'Sanskritisation': Definition or Deflection?

The oft-cited definition of Sanskritisation (Note 1) by the late Dr M N Srinivas, an eminent sociologist, appears to be clearly contrived to obscure a far more insidious process. In fact, Sanskritisation is no less than the (cultural) ’colonization’ of society that entails the imposition of a set of beliefs, social structures and practices (Brahmanism) upon the society, allowing it to take root progressively and in a top-down (NOT bottom-up) manner by first inducting the upper / ruling classes of the native population.

How about describing the British Raj as NOT colonialism but Anglicization, and defining Anglicization as a process by which the natives of India sought upward mobility by emulating the ways and manners of the English / British lords who chose to spend some time in India as part of their global mission to spread civilization (and, incidentally, economic restructuring)?

Labels and definitions serve as templates that shape, direct, deflect and/or blinker our thought processes. Extreme care is, therefore, called for. Otherwise we risk missing the elephant by remaining focused on the ants.

Note 1:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskritisation
(last modified 08:56, 17 August 2005)

Sanskritisation is the process by which castes placed lower in the caste hierarchy seek upward mobility by emulating the rituals and practices of the upper or dominant castes. It is a term coined by the late M.N.Srinivas, the eminent sociologist from India. He first propounded this theory in the thesis for his D.Phil degree at Oxford University. The thesis was laterbrought out as a book titled Religion and Society Among the Coorgs of South India. Published in 1952, the book was an ethnographical study of the Coorg Community of south Karnataka, India.

The book challenged the then prevalent idea that caste was a rigid and unchangeable institution. The concept addressed the fluidity of caste relations, and of communities' desires to constantly upgrade and improve themselves. M.N.Srinivas defined sanskritisation as a process by which "a 'low' Hindu caste, or tribal or other group, changes its customs, ritual ideology, and way of life in the direction of a high and frequently 'twice-born' caste. Generally such changes are followed by a claim to a higher position in the caste hierarchy than that traditionally conceded to the claimant class by the local community..."

One clear example of sanskritisation is the acceptance, imitating the practice of twice-born castes, of vegetarianism by people belonging to the so-called low castes, who are traditionally not averse to non-vegetarian food.

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