Social Institutions Continuity and Change | Class 12 Sociology Notes

COLONIALISM AND CASTE

The colonial period (circa 1800–1947) brought fundamental changes to the caste system. British administrators sought to understand caste to govern effectively, conducting detailed surveys, ethnographies, and the decennial census starting from 1881. The 1901 Census under Herbert Risley was particularly influential as it attempted to record the social hierarchy of castes, leading to caste groups petitioning for higher status. This official classification rigidified caste identities, which had previously been more fluid. The colonial state also recognized 'depressed classes' (later Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) for special treatment, institutionalizing categories that persist today. While colonialism did not create caste, scholars argue it transformed caste into a more rigid and politicized institution. The colonial economy, legal system, and administration reinforced caste distinctions while also introducing new social dynamics. Reformers like Jotirao Govindrao Phule and Savitri Bai Phule emerged during this period, denouncing caste injustice and working for education and rights of lower castes. Periyar in South India led rationalist and anti-caste movements. Colonialism thus both codified and challenged caste, setting the stage for post-Independence reforms.

📊 Diagram: Figure 3.3 Jotirao Govindrao Phule denounced the injustice of the caste system and scorned its rules of purity and pollution. In 1873 he founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth Seekers Society), which was devoted

🧪 Activity: Analyze how colonial policies affected caste identities and social reform movements.

🔗 Connection: Leads to the discussion of caste in post-Independence India.