Social Issues Handout-1 2022-23 batch-

Sahil Goyal

EVOLUTION OF INDIAN SOCIETY

Indus Valley civilization

 Urban settlement(trade)
 No Varna, no caste
 Equal status to women in society (women worship)
 Extreme form of urban planning

Rigvedic period (EVP)

 Rural settlement- pastoral economy
 Aryan invasion
 Society divided into 2 groups (Racial division starts)
o Aryans (Priest, Warriors, Vis)--DOL
o Non-Aryans(dasas, dasyus, pannis)
 Aryans- patriarchial system
 Equal status to women- attended sabha and samitis
 Mention of Varna in the last chapter of Rigveda, not developed but
 Religion- little sacrifices and naturism
 No caste system

Later Vedic period

 Atharveda, Samveda, Yajurveda
 Rural settlement- Agriculture, surplus
 Rise of Kings and dominance of warriors- Kashtriyas
 Varna system will mature itself
 Women status starts t decline
 Brahmins(one of the priestly class) will begin to rise- perform rituals and sacrifices
 Worship- more ritualistic and sacrifice;
 Rest of the community- Vis(traders and agriculturalist)
 Vis will serve – Kshatriyas and brahmins
 Gotra system develops

Pre Mauryan period

 Vis community starts to consolidate-especially traders
 Rise of Jainism and Buddhism
 Women status declines further
 Caste system begins to emerge

Mauryan period
 Urban settlements start
 Trade becomes major economic activity
o Vaishyas will consolidate as traders- GUILDs
o Brahmins put restrictions on Vaishyas
o Foreign contacts increase with Iran
 Architecture development
o Caves, stupas, pillars, edicts, languages

VAJIRAM & RAVI Page 1

  Start of caste system

Post Mauryan period

 Urban(trade)
 Foreign invasion starts
 Greeks settle as indogreeks, Chinese as Kushans
 Indo greeks- cultural contribution
o Gandhara art, inscription on coins, gold coins, canals and dams
 Chinese
o Horsemanship, gold coins largest numbers, dress- coats and shoes
o Mathura art form
 Rise of Manu- Manusmriti- restrictions on caste system, women, purity and pollution
 Caste sytem consolidates
 Women status continues to decline, restrictions of women
 South India comes in picture for first time
o Satvahana- in AP, Telangana area
 System of land grants- rise of feudalism
 Equal status of women
 Amravati school
o Chola, chera, pandyas
 Sangam literature
 Port development, navy

Gupta period
 Rural settlement- decline of trade
 Growth of agriculture sector
 Land becomes important,
 Land grants by guptas, maturity of feudalism(economy revolving around land)
 Growth of peasants community- Shudras
 Women status lowest – Evidence of Sati
 Untouchability- Chandals, manual scavengers
 Rise of literature and science
o Kalidas-
o Sudraka
 Aryabhatta, astronomy, surgery
 Purans are written
 Rise of Kayastha- land record keepers
 Structural temples in NI
o Nagara style of temple architecture

ISLAMIZATION OF INDIAN SOCIETY

 Attack by Turks- Mahmud of Gaznavi, Gazni and Gori

 New Value system (Islam-V2) comes to Indian Society(V1)-
 New culture system introduced with new scholars
o Al-Bruni- Kitab-ul –hind mentions
 Caste system
 Untouchability

VAJIRAM & RAVI Page 2

  Child marriage
 Gotra
 Sati and Devdasi system
 Islam Advent
o Development of new religious ideology
o Free and fair religion
o Clashed with Hindu value system
o Indo-Islamic architecture
 Delhi Sultanate-> Lodi dynasty->Mughals
 Domes, arched, no idol, no human paintings, calligraphy,Arabesque
 Mosque introduction, Tomb, Minars, char-bagh style
 HINDAVI-script by Amir Khusro
 Book- nuhsifir, New musical system-Qawali
 Tabla and Sitar
o Made Indian culture rich and diversified
o Mughals- contribution
 Miniature paintings-“fore-sighting techniques”, Architecture, portraits,
o Lot of lower caste Hindus converted to Islam to avoid atrocities
o Development of Persian language and Urdu

Impact of Hinduism on Islam

 Caste system influenced Islam also
o Upper caste- Ashraf- Sheikh, sayed
o Middle caste Ajlaf- clean occupation caste- artisians
o Lowe caste- Arzal- polluting work

