125-566: Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (17 September 1879 – 24 December 1973), revered by his followers as Periyar or Thanthai Periyar , was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam . He is known as the 'Father of the Dravidian movement '. He rebelled against Brahmin dominance and gender and caste inequality in Tamil Nadu . Since 2021,
250-511: A mangalsutra or by a declaration in language understood by both parties that they accept each other to be their spouse. The law was passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly on 27 November 1967, and was approved by the President on 17 January 1968. This was officially announced in the gazette on 20 January 1968. The number of inter-caste and inter-religious marriages has increased in the state as a result of
375-1032: A Brahmin family, Ramananda welcomed everyone to spiritual pursuits without discriminating anyone by gender, class, caste or religion (such as Muslims). He composed his spiritual message in poems, using widely spoken vernacular language rather than Sanskrit, to make it widely accessible. The Hindu tradition recognises him as the founder of the Hindu Ramanandi Sampradaya , the largest monastic renunciant community in Asia in modern times. Other medieval era Brahmins who led spiritual movements without social or gender discrimination included Andal (9th-century female poet), Basava (12th-century Lingayatism), Dnyaneshwar (13th-century Bhakti poet), Vallabha Acharya (16th-century Vaishnava poet), Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (14th-century Vaishnava saint) were among others. Many 18th and 19th century Brahmins are credited with religious movements that criticised idolatry . For example,
500-595: A Buddhist kingdom, states Leider, may have been because Hindu texts provide guidelines for such social rituals and political ceremonies, while Buddhist texts do not. The Brahmins were also consulted in the transmission, development and maintenance of law and justice system outside India. Hindu Dharmasastras , particularly Manusmriti written by the Prajapati Manu, states Anthony Reid, were "greatly honored in Burma (Myanmar), Siam (Thailand), Cambodia and Java-Bali (Indonesia) as
625-437: A DK member's attempt to assassinate Rajagopalachari , "expressed his abhorrence of violence as a means of settling political differences". But many suggest that the values of the non-Brahmin movement were explicitly anti-Brahmin. In addition to his hatred against his perceived oppressors in the minority, Ramasamy was also anti-Hindu. In 1953, Periyar organised agitations for the desecration of Ganesha idols. He stated in
750-629: A better status for women in Tamil society . Ramasamy held that, in matters of education and employment, there should be no difference between men and women. Gopalakrishnan states that Ramasamy's influence in the State departments and even the Center made it possible for women to join police departments and the army. Ramasamy also spoke out against child marriage . Ramasamy wanted thinking people to see their society as far from perfect and in urgent need of reform. He wanted
875-718: A holy place which welcomed all. Ramasamy was a theist until his visit to Kasi , after which his views changed and he became an atheist . Ramasamy joined the Indian National Congress in 1919 after quitting his business and resigning from public posts. He held the chairmanship of Erode Municipality and wholeheartedly undertook constructive programs spreading the use of Khadi , picketing toddy shops , boycotting shops selling foreign cloth, and eradicating untouchability . In 1921, Ramasamy courted imprisonment for picketing toddy shops in Erode. When his wife as well as his sister joined
1000-502: A life of freedom from slavery to anything against reason and self respect ; to do away with needless customs, meaningless ceremonies, and blind superstitious beliefs in society; to put an end to the present social system in which caste , religion, community and traditional occupations based on the accident of birth, have chained the mass of the people and created "superior" and "inferior" classes ... and to give people equal rights; to completely eradicate untouchability and to establish
1125-466: A new lease on life by the widow remarriage principles of the self-respect movement. Consequently, the self-respect movement attracted a lot of women. Tamil Nadu became the first state (followed by U.T. of Puducherry in 1971) to legalize Hindu marriages conducted without a Brahmin priest. This was the first file signed by CM Annadurai when the DMK gained power in the 1967 Madras assembly elections. Annadurai sent
1250-512: A new spirit and build a new society. Between 1929 and 1935, under the strain of the Great Depression , political thinking worldwide received a jolt from the spread of international communism. Indian political parties, movements and considerable sections of leadership were also affected by inter-continental ideologies. The Self-Respect Movement also came under the influence of the leftist philosophies and institutions. Ramasamy, after establishing
1375-459: A non-Brahmin who upheld the integrity of the caste system was seen as a supporter of Brahminism. Ramasamy called on both Brahmins and non-Brahmins to cast out brahmanism . Ramasamy also claimed, on several occasions, that to eliminate the caste system, driving away the Brahmins was crucial. In 1957, he called for the killing of Brahmins and burning of their houses on more than one occasion; prompting
SECTION 10
#17328446632531500-406: A prevalent friendship and unity around the world; with every human being seeking to act according to reason, understanding, desire, and perspective, and shall not be subject to slavery of any kind or manner. Equality with stress on economic and social equality formed the central theme of the Self-Respect Movement and was due to Ramasamy's determination to fight the inequalities ingrained in
1625-721: A procession to the Marina to burn pictures of the Hindu God Rama. Ramasamy was subsequently arrested and confined to prison. The activities of Ramasamy continued when he went to Bangalore in 1958 to participate in the All India Official Language Conference. There he stressed the need to retain English as the Union Official Language instead of Hindi. Five years later, Ramasamy travelled to North India to advocate
1750-512: A professor of Sanskrit and Religious studies, state, "there is no evidence in the Rigveda for an elaborate, much-subdivided and overarching caste system", and "the varna system seems to be embryonic in the Rigveda and, both then and later, a social ideal rather than a social reality". According to Vijay Nath, in the Markandeya Purana (250 CE), there are references to Brahmins who were born into
1875-505: A question whether Gandhi's vision of freedom or Nehru's concept of independence contained even an iota of individual self-respect. Ramasamy believed that self-respect was as valuable as life itself and its protection is a birthright and not swaraj ('political freedom'). He described the movement as Arivu Vidutalai Iyakkam , that is, a movement to liberate the intellect. The terms tan-maanam or suya mariyadai meaning 'self-respect' are traceable in ancient Tamil literature considered
