WOMEN_CASTE_REFORM_CLASS-8.pptx.women.caste
- 1. Women, Caste and Reform O HISTORY O CLASS VIII O CHAPTER 8 O MODULE II
- 2. (i)Social reformers criticized caste inequalities. Paramhans Mandali was founded in 1840 in Bombay to work for the abolition of caste. (ii) The Prarthana Samaj adhered to the tradition of Bhakti that believed in spiritual equality of all castes. (iii)Christians missionaries began setting up schools for the tribal groups and ‘lower’-caste children. (iv)There were availability of jobs in cities in factories. Many poor people from the villages & small towns who belonged to low castes got the jobs as labour. Caste and Social Reform:
- 5. (v)The work was hard enough. But the poor had got a chance to get away from the control of upper-castes landowners who exercised daily humiliation over them. (vi)Army was another option in jobs. A number of Mahar people, who were regarded as untouchables, found jobs in the Mahar Regiment. Caste and Social Reform:
- 7. Demands for Equality and Justice: (i)By the second half of the 19th century, people from within the ‘lower’ castes began organizing movements against caste discrimination and demanded social equality and justice. (ii)The Satnami movement in Central India was founded by Ghasidas who came from a low caste, organised a movement to improve their social status. (iii)In eastern Bengal, Haridas Thakur’s Matua sect worked among low caste; Chandala cultivators. Haridas questioned Brahmanical texts that supported the caste system. (iv)Shri Narayan Guru, a guru from Ezhava caste given his views on caste system as “one caste. one religion, one god for humankind”.
- 8. Gulamgiri (i)Jyotirao Phule, born in 1827 was known as one of the ‘low-caste’ leaders. (ii) He attacked the Brahmans claim that they were superior to other, since they were Aryans. (iii)According to Phule, the ‘upper’ caste had no right to their land and power, the land belonged to indigenous people who were called as low castes. (iv)Phule proposed that Shudras and Ati Shudras should unite to challenge caste discrimination.
- 9. Gulamgiri (v)The Satyashodhak Samaj was founded by Phule to propagate caste equality. (vi)Phule wrote a book named “Gulamgiri”, meaning slavery. He established a link between the conditions of the “lower” castes in India & the black slaves in America. (vii)In 20th century, the movement for caste reform was continued by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker.
- 10. Who Could enter Temples: (i)Ambedkar was born into a Mahar family. As a child he experienced caste prejudice; In school, he was forced to sit outside the classroom on the ground & was not allowed to drink water from taps that upper-caste children used. (ii)In 1919, when he came back from the USA, he wrote about “upper” caste power in contemporary society. (iii)In 1927, Ambedkar started a temple entry movement. His aim was to make everyone see the power of caste prejudices within the society.
- 12. The Non-Brahman Movement: (i)The Non-Brahman Movement in the early 20th century was initiated by non-Brahman castes that had acquired access to education, wealth and influence. They challenged Brahmanical claims to power. (ii)E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker, known as Periyar was from middle-class family. He founded the Self Respect Movement.
- 14. The Non-Brahman Movement: (iv)He inspired the untouchables and asked them to free themselves from all religions in order to achieve social equality. (v)Periyar was an outspoken critic of Hindu scriptures. (vi)The forceful speeches, writings and movements of lower caste leaders led to rethink and self-criticism among upper caste nationalist leaders.
- 15. THANK YOU