 Accommodation of V1+V2
o Sufiism-
 Iran influence, silsila, Khanaqah, chisti dargah
o Bhakti Movement-
 Nirgun(god has no forms)-kabir, saguna(god has forms-tulsidas),
Philosophical
o Sikhism
 Borrowed from both v1 and v2
 New architecture
 Gurumukhi and langar
 Emergence of Rajput culture
o Rajasthani and Pahari school of paintings

MODERNIZATION OF INDIAN SOCIETY

 Traders-
 New Value system -V3- modernity(Enlightment period in Europe)
 Introduction of new language-English
 Modernity introduced in India- Process and actions are driven by reason and rationality
 Vs traditional values- process and action driven by religion
 Rise of reformers in Indian society

VAJIRAM & RAVI Page 3

 o Rajaram mohanroy
o Bengal renaissance
o Improve status of women in Indian society
 Removing untouchability and caste system
 Abolition of Sati act-1829
 Widow remarriage act- 1856
o Reform movt within muslims led by Sir Syed Ahmed khan
 Modernization of madrassas
 Law, everyone under IPC- Rule of law concept
 Introduction of press- Spreading of modern Ideas through press both vernacular and English
 Modern Economic system- rise of DadabhaiNaroji- “Drain of wealth” theory
 Launch of National movement and structured politics- Launch of congress party
 Technology inventions introduced- Dalhousie
o Railways, Telegraph
 New system of modern education
o “Woods dispatch”
 Great impact of Christian missionaries
o Introduction of Christianity
o Impact on tribals
o Lower caste converted into Chritianity

All this led to Modernization of Indian tradition, Leading to extreme form of diversity in Indian
society.

Caste system in India

Regional variations in caste:

1. Bengal

Brahmins Chandala /Asprishya

Saptasati

Rarhi BarendraBaidik
Madhyadesi

 Rarhi, Baidik and Barendra are above Madyadesi and Saptasati

 Chandalas- Agricluturallabours
o Unclean occupation jobs

2. Odisha(Bisipare Village)
a. Kshatriyas
i. K1 (Landowners)
ii. K2-Agricultural tenants)

VAJIRAM & RAVI Page 4

 b. Praja(Shudras)
i. Agricultural labours
c. No existence of dalits

3. Tamil Nadu (Sripuram village)

a. Brahmins- LAND OWNERS –Living in AGRAHAMS
i. SMARTHAS-Iyer
1. S1,S2,S3,S4
a. S4-1,S4-2
ii. SRI-VAISHNAVAS-Iyengars
b. NON-Brahmins-TENANTS-Living in Kudiana
i. 25 Sub-caste are present
ii. Glorify tamil culture
c. ADI-Dravidians-AGRICULTURAL LABOURS- Living in Cheris
i. Pallans
ii. Paraiyans – Christians converts
iii. Pallans maintain distance from paraiyans

CASTE AMONG NON-HINDUS IN INDIA

 CASTE AMONG MUSLIMS- “Social stratification” is seen among muslims also
o Ashrafs- sayyed, sheikhs,pathans,Mughal and even rajputs converts
o Ajlafs-doing clean occupational jobs- Julaha(weaver), darzi,
hajjam(barber), manihar(bangle seller)
o Arzals- unclean or ritually polluting jobs- Bhangi, halal khoe
o These groups are largely endogamous, and lower caste groups aspire for
upward mobility- Ashrafization
 Caste among SIKHS
o JATS- predominantly agriculturalist occupy highest position
o Trading caste
o Ram Garhias –artisians and doing clean occupation
o Mazhabi- untouchables who are converts
o However, no restrictions on commensality except for Mazhabis,

DYNAMICS OF OBC MOVEMENT AND POLITICS OF RESERVATION

ARTICLE 340.

Appointment of a Commission to investigate the conditions of backward classes

(1) The President may by order appoint a Commission consisting of such persons as he thinks fit to
investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classeswithin the territory of India
and the difficulties under which they labour and to make recommendations as to the steps that
should be taken by the Union or any State to remove such difficulties and to improve their condition
and as to the grants that should be made for the purpose by the Union or any State the conditions
subject to which such grants should be made, and the order appointing such Commission shall
define the procedure to be followed by the Commission

VAJIRAM & RAVI Page 5

Article 15
15. Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth
(1) The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex,
place of birth or any of them
(2) No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be
subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to
(a) access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and palaces of public entertainment; or
(b) the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained wholly or
partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public
(3) Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for women and
children
(4) Nothing in this article or in clause (2) of Article 29 shall prevent the State from making any
special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of
citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes

Article 16 Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment.

