Protest, Upliftment and Identity: Rajbansis and Namasudras of Bengal 1872-1947  (Hardcover, Bipul Mandal)

The period from 1872-1947 witnessed the rise of many movements in Bengal, where those who were considered lower castes were mobilized to protest against the inequality and injustice meted out to them in various fields, including religion, politics and education. The focus of their struggle was the social injustice within the Hindu caste hierarchy. Unlike in south and western India where caste movements were often associated with anti-Brahmanical movements, in Bengal it?was?upgradation?of?caste?from?Sudra?to?Kshatriya?varna. The main focus of the study is the Kshatriyaization movement of Rajbansis, the Matua movement of Namasudras, and the colonial policy?of?‘Protective?Discrimination’?and?its?impact. It studies the attempt by Rajbansi community to establish themselves as Kshatriyas in the first half of the twentieth century, though the movement started in the late nineteenth century itself. It also in­cludes their struggle against the Brahmanical dominance and the elites?of?their?own?community. Alongside the Kshatriyaization movement, a parallel movement for the social uplift started among the Namasudra community, which later spread to northern Bengal. Their struggle actually began from the time of the first Census in 1872, when the census authorities classified the Namasudras as Chandals in the census report. The Namasudra protest movement, hereafter, developed through a dif­ferent channel provided by a Vaishnava religious sect named Matua, started?under?a?Namasudra leader?Harichand?Thakur. This book is essential for those wishing to understand the socio-religious movement of the Namasudra and the Rajbansi commun­ities?in?their?historical?context.