2000-559: A rational being, was suffering from these because of religion and discrimination. Self-Respect Movement The Self-Respect Movement is a popular human rights movement originating in South India aimed at achieving social equality for those oppressed by the Indian caste system , advocating for lower castes to develop self-respect . It was founded in 1925 by S. Ramanathan who invited E. V. Ramasamy (also known as Periyar) to head
2125-755: A self-respecting rationalist would readily realise that the caste system had been stifling self-respect and therefore he or she would strive to get rid of this menace. Ramasamy stated that the caste system in South India is, due to Indo-Aryan influence, linked with the arrival of Brahmins from the north . Ancient Tamil Nadu (part of Tamilakkam ) had a different stratification of society in four or five regions ( Tinai ), determined by natural surroundings and adequate means of living. Ramasamy also argued that birds, animals, and worms, which are considered to be devoid of rationalism do not create castes, or differences of high and low in their own species. But man, considered to be
2250-537: A separate association called the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), or Dravidian Progressive Federation. This was due to differences between the two, while Ramasamy advocated a separate independent Dravidian or Tamil state, Annadurai compromised with the Delhi government, at the same time claiming increased state independence. Ramasamy was convinced that individuals and movements that undertake the task of eradicating
2375-471: A small town in Kerala state, then Travancore , there were strict laws of untouchability in and around the temple area. Dalits , also known as Harijans , were not allowed into the close streets around and leading to the temple, let alone inside it. Anti-caste feelings were growing and in 1924 Vaikom was chosen as a suitable place for an organised Satyagraha . Under his guidance a movement had already begun with
2500-630: A snake and a Brahmin, hit the Brahmin first". The reasoning for those statements is given as such. In 1920, when the Justice Party came to power, Brahmins occupied about 70 percent of the high level posts in the government. After reservation was introduced by the Justice Party, it changed this trend, allowing non-Brahmins to rise in the government of the Madras Presidency . Ramasamy spoke against
2625-456: A speech in 1953, “We have to eradicate the gods who are responsible for the institution which portrays us as sudras, people of low birth, and some others as brahmins of high birth… We have to break the idols of these gods. I start with Ganesha because it is he who is worshipped before undertaking any task.” Paula Richman details the events leading up to his activities: “On the first day of August in 1956, E. V. Ramasami (henceforth E.V.R.) set out for
SECTION 20
#17328446632532750-699: A teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor, who assisted the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya in his rise to power and is widely credited for having played an important role in the establishment of the Maurya Empire . Historical records from mid 1st millennium CE and later, suggest Brahmins were agriculturalists and warriors in medieval India, quite often instead of as exception. Donkin and other scholars state that Hoysala Empire records frequently mention Brahmin merchants who "carried on trade in horses, elephants and pearls" and transported goods throughout medieval India before
2875-432: A time when the broad national discourse on birth control through influenced by the thoughts of leaders like Gandhi , was an almost unanimous condemnation of birth control. Women were given the right to choose partners as well as divorce them and remarry. Widowhood was not penalized through religious beliefs. Heterosexual partnerships were radically transformed by advocating for the erasure of gender hierarchies and roles;
3000-489: A united society based on brother / sisterhood ; to give equal rights to women; to prevent child marriages and marriages based on law favourable to one sect, to conduct and encourage love marriages, widow marriages, inter caste and inter-religious marriages and to have the marriages registered under the Civil Law ; and to establish and maintain homes for orphans and widows and to run educational institutions. Propagation of
3125-637: A universally accepted one. His philosophy preaches that human actions should be based on rational thinking. Further, the outcome of the natural instinct of human beings is to examine every object and every action and even nature with a spirit of inquiry, and to refuse to submit to anything irrational as equivalent to slavery. Thus, the philosophy of self-respect taught that human actions should be guided by reason, right and wrong should follow from rational thinking and conclusions drawn from reason should be respected under all circumstances. Freedom means respect to thoughts and actions considered 'right' by human beings on
3250-488: A very casual manner that as a human being, he also was obligated to this duty, as it was the right and freedom to choose this work. Thus, he opted to engage himself in starting and promoting the movement. Periyar declared that the Self-Respect Movement alone could be the genuine freedom movement, and political freedom would not be fruitful without individual self-respect. He remarked that the so-called 'Indian freedom fighters' were showing disrespect of self-respect, and this
3375-556: A virtue of high valor in Tamil society . Ramasamy once claimed that to describe the ideology of his movement, no dictionary or language in the entire world could provide a word better than or equal to suya mariyadai . Started as a movement ( iyakkam in Tamil; Dravida Iyakkam ) to promote rational behavior, the Self-Respect Movement acquired much wider connotation within a short period of time. Periyar, speaking with M.K. Reddy at
3500-478: A young age, he began questioning the apparent contradictions in the Hindu mythological stories. As Ramasamy grew, he felt that people used religion only as a mask to deceive innocent people and therefore took it as one of his duties in life to warn people against superstitions and priests. In 1904, Ramasamy went on a pilgrimage to Kashi to visit the revered Shiva temple of Kashi Vishwanath . Though regarded as one of
3625-462: Is a varna ( caste ) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the Kshatriya , Vaishya , and Shudra . The traditional occupation of Brahmins is that of priesthood ( purohit , pandit , or pujari ) at Hindu temples or at socio-religious ceremonies, and the performing of rite of passage rituals, such as solemnising a wedding with hymns and prayers. Traditionally, Brahmins are accorded
3750-589: Is in the Rigveda , occurs once, and the hymn is called Purusha Sukta . According to a hymn in Mandala 10 , Rigveda 10.90.11-2, Brahmins are described as having emerged from the mouth of Purusha , being that part of the body from which words emerge. The Purusha Sukta varna verse is now generally considered to have been inserted at a later date into the Vedic text, possibly as a charter myth . Stephanie Jamison and Joel Brereton,
3875-697: Is preliminary, at best. Most Sanskrit works are a-historic or, at least, not especially interested in presenting a chronological account of India's history. When we actually encounter history, such as in Rajatarangini or in the Gopalavamsavali of Nepal, the texts do not deal with brahmins in great detail. According to Kalhana 's Rajatarangini (12th cent. CE) and Sahyadrikhanda (5th–13th cent. CE) of Skandapurana, Brahmins are broadly classified into two groups based on geography. The northern Pancha Gauda group comprises five Brahmin communities, as mentioned in
Periyar - Misplaced Pages Continue
4000-515: The Chief Minister of Madras Presidency , he introduced Hindi as a compulsory language of study in schools, thereby igniting a series of anti-Hindi agitations. Tamil nationalists , the Justice Party under Sir A. T. Panneerselvam , and Ramasamy organised anti-Hindi protests in 1938 which ended with numerous arrests by the Rajaji government. During the same year, the slogan "Tamil Nadu for Tamilians"
4125-452: The Devadasi system. In his view it was an example of a list of degradations of women, attaching them to temples for the entertainment of others, and as temple prostitutes. Further, for the liberation of women, Ramasamy pushed for their right to have an education and to join the armed services and the police force. According to biographer M.D. Gopalakrishnan, Ramasamy and his movement achieved
4250-467: The Self-Respect Movement as an independent institution, began to look for ways to strengthen it politically and socially. To accomplish this, he studied the history and politics of different countries, and personally observed these systems at work. Ramasamy toured Malaya for a month, from December 1929 to January 1930, to propagate the self-respect philosophy. Embarking on his journey from Nagapattinam with his wife Nagammal and his followers, Ramasamy
4375-487: The Tamils , acceptance of Hindi in the school system was a form of bondage. When the Justice Party weakened in the absence of mass support, Ramasamy took over the leadership of the party after being jailed for opposing Hindi in 1939. Under his tutelage the party prospered, but the party's conservative members, most of whom were rich and educated, withdrew from active participation. At a rally in 1944, Ramasamy, in his capacity as
4500-417: The caste system as well as certain religious practices. Working on the theme of liberating the society from the baneful social practices perpetrated in the name of dharma and karma , Ramasamy developed the idea of establishing this movement as the instrument for achieving his objective. Ramasamy was an advocate of anti-Brahminism. Ramasamy's ideology of anti-Brahminism was radical to such an extent that
4625-551: The exploitation and marginalisation of the non-Brahmin Dravidian people of South India and the imposition of what he considered Indo-Aryan India. Erode Venkata Ramasamy was born on 17 September 1879 to a Kannada Balija merchant family in Erode , then a part of the Coimbatore district of the Madras Presidency . Ramasamy's father was Venkatappa Nayakar (or Venkata), and his mother
4750-617: The 14th-century. The Pāli Canon depicts Brahmins as the most prestigious and elite non-Buddhist figures. They mention them parading their learning. The Pali Canon and other Buddhist texts such as the Jataka Tales also record the livelihood of Brahmins to have included being farmers, handicraft workers and artisans such as carpentry and architecture. Buddhist sources extensively attest, state Greg Bailey and Ian Mabbett, that Brahmins were "supporting themselves not by religious practice, but employment in all manner of secular occupations", in
4875-688: The Brahmins Raja Ram Mohan Roy led Brahmo Samaj and Dayananda Saraswati led the Arya Samaj . Some Brahmins formed an influential group in Burmese Buddhist kingdoms in 18th- and 19th-century. The court Brahmins were locally called Punna . During the Konbaung dynasty , Buddhist kings relied on their court Brahmins to consecrate them to kingship in elaborate ceremonies, and to help resolve political questions. This role of Hindu Brahmins in
5000-688: The Buddhist and other non-Hindu tradition is Mahano . Strabo cites Megasthenes, highlighting two Indian philosophical schools Sramana and Brahmana : Megasthenes makes a different division of the philosophers, saying that they are of two kinds, one of which he calls the Brachmanes , and the other the Sarmanes ... Patrick Olivelle states that both Buddhist and Brahmanical literature repeatedly define "Brahmin" not in terms of family of birth, but in terms of personal qualities. These virtues and characteristics mirror
5125-641: The Congress party due to discrimination and indifference , which led to his leaving the party in 1925. Vaikom Satyagraha was a nonviolent agitation for access to the prohibited public environs of the Vaikom Temple in the Kingdom of Travancore by the Congress Party. Kingdom of Travancore was known for its rigid and oppressive caste system and hence Swami Vivekananda called Travancore a "lunatic asylum". In Vaikom ,
Periyar - Misplaced Pages Continue
5250-513: The First Self-Respect Conference held in 1929, explained the significance of self-respect and its principles. The main principles of the Self-Respect Movement in society were to be: no kind of inequality among people; no difference such as rich and poor in economic life; men and women to be treated as equals in every respect without differences; attachments to caste, religion, varna , and country to be eradicated from society with
5375-517: The Gupta Empire era and thereafter. However, the knowledge about actual history of Brahmins or other varnas of Hinduism in and after the first millennium is fragmentary and preliminary, with little that is from verifiable records or archaeological evidence, and much that is constructed from ahistorical Sanskrit works and fiction. Michael Witzel writes: Current research in the area is fragmentary. The state of our knowledge of this fundamental subject
5500-554: The Hindu religion remained totally unsuitable for social progress . He argued that the government was not for the people, but, in a "topsy-turvy" manner, the people were for the government. He attributed this situation to the state of the social system contrived for the advantage of a small group of people. One of the areas of Ramasamy's focus was on the upliftment of rural communities. In a booklet called Village Uplift , Ramasamy pleaded for rural reform. At that time rural India still formed
5625-507: The Indian state of Tamil Nadu celebrates his birth anniversary as 'Social Justice Day'. Ramasamy joined the Indian National Congress in 1919. In 1924, Ramasamy participated in non-violent agitation ( satyagraha ) involving Mahatma Gandhi in Vaikom , Travancore . He resigned from the Congress in 1925 when he felt that the party was only serving the interests of Brahmins . He questioned what he felt
5750-598: The Madras Marina to lead his followers in burning pictures of Lord Rama, hero of the Ramayana. This symbolic action would represent a reversal of the culmination of north Indian performances of the Ramayana, in which images of the epic’s villain, Ravana, are put to the flames as spectators watch in delight.” The account goes on to detail how political leaders implored Periyar to cancel the event so as not to offend orthodox Hindu Tamils, but Periyar remained unmoved, noting that “there
