Question

Long Answer Type Questions. What do you understand by Sanskritisation? Explain its impact.

Hint:

Sanskritisation is a process where lower castes try to improve their social status by emulating the practices of higher castes, although it often does not lead to complete equality.

Answer 1

Sanskritisation:
Sanskritisation is a term coined by the sociologist M.N. Srinivas to describe the process by which lower caste communities in India try to emulate the customs, rituals, and practices of higher caste communities, particularly the Brahmins, in order to raise their social status. This process involves adopting the cultural traits of the higher castes, such as rituals, lifestyle, dress, food habits, and social behavior, in hopes of improving one’s position within the social hierarchy.
Step 1: The Process of Sanskritisation
The process of Sanskritisation can be understood in terms of both social and cultural changes that lower caste groups undertake. The following are some common features of Sanskritisation:
1. Adopting Brahminical Rituals: Lower castes often start adopting Brahminical religious rituals, such as performing rituals and prayers that are traditionally associated with the higher castes.
2. Dress and Food Habits: These communities may begin to follow the dietary restrictions of higher castes, avoid eating foods considered impure, and adopt the clothing style of upper castes.
3. Religious and Cultural Practices: The practice of reading Hindu religious texts, such as the Vedas or Upanishads, or the worship of deities specific to upper castes, is another feature of Sanskritisation.
Step 2: Impact of Sanskritisation
The impact of Sanskritisation is multi-faceted:
1. Social Mobility: Sanskritisation offers lower castes a potential route for upward social mobility. By emulating the rituals and customs of the higher castes, they are attempting to change their social position within the caste hierarchy.
2. Cultural Assimilation: It has led to cultural assimilation, where the practices and lifestyles of higher castes are valorized and adopted by lower caste groups. However, this does not always result in full acceptance or equality within the higher caste groups.
3. Disruption of Traditional Hierarchies: In some cases, the process of Sanskritisation has led to the breakdown of rigid caste distinctions, though this has often been partial and temporary.
4. Reinforcement of Social Hierarchy: While Sanskritisation offers a chance for mobility, it can also reinforce the existing social hierarchies, as the lower castes still remain subordinate to the higher castes despite adopting their customs.