Page 161 - DSOC201_SOCIAL_STRUCTURE_AND_SOCIAL_CHANGE_ENGLISH

Social Structure and Social Change

Notes the superior economic status, especially in land. In the south Indian villages, for instance, Brahmin
and Okkaliga are dominant castes. “The Havik Brahmins in village Toltagadde in Malaud area of
Mysore and Smarth Brahmins in the Kumbapettai village in Tanjore (Tamilnadu) have been
observed to be dominant castes. Okkaliga are dominant in the village Rampura, Wangala and
Delana studied in Mysore”.
Putting his analysis of dominant castes, Yogendra Singh observes: An interesting common factor
which plays a very significant role in the dominance of these castes in the villages ... is their
superior economic status, specially in land. Brahmins in Toltagadde have ownership of all cash
crop land; Kumbapettai Brahmins traditionally controlled all land; Okkaligas in Wangala; and
Delanas control more than 80 per cent of land; Rajputs in Senapur, eastern UP control 82 per cent
of land in the village; and the Vaghela Rajputs in Cassandra village in Gujarat have control over
all the land in the village. In all these villages the degree of dominance of these castes is high.
Higher education is also accepted by the big landowning castes. Administrative and income
generated in urban areas have also given economic power to these caste groups. Besides economic
power, namely, agriculture and jobs in administration, the big landowning castes have increased
their prestige and power because of their role in Panchayati Raj. Srinivas says that “the introduction
of adult franchise and Panchayati Raj has resulted in giving a new sense of self-respect to the
villagers”. Srinivas argues that the economic and political power which has come to the big
landowning castes has thus enhanced their power status.
2. High rank in caste hierarchy
Normally, the caste which is traditionally higher in the caste hierarchy enjoys the status of
dominance. The Brahmins and the Rajputs have traditionally been dominant in the villages. The
Brahmins have at the top of the caste hierarchy and they officiate at the religious festivals and
rituals of the village. The Rajputs have been the feudals-thakurs in the village. They have
traditionally occupied larger portions of the village land. The economic and political power, thus,
in the village has given the dominant status to the Brahmins and Rajputs.
Recently, the criterion, namely, economic and political power, has undergone a change. The
reservations made for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and women have given a new attribute
to the concept of dominant caste. As a result provision power has passed into the hands of
numerically large landowning peasant castes. Some of the scheduled castes, who are numerically
strong and also take advantage of the new educational and other opportunities available to them,
have also gained economic and political power. The high rank in the caste hierarchy has now
gone in favour of those castes which have benefited from their reserved status. Now, the traditional
higher status in the hierarchy no more remains an attribute of a dominant caste.
3. Numerical strength
Before the advent of modernisation and development, numerical strength did not have any strength
of the dominance of a caste. Recently, numerical strength of a caste assumes importance because
of the vote bank created by adult suffrage. The castes which have larger number of voters, naturally,
determine the fate of a candidate contesting elections. What is called these days as caste-war is
actually the importance of a caste to determine the fate of a candidate.
Now, a caste is dominant not only in single village. It extends to a cluster of villages. A caste
group which has only a family or two in a particular village but which enjoys decisive dominance
in the wider region, will still count locally because of the network of ties binding it to its dominant
relatives. What is equally important is that others in the village will be aware of the existence of
this network. Contrariwise, a caste which enjoys dominance in only one village will find that it
has to reckon with the caste which enjoys regional dominance.
4. A sizeable amount of the arable land
Normally, in India’s villages, smaller number of big landowners occupy larger portion of land. In
other words, the caste which has larger portion of village land wields power. The big landowners,
thus, are patrons of the bulk of the poor villagers. In villages, those castes which have larger
portion of land, enjoy power and prestige. Srinivas says that landownership is a crucial factor in
establishing a dominance. He observes:

156 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY