Indian Society-Historical Evolution.pptx

7/30/2019 Indian Society-Historical Evolution.pptx

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Indian Society-Historical

EvolutionIntroduction

A strange, rigid social structure is inflicting Indians

and the Indian Society even today despite the start of

a social revolution that was ignited by the British rule.

The social evolution of India is following different

paths in different regions of the country. The

resistance to the change is also in operation.


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The process of the social evolution ofIndia can be engineered to achieve

the much needed change by

improving the socio politicalawareness of the people and by

devising methods to break the rigid

social system called caste system.


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Marx saw Indian society as stagnantand predicted a social revolution due

to the British rule that introduced

European Science, Railways andTelegraph which improved the mobility

of the masses and communication

among them.


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Dr. BR Ambedkar single handedlymobilized Dalit communities

throughout India and led the social

revolution that is an on going processeven till today.


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Stagnant Society

The observations [1857-1859] of KarlMarx on the Indian society arereproduced1 here: We must notforget that this undignified,stagnatory and vegetative life, thatthis passive sort of existence evoked

on the other part, in contradiction,wild, aimless, unbound forces ofdestruction, and rendered murderitself a religious rite in Hindustan.


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We must not forget that these littlecommunities were contaminated bydistinctions of caste and by slaverythat they subjugated man to externalcircumstances instead of elevatingman to be the sovereign ofcircumstances that they transformeda self developing social state intonever changing natural destiny andbrought about a brutalizing worshipof nature, ."


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"India is held in English thralldomby an Indian army maintained at thecost of India? India then could not

escape the fate of being conqueredand the whole of her past history, ifit be any thing, is the history of thesuccessive conquests she has

undergone. Indian society has nohistory at all, at least no knownhistory.


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What we call its history is but the historyof the successive intruders who foundedtheir empires on the passive basis of thatunresisting and unchanging society.Marx further observes a population of

200 million was thus kept in submissionby a native army of 200000 officered byEnglishmen and kept in check by anEnglish force of 40000. Of the whole- anative Bengal army mustering about80000 men, composed of about 28000Rajputs, 23000 Brahmins, 13000Mohammedans, 5000 Hindu inferiorcastes..


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Marx predicted that electric telegraph,combination of railways and steamvessels, European science and

English free trade will cause socialrevolution in India as they will disturbthe village economy and improvecommunication among masses.

Harris2 describes communication asthe nervous system of a society.


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Hindustan [India] is weakened by not onlyinvasions but also by treason andconspiracy. Nanda kings [5th and 4thcenturies BC] are from Sudra [Sishu

Naga] community who were powerfulenough to drive away Alexander theworst, the destroyer of the TaxilaUniversity. Chanakya [350BC-283 BC] whowas displaced from Taxila University was

given refuge by Dhana Nanda. ButChanakya got Dhana Nanda killed anddestroyed Nanda dynasty with the help ofChandra Gupta Mourya .


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Thus Mouryan dynasty wasestablished. Chanakya authored hispolicy known as Chanakya Neeti.

Here are two gems of his treatise: [1] Never leave the fire or the

enemy un eliminated completely.

[2] If you cant win the enemy, jointhem [which the Aryans mostlyfollowed unless the enemy is tooweak].


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He authored a book namedArthashastra,which is an ancient hindu

commentary on statecraft, economic

policy and military strategy.

His teachings are valid and relevant

even today and taught as ancurriculum in courses of Administrative

services.


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Arthashastra, the treatise onEconomic Administration was writtenby Kautilya in the 4th century before

Christ. It consists of 15 chapter, 380Shlokas and 4968 Sutras.

This is the first ever book written on

Practice of Management. It isessentially on the art of governanceand has an instructional tone.


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Several concepts of present daymanagement theories have been

explicitly explained by Kautilya in his

work. As in the present daymanagement, the importance of vision,

mission and motivation was captured in

Arthashastra. Kautilya advise his King to

rule through Prabhu Shakti (vision),Mantra Shakti (mission) and Utsah

Sahkti (motivation).


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Kautilyas concept of the objectives ofa king seem to be virtually adopted by

Peter Drucker in his book, Managing

For Results. Drucker proposedEconomic Performance as corporate

objective.


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Acquire power and Consolidate what hasbeen acquired

(Making present business effective)

Expand what has been acquired; and

(Identify potential and realize it)

Enjoy what has been acquired.

(Making it a different business for adifferent future)


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The third personality is Shankaracharya who

is known for his Advita [non dualism]philosophy and the resurrection of Hinduism

in India. He incorporated Buddhist practices for

example,(vegetarianism)intoAryanism, attracting many Buddhists back to

Aryanism and even abandoned original Vedicpractice of animal sacrifice during Yagnyawhich changed the course of Indian history.


