Dynamics of a Caste Movement: The Rajbansis of North Bengal, 1910-1947Manohar, 2003 - 153 Seiten Dynamics of a Caste Movement deals with the attempts of the Rajbansi community to establish themselves as Kshatriyas in the first half of the twentieth century in Bengal. Situating the Rajbansi Caste Movement in the context of contemporary socio-political events this book examinies the complexities inherent in the movement. The caste system, despite many changes over the years, remains significant in contemporary times. The colonization of the country and the response of indigenous society to the manoeuvres of colonial rulers provided a new impetus to mobilizations along caste lines in the nineteenth and the early twentieth century Bengal as in the rest of India. The Rajbansis constituted the most predominant section of the local Hindu population in the districts of north Bengal, and were yet placed quite low in the hierarchy. Using Rajbansi caste literature and government records, this study explores the formation of the Rajbansi identity, the socio-cultural and economic profile of the community, their efforts towards Kshatriyaization and the legitimization of their social and political rights. The author argues that there can be many identities within a caste group which play crucial roles on different occasions and at different times. As class identity often cuts across caste lines, so also territorial identities can lead to a fragmentation of a caste. In the context of recent political mobilization by the Rajbansis in north Bengal for a separate Kamtapur state' this book is essential reading for those wishing to understand the Rajbansis in their historical context. |
Inhalt
Acknowledgements | 9 |
SocioEconomic Profile of the Rajbansis | 41 |
Differential Response | 112 |
Urheberrecht | |
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Dynamics of a Caste Movement: The Rajbansis of North Bengal, 1910-1947 Swaraj Basu Keine Leseprobe verfügbar - 2003 |
Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
adhiars Agrarian Annual Conference appealed Appoint areas association attempts backward Bandyopadhyay became Brahminical British Calcutta candidates caste system Census claim colonial Congress Cooch Behar cultivators cultural Delhi demands depressed classes Dinajpur district dominant early economic election elites established existing File followed formed hands higher identity important India indigenous influence initiative interests Jalpaiguri jotedars Koches Kshatriya Samiti Kshatriyaization land late look lower castes major masses mobility Muslims Nath nineteenth north Bengal noted observed official organization origin Panchanan Barma Party peasants period political poor position practices protest question Rajbansi Kshatriya Rajbansi leaders Rangpur reason reference Reforms regarded religious Report result rule Scheduled Settlement Share significant situation social society status structure struggle Tebhaga traditional tried twentieth century Upendra upper caste upper caste Hindus various village women