SANSKRITIZATION

Introduction
Individualsarenormallyrecognizedinasocietythroughthestatus,theyoccupyandtheroles
theyenact.Peopleinasocietycontinuedtomoveupanddownthestatusscale.This
movementiscalledsocialmobility.ProfM.NSrinivasandeminentIndiansociologisthave
converselyestablishedthefactthatsocialmobilityistakingplacebothwithinandoutsidethe
frameworkofcaste.Heintroducedanewsociologicaltermssuchassanakritisationand
modernization
Meaning
Thetermreferstoaprocesswherebypeopleoflowercastescollectivelytrytoadoptupper
castepracticesandbeliefstoacquirehigherstatus.Itindicatesaprocessofculturalmobility
thatistakingplaceinthetraditionalsocialsystemofIndia.M.NSrinivasinhisstudyoftheCoorg
inKarnatakafoundthatlowercastesinordertoraisetheirpositioninthecastehierarchy
adoptedsomecustomsandpracticesoftheBrahminsandgaveupsomeoftheirownwhich
wereconsideredtobeimpurebythehighercastes.
Sanakiritisationresultonlyinthepositionalchangesanddoesnotleadanystructuralchange.it
isnotonlyconfinedtoHinducastebutalsooccuramongtribalandsemitribalgroupsuchas
TheBhillsofwesternIndia,theGondasandOraonsofcentralIndiaetc.
Definition
Srinivasdefined"Sanskritisationasaprocessbywhich"a'low'ormiddleHinducaste,
ortribalorothergroup,changesitscustoms,ritualideology,andwayoflifeinthedirectionofa
highandfrequently'twiceborn'caste.Generallysuchchangesarefollowedbyaclaimtoa
higherpositioninthecastehierarchythanthattraditionallyconcededtotheclaimantclassby
thelocalcommunity...."
M.NSrinivas"theprocessofmobilityoflowercastebyadoptingvegetarianismandteetotalism
tomoveinthecastehierarchyinagenerationortwo"
SANSKRITIZATION and BRAHAMINAISATION
Sanaskritizationisabroaderterm,itcanincludeinitselfthenarrowerprocessof
Brahaminisation.ForinsteadtodaythoughbyanlargeBrahminsarevegetariansandteetotals,
someofthemsuchasKashmiris,Bengalis,andSaraswathBrahminseatnonvegetarianfoods,
hadthetermBrahaminisationbeenused,itwouldhavebecomenecessarytospecifywhich
particularBrahmingroupwasmeant.FurtherthereferencegroupsofSanskirtizationarenot
alwaysBrahmins.Theprocessofimitationneednotnecessarilytakeplaceinthemodelof
Brahmins.SirinivashasgiventheexampleoflowcasteofMysorewhoadoptedthewayoflife
ofLingayats,whoarenotBrahaimnsbutclaimequalitywithBrahmins.Thelowercastes
imitatednotonlyBrahminsbutalsoKshathriyasandVaishiyasetcindifferentpartofthe
country.HencethetermBrahaminizationdoesnotcompletelyexplainthisprocess.

Process of sanskiritation
1. Theprocessofimitation
2. Sansk:denotestheprocessofupwardmobility
3. MobilitythatisinvolvedintheprocessofSank:resultsonlyinpositionalchangesand
neednotnecessarilyleadtoastructuralchange.
4. Sank:isnotanewphenomenonassuch
5. Thecastewhichenjoyedhighereconomicandpoliticalpower,butratedlowinritual
rankingwentafterSnak:fortheyfeltthattheirclaimtoahigherpositionwasnotfully
effective.
6. Economicbettermentisnotanecessarypreconditiontosanskritisation.Noreconomic
developmentmustnecessarilyleadtoSank:
7. SankritisationisnotnecessarilyconfinedtothecastewithintheHinducommunity(itis
foundintribalcommunityalso)
8. TheprocessofSnak:servedasareferencegroup.
9. Sank:doesnottakesplaceinthesamemannerinalltheplaces
10. TheBritishruleinIndiaprovidedafavorableatmosphereforSansk:totakesplace
11. Theprocessofsanskisnotautomaticallyresultintheachievementofhigherstatusfor
thegroup.
12. Significantdevelopmentsintherealmofmaterialculturehaveacceleratedtheprocess
ofsansk:
13. AsM.NSinivashaspointedout,Sansk:servetoreduceorremovethegapbetweenthe
ritualandsecularranking.
14. Sank:hasoftenbeenconstructedasakindofprotestagainstthetraditionalcaste
system
15. Snak:asM.NSirinivashimselfhassaid,doesnotdenotebasicchangeinthestructureof
Hindusociety.