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Karl Marx noted about the communities ofIndia as, communities werecontaminated by distinctions of caste andby slavery. In fact the caste system of

India is much worst than slavery. Theorigin of this slavery is a hymn fromPurusha Sukta [a chapter] of Rig Veda anAryan scripture. It divides people into fourmain groups viz Brahman [the priests],Rajanya [the rulers], Vaishya [farmers orthe traders] and the Sudras [the servants].


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There is another fifth group called panchama [forestdwelling as well as the urban tribes today known asDalits] who are untouchables and even useable.The Purusha Suktam of Rig Veda was fullyelaborated by Manu in his Dharma [code or socialprocedures] called Manu Smriti according to which

Sudras who constitute 80 percent of Hindus arebanned from reading or hearing the recital of Vedas.Only Brahmins have the right to study and interpretVedas. Aryans distinguish themselves by wearing acotton thread called Janyu. Thus Aryanism kept 80percent of Hindus as illiterate for thousands of

years probably since the fall of HarappanCivilization around 2000 BC.


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The early medieval period was a period of proliferation andfragmentation of varna system , numerous new tribes andcastes were annexed to and incorporated within them. It issaidthat there may be 2000 castes that exist today.

Aryans are a distinctly different group of Indians who

1 worship cow and use her products including urine and dung

as food and medicine2 are associated with horses in the past indulging in Yagnyapractices such as Ashwamedha

3 are known fire worshipers through the ritual Yagya whichused to be accompanied by the animal sacrifice, and theanimal is replaced by lemon due to the influence of

Buddhism.4 preserved their belief system in their scriptures written inSanskrit an Indo European Language

5 Aryans wear a cotton thread called Janyu to isolatethemselves from other Hindus .


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Social Revolution in India

The British rule of India indeed ignited theprocess of self development of Indiancommunities. Christian missionaries startedschools and hospitals which did not showdiscrimination between Dalits, Sudras and

Brahmins. The missionaries converted Dalit communities

and others to Christianity. Dalits were admittedinto the government/ missionary schools thoughthere was discrimination shown by Hindu

teachers. Many Dalit Christians took up higherpositions in government jobs and educationalinstitutions. However the progress of DalitChristians is limited to the spread of Christianity.


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British education also produced elegant Brahmin leaders like Pandit

Jawahar Lal Nehru who later became the Prime Minister of India.Nehru was a sympathizer of socialism and introduced mixedeconomy having both public and private sector industries. MahatmaGandhi the leader of the freedom struggle, who is now known as theFather of the Indian Nation is a product of British education. Gandhiwas thrown out of a first class rail way compartment by whites inSouth Africa just because he is dark skinned though he had a validticket. This incident must have given Gandhi enough wisdom toempathize with the problems of the Dalits.

Dr. Bhima Rao Ambedkar a Dalit himself also had his highereducation in London. He struggled to understand the origin and theproblems related to caste. He authored several books to guide theDalit movement in India. He fought for the rights of Dalits and wassuccessful in introducing reservations for Dalits in politics, educationand jobs proportionate to the population of the Dalits. The latergovernments were forced to introduce reservations to the OtherBackward Castes [OBC] communities who are Sudras.


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Dr. Ambedkar was invited by the Prime Minister Nehruto join his cabinet as Law Minister though Dr. Ambedkarwas not a member of the Indian National CongressParty which led the freedom struggle. Dr. Ambedkarserved as the Law Minister of India for a brief period.Dr. Ambedkar realized that leading the Dalit movement

is more important than serving as law minister. Whilethrough these struggles Dr. Ambedkar realized thatAryans will never give an equal status to Dalits.Ambedkar then directed Dalits to convert to Buddhism.In one single day 400000 Dalits took Deeksha, theconversion. Today because of Ambedkar many Dalits

and the OBC communities could break the shackles ofcaste slavery. This struggle is continuing.


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In the state of Tamil Nadu political parties influenced by theDravidian philosophy of Rama Swamy Naiker captured thepolitical power. The leaders of the Dravidian movement arefrom Sudra communities.

Today there are two Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu whichare coming to power alternatively eliminating the National

Parties. Dravidian movement is limited to Tamil Nadu only.

Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia through his socialist movement inNorth India developed the political leaders mainly from Sudracommunities. Several of the followers of Lohia are nationalleaders in the contemporary India. BSP a party headed by

Dalits is in power in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Strongcommunist movement in certain pockets of India alsoempowered Dalits but the impact is low.

Indian Society-Historical Evolution.pptx

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