BOOK REVIEW

Social Change In Modern India

Prakriti
1st Year B.A. LLB. (Hons)
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Law University

Based on his Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Lectures at the Associations for Asian Studies, at the
University of California, Berkeley for the academic year of 1962-1963 the Indian sociologist
Mysore Narasimhachar Srivinas published Social Change in Modern India in 1963. He gave four
lectures in the month of May in the same year. He starts off by stating that in the book he is
determined to look at the social change in India through a social anthropologist’s view and he
acknowledges the fact that when seen from other disciplines, the changes might be seen as entirely
different.
The first chapter talks about the processes of “Sanskritisation” which describes the cultural
mobility in the traditional caste structure of Indian society. He modifies his earlier “Model of
Brahminisation” He continues to describe the existence of other Sanskritization systems excluding
the linear brahminic model that is traditionally known to the South Indians. Kshatriya and Vaishya
versions of it emerging mostly in the north, e.g. Rajput system in the central and northwest and
Bania model in Gujarat, which can be considered Brahmin model variants are also explained. He
talks about the varna system and how it works side to side with the Brahminisation. The highest
rank in the Varna structure is granted to a Brahmin, preceded by Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra.
Antyaj or the lowest is the fifth Varna in the Varna system and is said to be the lowest and most
untouchable. This is related to Sanskritisation as it is a process by which lower castes copy the
ideals and lifestyle of the superior castes. For example: Where the Kshatriyas enjoy superiority,
the lower castes followed their lifestyle and ideals. Chapter one further explores the process of
‘Sanskritization’—the process by which lower castes or tribal groups adopts customs, rituals, and
ways of life of a higher caste. Throughout the monograph, Srinivas emphasizes that the mobility
afforded through Sanskritization was one of ‘positional’ change rather than total ‘structural’
change. This important difference reveals the importance of relational power and dominance and
the pervasiveness of the structure of caste. Srinivas continues to explain how British colonialism
exacerbated the model of varna hierarchies, particularly by privileging the role of Brahmins and
religion in social life. This also formulates a perspective as to how different meat-eating practices
are Sanskritized and stratified strictly. It also explains how movements like Bhakti movement
came about as counteraction for Sanskritization and achieved egalitarian ends to an extent but
eventually ended up leaving deep inroads for Sanskritization to enter the otherwise protected
regions easily.

In the second chapter, the author talks about the uneven borrowing on social status and ethnicity
of certain Western influences. Srinivas deconstructs the sense of' westernization' as the uneven
mixing of Western influences that structures and innovations have introduced. Through reflecting
on the "model "country-specific diverse groups and the "borrowing" community. Srinivas
highlights the emergence of a new Indian elite that through education, bureaucracy, and trade had
direct contact with the small population of Europeans.
Emphasizing a sense of agency, Srinivas characterizes these Indian elites as creative interpreters
and selectors of European values and criticisms. At the same time, Srinivas also highlights how
Westernization of institutions, education, and bureaucracy gave rise to a ‘backward classes
movement’ where lower castes staked a claim to these new socio-economic egalitarian
opportunities. Srinivas expands upon this concept of caste mobility in the following chapter. He
argues that in theory these new opportunities were ‘caste free’ and egalitarian, but in reality were
more accessible to those from higher castes with a tradition of learning, governmental
employment, and from urban environments. While Westernization enabled some of the oppressed
groups to access educational institutions and business prospects, it provided the tools and access
for Sanskritization to reach tribal and Dalit communities it through technology and mass media.
From this strand, Backward Class movements at the start of the 20th century are looked at,
introducing readers to a phenomenon called 'Horizontal Solidarity' between different Castes
against Sanskritization. Like Sanskritization, westernization is an important process of social
change. It has taken place in India as a result of the British rule. The 150 years British rule produced
some radical and lasting changes in Indian social set up. The Britishers brought with them new
technology, knowledge, beliefs, values and institutions. For example, the introduction of Printing
Press by them are produced many changes in the life of the Indians. The concept ‘Westernization’
is easy to understand but difficult to “Explain. On the basis of influence on both little and great
tradition, westernization took place in two phases, i.e. Primary Westernization and Secondary
Westernization. The little tradition have been termed as Primary Westernization and the great
tradition have been termed as Secondary Westernization.

Primary Westernization:

By Primary Westernization, Prof. Y. Singh means, “Changes induced by the western impact on
Indian little traditions.”

Such changes are of two types:

1. Firstly, the emergence of westernized sub-cultural pattern limited to a specific group of Indians
within an area who first came into contact with western culture.

2. Secondly, primary westernization refers to the process of general diffusion of western cultural
traits. For example, the use of new technology, dress, food, language, changes in habits and’ way
of living. This is in general, resulting from the cultural contact with Britishers.

Secondary Westernization:

Secondary Westernization, on the other hand, started towards the end of the 19th century and
beginning of the 20th century. It refers to the changes which have contributed to the growth of
various forms of cultural structures extending over the whole of the country. Education, law,
science, technology, facilities of transport and communication are some of the examples of cultural
structure. One of the overarching contributions of this work is an analysis of socio-cultural change
in light of colonial capital. Srinivas demonstrates how Sanskritization and westernization was a
process by which secular forms of rank (exhibited by capital, political position, and education) and
ritual rank (caste, ritual, performance, relational power) came to terms with one another. Srinivas
explains, “When a caste or section of a caste achieved secular power it usually also tried to acquire
the traditional symbols of high status, namely the customs, ritual, ideas, beliefs, and lifestyle of
the locally highest castes. It also meant obtaining the services of a Brahmin priest at various rites
de passage, performing Sanskritic calendrical festivals, visiting famous pilgrimage centres, and
finally, attempting to obtain a better knowledge of the sacred literature.” This attention to socio-
cultural values of status challenges the monocausal Marxist understanding of the economic value
and social hierarchy.
From this strand, Backward Class movements at the start of the 20th century are looked at,
introducing readers to a phenomenon called 'Horizontal Solidarity' between different Castes
against Sanskritization.

There is a chapter on 'Expression of Caste mobility' which gives a great number of insights about
castes in the lower part of a ladder using modern administration to move up.

The chapter on Secularization could be ignored altogether since it mainly concentrates on practices
of Mysore brahmins, if not for the tangential explanation of how Secularization itself picked up a
Hindu flavour to it.

Of course, some of the author’s conclusions might sound like an apologia for regressive practice
and infuriate an Ambedkarite but I would say that's the Sanskritized view from the author's vantage
point given his social background. Nevertheless a very useful book in understanding the nuances
of some aspects of social relations in our country.