From the Constitution

(1) There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating
to employment or appointment to any office under the State.

(2) No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence or
any of them, be ineligible for, or discriminated against in respect of, any employment or office under
the State.

(4) Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any provision for the reservation of
appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens which, in the opinion of the State,
is not adequately represented in the services under the State.

(4A) Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any provision for reservation[in
matters of promotion, with consequential seniority, to any class or classes of posts in the services
under the State in favour of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes which, in the opinion of
the State, are not adequately represented in the services under the State.

TIME LINES FOR OBC MOVEMENT

 December, 13 1946- Nehru’s objective resolution- special measures for “Minorities,

backward and tribal areas and depressed and other backward classes”
 January 26, 1950- Article 340
 January 29, 1953- Kaka Kalelkar committee – 1st backward class commission
o 4 main criteria for social backwardness- degraded status, lack of education, under
representation in civil services and other secondary and tertiary sectors
o Caste as the criterion
o 2,399 caste groups were listed

VAJIRAM & RAVI Page 6

 o 32% of Indian population, 1931 census
 Nehru rejects the report
 1959- State of Mysore U/A 15(4), granted 59% quota for backward classes in state medical
and engineering colleges for backward classes and ‘more’ backward classes
 1963- SC in “Balaji vs State of mysore”rejected the reservation given by state of mysore-
o 1. Too much weightage to “caste”, caste cannot be the sole criteria for identification
of backward classes
o 2. However, in addition to caste, other parameters of social backwardness must be
kept in mind
o 3. More than 50% reservations will hamper merit and constitutional spirit
 1961- Nehru decides not to have any all India list of OBc
 1966- Rise of alternate ideology –RML- “Samyukt socialist party”- class=caste
 SSP nominates OBC candidates for elections
 Rise of Chaudhary Charan Singh- empowering the peasantry-AJGAR in UP
o Kisan Politics
o Urban vs rural (India vs bharat)
o Wanted to separate Farmers from Kisan, peasants
 1978- Rise of Janta party
o appointment of 2nd backward class commission- Mandal commission
o again caste was the criteria for OBC
o identitfied 3743 caste – 52 % of the population
o 27% reservation
 1980- return of congress
 1990- V.P. Singh of Janta Dal- implements the Mandal commission report

Rise of OBC politics

 Proportion of OBCs in power grew from 11% in 1984- 25%in 1996- also called as “Silent
revolution in Indian politics”- Casteization of Politcs
 Divisions within OBC- started- Yadavs, Kurmis, Lodhis, Jats

1993-Indira Sawhney Vs UOI case

o Caste can be and is quite often a social class in India”
o A-16(4) is an “enabling clause”
o BC are not adequately represented
o Creamy layer concept introduced
o Overall efficiency must not be impacted
o Should not affect 50% reservation rule
o No reservations in promotion for OBC

Reservation in Promotions
 2006- M. Nagraj Case vs UOI- for reservation in promotions for SC/ST --A-16(4A)
o State must demonstrate backwardness by providing quantifiable data
o Inadequacy of representation in public employment
o Maintenance of overall efficiency in administration
 2018- Jarnail Singh vs Lachmi Narayan Gupta
o no need for demonstration backwardness to SC/ST
o reservation in promotion must have creamy layer concept
 2019- BK Pavitra-2 vs UOI

VAJIRAM & RAVI Page 7

 o Supreme Court upheld ‘The Karnataka Extension of Consequential Seniority to
Government Servants Promoted on the Basis of Reservation (To the Posts in the Civil
Services of the State) Act, 2018’, granting a quota in promotions for state
government employees from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe
communities.
o Karnataka government set up the Ratna Prabha Committee to submit a report on
the three criteria and based on its report had come up with the revised bill. This
time, the court has upheld it constitutionally.
o The Reservation Act 2018 adopts the principle that consequential seniority is not an
additional benefit but a consequence of the promotion which is granted to the SCs
and STs

VAJIRAM & RAVI Page 8