a book named Gulamgiri meaning slavery.

American Civil War had been fought, leading to the end of slavery in America. Phule dedicated his book to all those Americans who had fought to free slaves, thus establishing a link between the conditions of the “lower” castes in India and the black slaves in America.

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Ramaswami Naicker continued the movement for caste reform in the 20th century.

Who Could Enter Temples?

Ambedkar belonged to a Mahar family. As a child he experienced what caste prejudice meant in everyday life. In 1927, he started a temple entry movement, which was resented by the Brahman priests.

Ambedkar led three such movements for temple entry between 1927 and 1935.

The Non-Brahman Movement

The non-Brahman movement began in the early 20th century. It was initiated by qualified, and wealthy non-Brahman castes.

E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker founded the self respect movement. He felt that all religious authorities saw social divisions and inequality as God given.

Orthodox Hindu society also reacted by founding Sanatan Dharma Sabhas and the Bharat Dharma Mahamandal in the north, and associations like the Brahman Sabha in Bengal.

Explanation: