Caste, Class, and Power: Changing Patterns of Stratification in a Tanjore VillageCaste, Class, and Power: Changing Patterns of Stratification in a Tanjore Village provides a detailed sociological examination of the evolving relationships between caste, class, and political power in Sripuram, a village in Tanjore District, South India. This study situates Sripuram within its historical, cultural, and economic context while exploring its transformation from a traditional agrarian society dominated by rigid caste hierarchies to a more dynamic and stratified social structure. The book highlights the persistence of traditional social patterns, such as the spatial segregation of castes in the village, while documenting significant changes, including the loosening of caste's grip on economic and political life. It traces how Brahmins, once the dominant landowning and political elite, have seen their traditional authority eroded by the rise of Non-Brahmin castes and the introduction of modern political institutions like panchayats and political parties. The analysis also focuses on the interplay between caste, class, and power, revealing how these hierarchies, once closely aligned, are now diverging. While caste still influences social identity and relations, economic modernization, education, and political participation have increasingly enabled mobility across traditional boundaries. The book discusses the growing presence of Non-Brahmins and Adi-Dravidas in education and political life, as well as the impact of land reforms on agrarian relations. Despite these changes, the study acknowledges the challenges of entrenched inequalities, particularly for the Adi-Dravidas, who remain economically and socially marginalized. Through its comprehensive approach, the book offers valuable insights into the processes of modernization, social mobility, and the enduring legacies of traditional systems in rural South India. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1971. Many titles in the Voices Revived program are also newly available as ebooks, offered at a discounted price to support wider access to scholarly work. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Its Physical Structure | 19 |
The Caste Structure | 45 |
Economic Organisation and Social Class | 102 |
The Distribution of Power | 141 |
Caste Class and Power | 185 |
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Common terms and phrases
acquired agraharam agricultural labourers Ahamudiyas associated bananas big mirasdars Brah Brahmin mirasdars Brahmins and Non-Brahmins Brahmins in Sripuram Brihacharanam caste structure caste system cheri cleavages commensality Congress party constitute crop distribution of power divisions dominated Dravidas economic elections extent factors fairly Grand Anicut group of castes harvest hierarchy households houses important India influential Iyengars Kallas Kshatriyas land landlord large number leaders lease less lessee live Maratha Maratha family Melur Non-Brahmin castes Non-Brahmin streets Non-Brahmins and Adi-Dravidas occupation organisation Padayachis paddy Pallacheri Pallas panchayat president Panchayat Union Council Panchayati Raj Paraiyas particularly Peramur persons political parties position regard relations rentier ritual Sanskrit segmentation Shaivite Shiva Shiva temple Shri Vaishnavas Shudras Smarthas and Shri social society structural distance style subcaste Swatantra party Tamil Tamilnad Tanjore District Telugu tenants tend Thengalai Thiruvaiyar tion traditional Vadagalai Vadama Vellalas village panchayat Vishnu Vishnu temple