From Hierarchy to Ethnicity
The Politics of Caste in Twentieth-Century India

From Hierarchy to Ethnicity discusses the origins of politicized caste identities in twentieth-century India, and how they evolved over time.

Alexander Lee (Author)

9781108489904, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 27 February 2020

310 pages
23.5 x 15.7 x 2.2 cm, 0.5 kg

Caste and ethnicity have been crucial in shaping the discourse around identity politics in modern South Asia. This book critically discusses two important trends in twentieth-century Indian politics - the rise in the political salience of caste identities, and a shift in the way caste identity was conceptualized; from a hierarchical system based on the adoption of specific behaviours to a system based on bounded and autonomous groups not dissimilar to ethnic groups as conceived of in other parts of the world. It traces these changes to the evolving incentives of the elites of poorer ethnic groups, which are themselves a product of the gradual rise of literacy in colonial South Asia, and the democratization of the political system. This theory challenges accounts that emphasize the role of the colonial state in the evolution of caste. It presents a wide range of novel historical evidence to support these claims, both qualitative and quantitative, and covering both the colonial and post-independence periods.

List of Tables and Figures
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
2. Explaining Identity Activism
3. Caste in Historical Context
4. Caste in the Census of India
5. The Causes of Ranked Rhetoric
6. Caste Since Independence
7. Conclusion
Appendices
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP], Sociology [JHB], Social & cultural history [HBTB], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL]