Subaltern School and Ranajit Guha [UPSC Notes]

Ranajit Guha, a prominent proponent of the subaltern school, passed away on 28 April 2023 at the
age of 100. In this article, we discuss the work of the late historian and also the subaltern school
that he pioneered. This topic is relevant for the IAS exam Society segment of GS paper I.

Ranajit Guha

Image source: www.newindianexpress.com

• He was a noted historian, who passed away recently at the age of 100 in Vienna Woods,
Austria.
• In studying South Asia, Guha introduced a new perspective that was different from the elitist
concerns that had previously dominated.
• Along with his collaborators, Guha began the Subaltern School which later became one of
the most influential post-colonial, post-Marxist schools in history.

What is Subaltern School?

Italian Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci first coined the term "subaltern" to describe a class of
people, such as peasants and workers, who are dominated by a more powerful class through
hegemony.

The Context of Emergence of the Subaltern School:

• Prior to the emergence of the Subaltern School, mainstream scholarship on South Asia was
either a result of colonial Eurocentrism or was dominated by the concerns of native elites,
heavily influenced by colonial frameworks and narratives.
 o For example, James Mills' classification of Indian history into ancient, medieval, and
modern periods is an imposition of a prevalent framework used to study European
history and misses out on the diversity of experiences in historical study.
• Even Left-wing academics were unable to shed European frameworks and Marxist
orthodoxy, leading to an incomplete understanding of Indian society.

Ranajit Guha and Subaltern Studies

• Being a reader of history at the University of Sussex, Guha recognised the inadequacy of
mainstream historical narratives in and about India for studying the complexity of India's
past.
o The voice of the subaltern, i.e. the underclasses were absent from traditional
narratives.
• In the early 1980s, with like-minded colleagues, Guha picked up the term ‘subaltern’ in their
attempt to “rectify the elitist bias characteristic of much of research and academic work” in
the field of South Asian studies.
• Meaning of the term ‘Subaltern’:
o In the introduction of the inaugural issue of Subaltern Studies, Guha explains that the
term "subaltern" denotes inferior status and, in the context of South Asian society, is
generally associated with subordination based on factors such as caste, class,
gender, and occupation.
• Ranajit Guha's book, "Elementary Aspects of Peasant Insurgency in Colonial India," offers a
distinct perspective on peasant resistance. Rather than viewing peasants solely as objects
of administrative concern, Guha examines their consciousness and modes of dissent.

Impact of Guha’s Subaltern Studies:

• Guha not only highlights the historical neglect of subaltern concerns in mainstream
academia but also acknowledges the subaltern as a construct rather than an innate
category.
• He explained that the concept of the subaltern is a product of the power dynamic between
elites and subalterns, rather than a preordained, immutable status.
• This approach forms the basis of a new historical school that challenges long-held beliefs in
favour of a more nuanced and complex understanding of society and history.

Criticisms of the Subaltern School

• Subaltern School idealises the agency and resistance of subaltern groups while neglecting
the impact of social and political structures that limit their actions. This has led to
accusations of presenting an overly optimistic portrayal of the subaltern agency.
• Subaltern Schools neglect the significance of class-based politics. This overlooks the
potential for subaltern groups to participate in transformative struggles that challenge the
prevailing economic and political structures, particularly in the School's recent work.
• Subaltern School rejected universal theorising to challenge Eurocentrism, but it went too far
and completely denied its utility in explaining South Asia's complexities.