5875-822: The Mughals, later to the British Raj. The East India Company also recruited sepoys (soldiers) from the Brahmin communities of Bihar and Awadh (in the present day Uttar Pradesh) for the Bengal army . Many Brahmins, in other parts of South Asia lived like other varna, engaged in all sorts of professions. Among Nepalese Hindus, for example, Niels Gutschow and Axel Michaels report the actual observed professions of Brahmins from 18th- to early 20th-century included being temple priests, ministers, merchants, farmers, potters, masons, carpenters, coppersmiths, stone workers, barbers, and gardeners, among others. Other 20th-century surveys, such as in
6000-518: The Royal tradition of Thailand , particularly for the consecration and to mark annual land fertility rituals of Buddhist kings. A small Brahmanical temple Devasathan , established in 1784 by King Rama I of Thailand, has been managed by ethnically Thai Brahmins ever since. The temple hosts Phra Phikhanesuan (Ganesha), Phra Narai (Narayana, Vishnu), Phra Itsuan (Shiva), Uma , Brahma , Indra ( Sakka ) and other Hindu deities. The tradition asserts that
6125-425: The Self-Respect Movement among the local Tamil population through schools and publications. A number of political parties in Tamil Nadu, such as Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) owe their origins to the Self-Respect Movement; the latter had a breakaway from the DMK in 1972. Both parties are populist with a generally social democratic orientation. Ramasamy
6250-555: The Soviet Union, Germany, England, Spain, France and Portugal, staying in Russia for three months. On his return journey he halted at Ceylon and returned to India in November 1932. The tour shaped the political ideology of Ramasamy to achieve the social concept of Self-Respect. The communist system in the Soviet Union appealed to him as appropriately suited to deal with the social ills of
6375-522: The Tamils' lifestyle during the Sangam era. The Hindu marriage ceremonies involving Brahmins are argued to be practices introduced relatively recently to increase the influence of Brahminism on Tamils' lives. Even though self-respect marriages have been practiced since 1928, initially these marriages just lacked a priest while the Hindu marriage events and ceremonies were followed. The first self-respect marriage that
SECTION 50
#17328446632536500-658: The Thai Brahmins have roots in Hindu holy city of Varanasi and southern state of Tamil Nadu, go by the title Pandita , and the various annual rites and state ceremonies they conduct has been a blend of Buddhist and Hindu rituals. The coronation ceremony of the Thai king is almost entirely conducted by the royal Brahmins. According to 2007 reports, Brahmins in India are about five per cent of its total population. The Himalayan states of Uttarakhand (20%) and Himachal Pradesh (14%) have
6625-648: The agitation, it gained momentum, and the administration was forced to come to a compromise. He was again arrested during the Non-Cooperation movement and the Temperance movement . In 1922, Ramasamy was elected the President of the Madras Presidency Congress Committee during the Tirupur session, where he advocated strongly for reservation in government jobs and education. His attempts were defeated in
6750-537: The aim of giving all castes the right to enter the temples. Thus, agitations and demonstrations took place. Ramasamy was invited to lead the movement as he was the President of the Madras Presidency Congress. On 14 April, Ramasamy and his wife Nagamma arrived in Vaikom. They were immediately arrested and imprisoned for participation. Ramasamy and his followers continued to give support to the movement until it
6875-586: The anti-temple prostitution ( devadasi system). However, these were not the issues they were restricted to. For example, the anti-Hindi agitations of 1930s were heavily represented by women of the movement. On 11 September 1938 in Madras, several women including Ramamritham Ammaiyar, Narayani Ammaiyar, Va. Ba. Thamaraikanni Ammaiyar, Munnagaara Azhagiyar and a total of 73 women were arrested for protesting. 37 of these women went to jail with their infants. Two Dalit women, Veerammal and Annai Meenambal Shivraj were key to
7000-554: The basis of 'reason'. There is not much difference between 'freedom' and 'self-respect'. Ramasamy's foremost appeal to people was to develop self-respect. He preached that the Brahmins had monopolised and cheated other communities for decades and deprived them of self-respect. He stated that most Brahmins claimed to belong to a "superior" community with the reserved privilege of being in charge of temples and performing archanas . He felt that they were trying to reassert their control over religion by using their superior caste status to claim
7125-498: The bride's parents wealth, and in certain circumstances, led to dowry deaths . There have been hundreds of thousands of cases where wives have been murdered, mutilated, and burned alive because the father of the bride was unable to make the dowry payment to the husband. Ramasamy fiercely stood up against this abuse meted out against women. Women in India also did not have rights to their families' or husbands' property. Ramasamy fought fiercely for this and also advocated for women to have
7250-589: The classical period of India. Some of the Brahmin occupations mentioned in the Buddhist texts such as Jatakas and Sutta Nipata are very lowly. The Dharmasutras too mention Brahmin farmers. According to Haidar and Sardar, unlike the Mughal Empire in Northern India, Brahmins figured prominently in the administration of Deccan sultanates . Under Golconda Sultanate Telugu Niyogi Brahmins served in many different roles such as accountants, ministers, in
7375-518: The country. Thus, on socio-economic issues Ramasamy was Marxist , but he did not advocate for abolishing private ownership . Immediately after his return, Ramasamy, in alliance with the enthusiastic communist, M. Singaravelar, began to work out a socio-political scheme incorporating socialist and self-respect ideals. This marked a crucial stage of development in the Self-Respect Movement which got politicised and found its compatibility in Tamil Nadu. In 1937, when Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari became
7500-407: The cruelty of time. Ramasamy had written in his books and magazines dozens of times of various occasions that British rule is better than self-rule. Ramasamy also blamed the capitalists for their control of machinery, creating difficulties for the workers. According to his philosophy, rationalism, which ought to lead the way to a peaceful life for all, had resulted in causing poverty and anxiety among
7625-466: The defining documents of law and order, which kings were obliged to uphold. They were copied, translated and incorporated into local law code, with strict adherence to the original text in Burma and Siam, and a stronger tendency to adapt to local needs in Java (Indonesia)". The mythical origins of Cambodia are credited to a Brahmin prince named Kaundinya, who arrived by sea, married a Naga princess living in
SECTION 60
#17328446632537750-499: The deletion of his caste title Naicker from his name at the First Provincial Self-Respect Conference of Chengalpattu . He could speak three Dravidian languages : Kannada , Telugu and Tamil. Ramasamy attended school for five years after which he joined his father's trade at the age of 12. He used to listen to Tamil Vaishnavite gurus who gave discourses in his house enjoying his father's hospitality. At
7875-403: The difference that the latter was not sacerdotal. The Brahmins were expected to perform all six Vedic duties as opposed to other twice-borns who performed three. Historical records, state scholars, suggest that Brahmin varna was not limited to a particular status or priest and the teaching profession. Chanakya , a Brahmin born in 375 BCE, was an ancient Indian polymath who was active as
8000-424: The economic and political power of the Brahmin groups. The party's goal was to render social justice to the non-Brahmin groups. To gain the support of the masses, non-Brahmin politicians began propagating an ideology of equality among non-Brahmin castes. Brahmanical priesthood and Sanskritic social class-value hierarchy were blamed for the existence of inequalities among non-Brahmin caste groups. In 1937, when
8125-437: The eradication of the caste system. In his last meeting at Thiagaraya Nagar , Chennai on 19 December 1973, Ramasamy declared a call for action to gain social equality and a dignified way of life. On 24 December 1973, Ramasamy died at the age of 94. Ramasamy spent over fifty years giving speeches, propagating the realisation that everyone is an equal citizen and the differences on the basis of caste and creed were man-made to keep
8250-409: The exclusive privilege to touch idols or enter the sanctum sanctorum. As a rationalist and ardent social reformer, Ramasamy advocated forcefully throughout his life that women should be given their legitimate position in society as the equals of men, that they should be provided good education and have the right to property . He thought that age and social customs were not a bar to marrying women. He
8375-515: The families of Raksasas . He posits that this is an indication that some Brahmins are immigrants and some are also mixed. According to Abraham Eraly , "Brahmin as a varna hardly had any presence in historical records before the Gupta Empire era" (3rd century to 6th century CE), when Buddhism dominated the land. "No Brahmin, no sacrifice, no ritualistic act of any kind ever, even once, is referred to" in any Indian texts between third century BCE and
8500-550: The flooded lands. Kaudinya founded Kambuja-desa, or Kambuja (transliterated to Kampuchea or Cambodia). Kaundinya introduced Hinduism, particularly Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Harihara (half Vishnu, half Shiva), and these ideas grew in southeast Asia in the 1st millennium CE. The Chams Balamon (Hindu Brahmin Chams) form a majority of the Cham population in Vietnam . Brahmins have been part of
8625-469: The government required that Hindi be taught in the school system, Ramasamy organised opposition to this policy through the Justice Party . After 1937, the Dravidian movement derived considerable support from the student community. In later years, opposition to Hindi played a big role in the politics of Tamil Nadu . The fear of the Hindi language had its origin in the conflict between Brahmins and non-Brahmins. To
8750-455: The government, the political parties and social workers to identify the evils in society and boldly adopt measures to remove them. Ramasamy's philosophy did not differentiate social and political service. According to him, the first duty of a government is to run the social organisation efficiently, and the philosophy of religion was to organise the social system. Ramasamy stated that while Christian and Islamic religions were fulfilling this role,
8875-501: The government. Thus, when Ramasamy married Maniammai on 9 July 1948, they quit the Dravidar Kazhagam , stating that Ramasamy married Maniammayar who was the daughter of Kanagasabhai when he was 70 and she 32. Those who parted company with Ramasamy joined the DMK. Though the DMK split from the Dravidar Kazhagam , the organisation made efforts to carry on Ramasamy's Self-Respect Movement to villagers and urban students. The DMK advocated
9000-609: The guardians of such symbols, came under verbal attack. From 1949 onwards, the Dravidar Kazhagam intensified social reformist work and put forward the fact that superstitions were the cause for the degeneration of Dravidians. The Dravidar Kazhagam vehemently fought for the abolition of untouchability amongst the Dalits . It also focused its attention on the liberation of women , women's education , willing marriage, widow marriage, orphanages and mercy homes. In 1949, Ramasamy's chief lieutenant, Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai , established
9125-501: The head of the Justice Party , and in 1944, he changed its name to Dravidar Kazhagam . The party later split with one group led by C. N. Annadurai forming the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 1949. While continuing the Self-Respect Movement, he advocated for an independent Dravida Nadu (land of the Dravidians). Ramasamy promoted the principles of rationalism , self-respect , women's rights and eradication of caste . He opposed
9250-429: The highest ritual status of the four social classes, and they also served as spiritual teachers ( guru or acharya ). In practice, Indian texts suggest that some Brahmins historically also became agriculturalists , warriors , traders , and had also held other occupations in the Indian subcontinent. It seems likely that Kannauj and Middle country was the place of origin of majority of migrating Brahmins throughout
9375-475: The holiest sites of Hinduism , he witnessed immoral activities such as begging and floating dead bodies. His frustrations extended to functional Hinduism in general, when he experienced what he called " Brahmanic exploitation". However, one particular alleged incident in Kasi had a profound impact on Ramasamy's ideology and future work. At the worship site, there were free meals offered to guests. To Ramasamy's shock, he
9500-533: The innocent and ignorant as underdogs in the society. Although Ramasamy's speeches were targeted towards the illiterate and more mundane masses, scores of educated people were also swayed. Ramasamy viewed reasoning as a special tool. According to him, all were blessed with this tool, but very few used it. Thus Ramasamy used reasoning with respect to subjects of social interest in his presentations to his audiences. Communal differences in Tamil society were considered by many to be deep-rooted features until Ramasamy came to
9625-543: The intervention of Mahatma Gandhi , the agitation was given up and a compromise was reached with the Regent Sethu Lakshmi Bayi , who released all those arrested and opened the north, south, and west public roads leading to Vaikom Mahadeva Temple to all castes. However, she refused to open the eastern road. The compromise was criticized by Ramasamy. Only in 1936, after the Temple Entry Proclamation ,
9750-575: The land themselves, many supplementing their income by selling their labour services to other farmers. Many of the prominent thinkers and earliest champions of the Bhakti movement were Brahmins, a movement that encouraged a direct relationship of an individual with a personal god. Among the many Brahmins who nurtured the Bhakti movement were Ramanuja , Nimbarka , Vallabha and Madhvacharya of Vaishnavism, Ramananda , another devotional poet sant . Born in
9875-405: The largest part of the Indian subcontinent, in spite of the ongoing process of urbanisation. Thus, the distinction between rural and urban had meant an economic and social degradation for rural inhabitants. Ramasamy wanted to eradicate the concept of "village" as a discriminatory word among places, similar to the concept of "outcast" among social groups. Ramasamy advocated for a location where neither
10000-434: The late first century CE. He also states that "The absence of literary and material evidence, however, does not mean that Brahmanical culture did not exist at that time, but only that it had no elite patronage and was largely confined to rural folk, and therefore went unrecorded in history". Their role as priests and repository of sacred knowledge, as well as their importance in the practice of Vedic Shrauta rituals, grew during
10125-719: The leader of the Justice Party, declared that the party would henceforth be known as the Dravidar Kazhagam , or "Dravidian Association". However, a few who disagreed with Ramasamy started a splinter group, claiming to be the original Justice Party. This party was led by veteran Justice Party leader P. T. Rajan and survived until 1957. The Dravidar Kazhagam came to be well known among the urban communities and students. Villages were influenced by its message. Hindi, and ceremonies that had become associated with Brahmanical priesthood, were identified as alien symbols that should be eliminated from Tamil culture. Brahmins, who were regarded as
10250-509: The meaning of freedom or both of them together could ensure individual self-respect or the eradication of social ills from Indian society. In his opinion, the task of fulfilling the need for self-respect would have to be faced whatever be the extent of political freedom gained. Pointing out that even the British monarch in a sovereign independent nation had no freedom to marry a person of his choice and had to abdicate his kingdom , Ramasamy raised
10375-485: The medieval centuries. Coming from Kannauj is a frequent claim among Brahmins in areas distant from Madhyadesha or Ganges heartland. The term Brahmin appears extensively in ancient and medieval Sutras and commentary texts of Buddhism and Jainism . Modern scholars state that such usage of the term Brahmin in ancient texts does not imply a caste, but simply "masters" (experts), guardian, recluse, preacher or guide of any tradition. An alternate synonym for Brahmin in
10500-472: The movement in Tamil Nadu , India against Brahminism . The movement was extremely influential not just in Tamil Nadu, but also overseas in countries with large Tamil populations, such as Sri Lanka , Burma , Malaysia and Singapore . Among Singapore Indians , groups like the Tamil Reform Association, and leaders such as Thamizhavel G. Sarangapani were prominent in promoting the principles of
10625-495: The name nor the situation or its conditions imply differences among people. He further advocated for the modernisation of villages by providing public facilities such as schools, libraries, radio stations, roads, bus transport, and police stations. Ramasamy felt that a small number of cunning people created caste distinctions to dominate Indian society, so he emphasised that individuals must first develop self-respect and learn to analyse propositions rationally. According to Ramasamy,
10750-415: The name of god, religion, and sastras you have duped us. We were the ruling people. Stop this life of cheating us from this year. Give room for rationalism and humanism". He added that "any opposition not based on rationalism, science, or experience will one day or another, reveal the fraud, selfishness, lies and conspiracies". Ramasamy's philosophy of self-respect was based on his image of an ideal world and
10875-528: The new British rulers. They were the first community to take up Western education and therefore dominated lower level of British administration in the 19th century. Similarly, the Tamil Brahmins were also quick to take up English education during British colonial rule and dominate government service and law. Eric Bellman states that during the Islamic Mughal Empire era Brahmins served as advisers to
11000-453: The people due to dominating forces. He stated that there is no use to simply acquiring titles or amassing wealth if one lacks self-respect or scientific knowledge . An example he gave was the West sending messages to the planets, while the Tamil society in India were sending rice and cereals to their dead forefathers through the Brahmins. In a message to the Brahmin community, Ramasamy stated, "in
11125-425: The philosophy of self-respect became the full-time activity of Ramasamy since 1925. A Tamil weekly Kudi Arasu started in 1925, while the English journal Revolt started in 1928 carried on the propaganda among the English educated people. The Self-Respect Movement began to grow fast and received the sympathy of the heads of the Justice Party from the beginning. In May 1929, a conference of Self-Respect Volunteers
11250-502: The progressive ideas that had been successfully inculcated through Tamil in the recent decades. Cutting across party lines, South Indian politicians rallied together in their opposition to Hindi. There were recurrent anti-Hindi agitations in 1948, 1952 and 1965. A political party known as the South Indian Libertarian Federation (commonly referred to as Justice Party ) was founded in 1916, principally to oppose
11375-580: The rest, that birth did not and should not endow superiority over others and that they must awaken themselves and do everything possible to improve their own lot. Likewise, Ramasamy explained that wisdom lies in thinking and that the spear-head of thinking is rationalism. On caste , he stated that no other living being harms or degrades its own class. But man, said to be a rational living being, does these evils. The differences, hatred, enmity, degradation, poverty and wickedness now prevalent in society are due to lack of wisdom and rationalism and not due to God or
11500-547: The revenue administration, and in the judicial service. The Deccan sultanates also heavily recruited Marathi Brahmins at different levels of their administration. During the days of Maratha Empire in the 17th and 18th century, the occupation of Marathi Brahmins ranged from being state administrators, being warriors to being de facto rulers as Peshwa . After the collapse of Maratha empire, Brahmins in Maharashtra region were quick to take advantage of opportunities opened up by
11625-456: The right to separate or divorce their husbands under reasonable circumstances. While birth control remained taboo in society of Ramasamy's time, he advocated for it not only for the health of women and population control, but for liberation of women . He criticised the hypocrisy of chastity for women and argued that it should either apply also to men, or not at all for both genders. While fighting against this, Ramasamy advocated getting rid of
11750-451: The rule draft to Periyar and at his suggestion changed "and" to "or" in the law text which made the thaali/mangalsutra optional in marriages. This was implemented as Hindu Marriage Act (Madras Amendment) Act, 1967, introducing Section 7A, permitting Suyamariyathai (self-respect) and Seerthiruttha (reformist) marriages as legal when solemnised in the presence of friends, relatives or any other person by exchanging garlands or rings or by tying of
11875-475: The scene. The bedrock of Ramasamy's principles and the movements that he started was rationalism. He thought that an insignificant minority in society was exploiting the majority and trying to keep it in a subordinate position forever. He wanted the exploited to sit up and think about their position, and use their reason to realise that they were being exploited by a handful of people. If they started thinking, they would realise that they were human beings like
12000-422: The self-respect movement was the self-respect marriage system, whereby marriages were conducted without being officiated by a Brahmin priest . Periyar had regarded the then conventional marriages as mere financial arrangements and often caused great debt through dowry . The Self-Respect movement encouraged inter-caste marriages, replacing arranged marriages by love marriages that are not constrained by caste. It
12125-528: The self-respect movement. In addition to many of the anti-Caste and Tamil nationalist ideologies of the Self-Respect Movement, it is also widely regarded that the Self-Respect Movement, held as core, deeply feminist values. Gender relationships were actively divorced from Brahminical patriarchy and women's rights over their physical, sexual and reproductive choices were celebrated. In Periyar's model of society, women were to be allowed access to contraception and even permanent birth control measures. This came at
12250-437: The sharing of domestic work, child-rearing were all paths to love through equality and service to society. These ideas attracted several women from all walks of life to the movement. Women included former prostitutes, former devadasis , wage labourers, doctors and teachers. Women in the movement worked on issues most closely affecting women like advocating for alcohol prohibition, supporting survivors of domestic violence and
12375-399: The social evils in the Indian sub-continent have to pursue the goal with devotion and dedication without deviating from the path and with uncompromising zeal. Thus, if they contest elections aiming to assume political power, they would lose vigour and a sense of purpose. But among his followers, there were those who had a different view, wanting to enter into politics and have a share in running
12500-559: The south of the Vindhya mountain range. The term "Dravida" too has territorial, linguistic and ethnological connotations, referring to southern India, the Dravidian people, and to the Dravidian languages of southern India. The Pancha Dravida Brahmins are: The Dharmasutra and Dharmashastra texts of Hinduism describe the expectations, duties and role of Brahmins. According to Kulkarni, the Grhya-sutras state that Yajna , Adhyayana (studying
12625-407: The state of Uttar Pradesh , recorded that the primary occupation of almost all Brahmin families surveyed was neither priestly nor Vedas-related, but like other varnas, ranged from crop farming (80 per cent of Brahmins), dairy, service, labour such as cooking, and other occupations. The survey reported that the Brahmin families involved in agriculture as their primary occupation in modern times plough
12750-424: The street. As his hunger became intolerable, Ramasamy was forced to feed on leftovers from the streets. Around this time, he realised that the eatery which had refused him entry was built by a wealthy non-Brahmin from South India . This discriminatory attitude dealt a blow to Ramasamy's regard for Hinduism, for the events he had witnessed at Kasi were completely different from the picture of Kasi he had in mind, as
12875-521: The struggle for political independence. The Self-Respect Movement was described from the beginning as "dedicated to the goal of giving non-Brahmins a sense of pride based on their Dravidian past". In 1952, the Ramasamy Self-Respect Movement Institution was registered with a list of objectives of the institution from which may be quoted as for the diffusion of useful knowledge of political education ; to allow people to live
13000-562: The sustenance of the movement and close advisors and friends of Periyar. Annai Meenambal was the person who first gave E.V. Ramasamy, the title "Periyar" meaning the elder or wise one and Veerammal is said to have provoked Periyar to think more critically about how the movement could do better not just for non-Brahmin castes, but also for Dalits and Adivasis. Brahmin Traditional Brahmin ( / ˈ b r ɑː m ɪ n / ; Sanskrit : ब्राह्मण , romanized : brāhmaṇa )
13125-624: The text, residing north of the Vindhya mountain range . Historically, the Vindhya mountain range formed the southern boundary of the Āryāvarta , the territory of the ancient Indo-Aryan peoples , and Gauda has territorial, ethnographic and linguistic connotations. Linguistically, the term "Gauda" refers to the Sanskrit-derived languages of northern India. The Pancha Gauda Brahmins are: Subcastes of Gaur Brahmins are: Subcastes of Kanyakubja Brahmins are: The Pancha Dravida Brahmins reside to
13250-470: The then Prime Minister of India , Jawaharlal Nehru to write to K. Kamaraj who was the Chief Minister of Madras State (Tamil Nadu) at that time, urging him to deal with this matter without delay. The Dravidian nationalist's call to "kill Tamil Brahmins" at a 1973 speech in Karaikudi is still echoed in the 21st century by regional parties. He would make a number of genocidal statements such as, "If you see
13375-538: The thesis that the Tamil language was much richer than Sanskrit and Hindi in content, and thus was a key which opened the door to subjects to be learned. The Dravidar Kazhagam continued to counter Brahminism, Indo-Aryan propaganda, and uphold the Dravidians' right of self-determination . In 1956, despite warnings from P. Kakkan , the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, Ramasamy organised
13500-411: The time. It was believed that it would be a sin to marry after puberty. Another practice, which is prevalent today, is the dowry system where the bride's family is supposed to give the husband a huge payment for the bride. The purpose of this was to assist the newly wedded couple financially, but in many instances dowries were misused by bridegrooms. The outcome of this abuse turned to the exploitation of
13625-564: The unbalance of the domination of Brahmins who were only 3 percent of the population, over government jobs , judiciary and the Madras University. He continued this line of thought despite the fact that by the 1930s, the majority of students in both arts and professional colleges were not Brahmins. On the employment front, the total number of Brahmin gazetted officers were 620 in 1928. Overall, there were about 15,000 Brahmins out of about 80,000 government employees. Ramasamy, in regard to
