Structure of societal control, power and influence as depicted in the novel ‘

Kanthapura’

In the novel Kanthapura by Raja Rao, the novelist presents the story of the village of
Kanthapura and its inhabitants at the peak of the Indian freedom struggle. The plot of the story
revolves around the village, exploring the nature of its inhabitants: lifestyle, habits, beliefs,
traditions and customs, attitudes etc. It throws ample light on the societal structure, and speaks
about the kind of powers and influences that govern the people at the social, political and
national level. Finally, it establishes Kanthapura as an exemplary Indian village where Gandhian
ideology takes root.

Caste is one of the oldest institutions of India .It is deep rooted and determines the classification
of people based on various occupations assigned to them. Caste is determined at birth. In the
village of Kanthapura, the socio-economic divisions are set with each quarter divided on the
basis of caste. The Brahmin quarter of twenty-four houses and the Pariah quarter provide a good
example. The narrator of the story, Achakka, is very careful to begin the description of her
village with the Brahmin quarters. There is the Brahmin quarter, a Pariah quarter, a Potters’
quarter, a Weavers’ quarter and a Sudra quarter. Talking about the Sudra quarter, Achakka says:

“..and a Sudra quarter. How many huts had we there? I do not know .There may have been
ninety or hundred- though a hundred may be the right number. Of course you wouldn’t expect
me to go the Pariah quarter, but I have seen from the street-corner Beadle Timmayya’s hut...”

Thus we see how the Pariahs are considered outside the social system. Caste is deep- rooted in
the minds of people and give rise to the notions of purity and pollution. It is a powerful tool in
the hands of religious leaders like the Swami and the Bhatta, who use it for their own profit.
They try to influence people like Moorthy, Ramakrishnayya and Rangamma, by instigating them
against the Pariahs. The threat of excommunication will turn Moorthy into a Pariah by ejecting
him from the caste system. Similarly, the mysterious force that compels Narsamma towards the
river seems to be the force of her caste ideology. As she loses her position in the caste system,
she loses her life.
The colonial system relies on caste and economic inequality to perpetuate its power. The police,
as well as the rulers who side with the government, act as enforcers. The colonialists are
presented as the capitalists, who always focus on material gains, and in this game, the human
values are utterly overlooked. The uneducated and hunger-stricken coolies, who come to work in
the tea and coffee plantations, are completely surrendered to their British masters:

“You are a dispenser of good, O Maharaja, we are the lickers of your feet.”

The Skeffington Coffee Estate near Kanthapura exemplifies the exploitative economic relations
that form the basis of British Colonialism. The Sahib embodies an archetype of British colonial
cruelty, whose desire to profit from them has made him heartless. While the men are beaten, the
women are sexually exploited. There is no concept of the coolies' right to fair treatment, but only
the Sahib’s absolute right over them. One of the coolies, Sidayya, reveals to his fellow workers
that everything is designed to keep the coolies indentured there for as long as possible. Drinking
toddy, feasting etc leads to further debt, and the coolies effectively turn into slaves of the Sahib.

The new social structures introduced by colonialism revolved around money and property.
Range’ Gowda has immense power in Kanthapura despite being a low caste because wealth is
increasingly displacing caste as the dominant hierarchy in the village. The Patel is both revered
and feared for his power as a revenue collector. Bade’ Khan, who works as a police under the
colonial government, is still subject to Range’ Gowda’s local authority and the caste system, that
views him as an outsider because of his religion. While Range’ Gowda sees himself as
representing the people, Bade’ Khan sees himself as representing the government to the people.
That is why the villagers of Kanthapura resist Bade’ Khan, but support the Patel even when the
latter is dismissed by the government.

Religion and tradition are at the heart of Kanthapura’s national struggle. “Modern religious
mythology is used as a political maneuver to develop the idea of nation and nationalism . In the
novel, a mythical glorious past is constructed and presented as a historical past of India (Bharat)
by Jayaramachar in his narratives…This discourse of divinity emerges as a metanarrative and
shows its effect on the native people at psychological level…” Jayaramachar, the Harikatha
man’s story offers a religious basis for following Gandhi, whom he likens to Siva. The villagers
must choose between Gandhi’s stand of Hinduism and the caste system that supports the colonial
government. The temple is a place of worship as well as the centre of uprising.

Women like Rangamma and Ratna find special mention for the spread of Gandhian ideology
among the women in Kanthapura. While they organize Sevika Sangh and participate in the
protests along with men, their roles are not fully recognized in the patriarchal system. Within the
traditional society, widows like Ratna, are ostracized, even when their marriages were arranged
at such a tender age that they had little understanding of the matter.