Criticism or evolution of Sank:
ThoughtheconceptSank:introducedbySirinivas,itisnotfreefromcriticisms.Anumberof
scholarshavebeenmadecommentsontheconceptusedbyhim.
1. AccordingtoJ.FStall"thethemSankusedbySrinivasisacomplexconcept,anditis
misleadingsinceitsrelationshiptotheSans:isextremelycomplicated.Theimportant
thingtoberememberedisthatisnotonlyanameforawidespreadculturalprocess.
2. AccordingDrMajumudar"itiswrongtoassumethattheprocessofSansk:isuniversal
one.ForexampleMohanvillageinUP,lowercastepeopleimitateduppercasteinfood,
dressetc,willnotbecomeacontinuousprocess.Andnoinclinationtoimitatethelife
styleofuppercaste.Itisdifficultunderstandwhentheprocessstops.Ifitsowhy?
3. AccordingtoYogendraSingh,"theprocessofSankfailstoaccountformanyaspectsof
culturalchangesinthepastasitneglectsnonSanskrittradition.Sansk:didnothaveany
panIndiantraditionorpatterns.Itstatesneitherinrespectsofsourcesofcultural
emulationnoninregardtothepatternanddirectionofemulationofculturalforms,has
therebeenauniversalIndiancharacter
4. AccordingMackinMarriot"Sanskritaisationprocessalwaystakeplacebyreplacingnon
Sanskritrites.SanskritritesareoftenaddedtononSanskritriteswithoutreplacing
them".
5. ScopeofSansk:islimitedasitisconfinedtothecasteboundIndiansocietyonly.Andit
isnothelpfulintheanalysisofchangeinotherpartoftheWorld.
6. AccordingtoK.MPanikar"theProcessofsanskisthatalowHinducastechangeshis
customsinthedirectionofthetwiceborncaste.Infactwhytheyseemtobesome
agreementineachareainIndiaastowhoaretheBrahmins,untouchables,kshathriyas,
andVaishyasisabsentintheconsensusofthecastehierarchy.
7. AccordingtoHaroldAGould"oftenthemotiveforcebehindthesansk:isnotcultural
imitationPersebutanexpressionofchallengeandrevoltagainstthesocioeconomic
deprivation."
8. AccordingtoChauan,sanskprocessinfluencehasnotbeenuniversalofuniforminall
partsofthecountry.ForEginPunjabitwasIslamictraditionprovidesbaseforcultural
imitationuptotheequatorof19
th
century.TheywerealsoinfluencebyPersianculture,
thustheprocessofsanskhadnoimpactontheseregion
9. Sanskistheprocessinwhichthelowercastegivesuptheirtraditionalpracticesan
receivesorimitatestheuppercasteinasense,itisaunilinearprocess,whichcultural
itemflowdownwardfromuppercastetothelowercasts.Itisnotonlythelowercaste
borrowfromtheuppercaste,eventheuppercastepeopleborrowsculturalitemfrom
lowercastepeople.HencetheprocessofSansk:isnotaonewayprocess.
10. AgentofSansk:isnotalwaysaBrahmin.AccordingtoMSsrinivaspoliticalandeconomic
factorsinfluencestheprocessofSansk:butreservationpolicies,statepolicieshavea
differentpicture,paradoxicallyitisagainstSansk:

.
Conclusion Nodoubtdespitethesecriticisms,sansk:conceptisoneofthe
importantcontributionsofSirinivastosociologicalliterature.