Parag Deshpande
Independent Researcher
Maharashtra, India
Abstract
The evolution of anti-caste movements in pre-independence Maharashtra represents one of the most significant trajectories of social reform and political mobilization in colonial India. Beginning with the founding of the Satyashodhak Samaj by Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule in 1873 and culminating in the mass mobilizations led by B. R. Ambedkar through the Independent Labour Party and the Scheduled Castes Federation, these movements charted a multifaceted struggle against entrenched varna-based hierarchies. Over roughly seven decades, activists developed and refined strategies spanning moral critique, educational initiatives, cultural interventions, and overt political action. This study applies a historical-sociological lens to archival records, contemporary vernacular newspapers, personal writings of movement leaders, and secondary scholarship. It identifies three overlapping phases—early moral and educational reform (1873–1900), ideological consolidation and organizational expansion (1900–1920), and mass political assertion (1920–1947)—and traces themes of rationalism, identity formation, and constitutional engagement across each phase. Key findings highlight how the Satyashodhak Samaj’s emphasis on “truth-seeking” and rational inquiry seeded grassroots awareness; how Dalit Buddhist conversions and vernacular literature fostered collective identity; and how Ambedkar’s legal-constitutional strategies leveraged colonial law to secure political representation and social rights. By mapping continuities and ruptures across these phases, the paper elucidates the transformational impact of anti-caste activism on Maharashtra’s civil society, on the constitutional guarantees of equality in independent India, and on contemporary debates about social justice. The study concludes by reflecting on the movement’s enduring legacies and outlining avenues for comparative and interdisciplinary research on caste, identity, and democratization.
Keywords
Anti-Caste Movements, Maharashtra, Satyashodhak Samaj, B. R. Ambedkar, Dalit mobilization
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