The myths of origin of the Indian Untouchables
(1993) Man — Vol. 28, n° 3, p. 533-549 (1993)
Files
mythsoforigin.pdf
Restricted Access - Adobe PDF
- 1.56 MB
Details
- Authors
- Abstract
- The world-view of today's untouchables has undoubtedly been influenced by the democratic changes in Indian society. What is less clear, however, is whether untouchables were closer to Hindu orthodoxy and referred to religious concepts to legitimize their inferior position in the past, as Weber has argued. Untouchable myths of origin, the antiquity of which is well established, can be taken as a good illustration of the way untouchables view - and viewed - themselves and their place in society. The myth of origin widely held by untouchables throughout India claims that untouchables were originally respectable people whose present condition is the result of a misunderstanding, rather than of some inherent defect. The myth thus contests the position of untouchables within the caste system, though not the system itself, whose ideological foundations it continues to uphold. This ambiguity is typical of the position of untouchables within Indian society more generally.
- Affiliations
Citations
Deliège, R. (1993). The myths of origin of the Indian Untouchables. Man, 28(3), 533-549. https://doi.org/10.2307/2804238 (Original work published 1993)