13750-500: The values cherished in Hinduism during the Sannyasa stage of life, or the life of renunciation for spiritual pursuits. Brahmins, states Olivelle, were the social class from which most ascetics came. The term Brahmin in Indian texts has also signified someone who is good and virtuous, not just someone of priestly class. The earliest inferred reference to "Brahmin" as a possible social class
13875-491: The vedas and teaching), dana pratigraha (accepting and giving gifts) are the "peculiar duties and privileges of brahmins". John Bussanich states that the ethical precepts set for Brahmins, in ancient Indian texts, are similar to Greek virtue-ethics, that "Manu's dharmic Brahmin can be compared to Aristotle's man of practical wisdom", and that "the virtuous Brahmin is not unlike the Platonic-Aristotelian philosopher" with
14000-596: Was Chinnathyee Muthammal. He had one elder brother named Krishnaswamy and two sisters named Kannamma and Ponnuthoy. He later came to be known as "Periyar", meaning 'respected one' or 'elder' in Tamil. Ramasamy married when he was 19, and had a daughter who lived for only 5 months. His first wife, Nagammai , died in 1933. Ramasamy married for a second time in July 1948. His second wife, Maniammai , continued Ramasamy's social work after his death in 1973, and his ideas then were advocated by Dravidar Kazhagam. In 1929, Ramasamy announced
14125-612: Was access to the eastern road and entry into the temple allowed to the lower castes. In 1925 the Madras Presidency Congress passed an unanimous resolution hailing Ramasamy as Vaikom Veerar or Hero of Vaikom in the Kanchipuram Session. Ramasamy and his followers campaigned constantly to influence and pressure the government to take measures to remove social inequality (abolish untouchability, manual scavenging system etc.) even while other nationalist forerunners focused on
14250-496: Was argued by the proponents of self-respect marriage that the then conventional marriages were officiated by Brahmins, who had to be paid for and also the marriage ceremony was in Sanskrit which most people did not understand, and hence were rituals and practices based on blind adherence. Self-respect movement promoters argue that there was no reference to Thaali in the Sangam literatures like Tirukkuṛaḷ or Akanaṉūṟu , which describe
14375-573: Was bound to be a difference of views regarding any measure aimed at bringing social reform”. The act of burning Rama pictures by Ramasamy was to celebrate Ravana Leela to counter the Ram Leela in Delhi during the Dussehra festival, his argument being that Ramayana sought to perpetuate the Aryan domination over the Dravidian ‘sudran’, Ravana of Tamil origin. One of the major sociological changes introduced through
14500-420: Was convinced that if man developed self respect , he would automatically develop individuality and would refuse to be led by the nose by schemers. One of his most known quotes on Self-Respect was, "we are fit to think of 'self-respect' only when the notion of 'superior' and 'inferior' caste is banished from our land". Ramasamy did not expect personal or material gain out of this movement. He used to recall in
14625-569: Was first used by Ramasamy in protest against the introduction of Hindi in schools. He claimed that the introduction of Hindi was a dangerous mechanism used by the Aryans to infiltrate Dravidian culture. He reasoned that the adoption of Hindi would make Tamils subordinate to the Hindi-speaking North Indians . Ramasamy claimed that Hindi would not only halt the progress of Tamil people, but would also completely destroy their culture and nullify
14750-411: Was held at Pattukkotai under the presidency of S. Guruswami. K. V. Alagiriswami took charge as the head of the volunteer band. Conferences followed in succession throughout the Tamil districts of the former Madras Presidency. A Self-Respect training school was opened at Erode, the home town of Ramasamy. The object was not just to introduce social reform but to bring about a social revolution to foster
14875-437: Was keen that women should realise their rights and be worthy citizens of their country. Ramasamy fought against the orthodox traditions of marriage as suppression of women in Tamil Nadu and throughout the Indian sub-continent. Though arranged marriages were meant to enable a couple to live together throughout life, it was manipulated to enslave women. Much worse was the practice of child marriages practised throughout India at
15000-421: Was really an irrational philosophy. He observed that political freedom as conceived by nationalists such as Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and others did not cover individual self-respect. To him neither revival of the original spirit of Hindu religion and ancient traditions which formed part of Gandhi's conception of freedom, nor complete liberation from the British rule which was considered by Nehru to be
15125-711: Was received by 50,000 Tamil Malaysians in Penang . During the same month, he inaugurated the Tamils Conference, convened by the Tamils Reformatory Sangam in Ipoh , and then went to Singapore. In December 1931 he undertook a tour of Europe, accompanied by S. Ramanathan and Erode Ramu, to personally acquaint himself with their political systems , social movements , way of life, economic and social progress and administration of public bodies. He visited Egypt, Greece, Turkey,
15250-462: Was refused meals at choultries, which exclusively fed Brahmins . Due to extreme hunger, Ramasamy felt compelled to enter one of the eateries disguised as a Brahmin with a sacred thread on his bare chest, but was betrayed by his moustache. The gatekeeper at the temple concluded that Ramasamy was not a Brahmin, as Brahmins were not permitted by the Hindu shastras to have moustaches. He not only prevented Ramasamy's entry but also pushed him rudely into
15375-460: Was the subjugation of non-Brahmin Dravidians as Brahmins enjoyed gifts and donations from non-Brahmins but opposed and discriminated against non-Brahmins in cultural and religious matters. He declared his stance to be "no god, no religion, no Gandhi, no Congress, and no Brahmins". He founded Self-Respect Movement in 1926. From 1929 to 1932 Ramasamy made a tour of British Malaya , Europe, and Soviet Union which influenced him. In 1939, Ramasamy became
15500-490: Was totally devoid of any Hindu ceremony was the marriage of the prominent self-respect movement writer Kuthoosi Gurusamy with another prominent leader, Kunjidham, under the presiding of Periyaar on 8 December 1929. The self-respect movement encouraged widow remarriage as well. Due to the prevalent practice of child marriage and very poor health facilities, there were a high number of widows in then society. Women like Sivagami Ammaiyar, who could be widowed at 11 years, were given
15625-734: Was withdrawn during which he was arrested again. The way in which the Vaikom Satyagraha events have been recorded provides a clue to the image of the respective organisers. In an article entitle Gandhi and Ambedkar, A Study in Leadership , Eleanor Zelliot relates the 'Vaikom Satyagraha', including Gandhi's negotiations with the temple authorities in relation to the event. Furthermore, the editor of Ramasamy's Thoughts states that Brahmins purposely suppressed news about Ramasamy's participation. A leading Congress magazine, Young India , in its extensive reports on Vaikom never mentions Ramasamy. After
#252747