Rajni | Kothari Caste In Indian Politics 15.pdf [top]

Rajni Kothari’s "Caste in Indian Politics" (1970) theorizes that Indian democracy functions through the "politicization of caste," where traditional caste structures are utilized for modern political mobilization, rather than disappearing. Kothari argues that this interaction, moving through stages of polarization and internal competition to secular integration, has enabled marginalized groups to enter the political process and strengthened democratic legitimacy. Read a summary of Kothari's work at Scribd. KOTHARI, (ed.), "Caste in Indian Politics" (Book Review)

Caste in Indian Politics (1970), Rajni Kothari argues that caste acts as a foundational organizational structure for Indian democracy, facilitating the "politicization of caste" rather than acting as a hindrance to modernization. This process transforms caste from a traditional hierarchy into a secular interest group, which stabilizes the democratic system through three stages of evolution: entrenched-ascendant competition, intra-caste factionalism, and secular-associational alliance building. For a detailed summary, read the Book Excerptise at cse.iitk.ac.in KOTHARI, (ed.), "Caste in Indian Politics" (Book Review)

Document Write-Up: Rajni Kothari – Caste in Indian Politics

Title: Caste in Indian Politics
Author: Rajni Kothari (Editor & Primary Contributor)
File Reference: Rajni Kothari Caste In Indian Politics 15.pdf

1. Overview
This document is a seminal excerpt or chapter (likely from the 1970 edited volume Caste in Indian Politics) by Rajni Kothari, one of India’s foremost political scientists. The “15” in the filename may refer to a page range, section number, or institutional archive code. Kothari’s work fundamentally challenged the assumption that caste was a dying, traditional force being replaced by modern democratic politics. Instead, he argued that caste has adapted, intensified, and become a critical instrument of political mobilization. Rajni Kothari Caste In Indian Politics 15.pdf

2. Core Thesis
Kothari posits that far from fading under democracy, caste has been politicized while politics has been caste-ized. He introduces the concept of the “caste association” (such as the Kshatriya Sabha, Yadav Mahasabha) – a modern, horizontally organized caste group that transcends local jati divisions to function as a pressure group and vote bank in electoral politics.

3. Key Concepts Discussed in the Document

• The Politicization of Caste: Caste groups use democratic means (voting, lobbying, forming parties) to secure economic and political benefits.
• Secularization of Caste: Caste’s ritual hierarchy weakens, but its numerical strength and solidarity become tools for bargaining.
• Caste as a Balancing Force: In a fragmented party system, caste groups act as intermediaries between the individual voter and the state.
• Elite Formation: Dominant castes (e.g., Patidars, Lingayats, Yadavs) use politics to maintain or improve their social status.
• The “Vote Bank” Phenomenon: Political parties appeal to caste identities to secure bloc votes, thereby reinforcing caste consciousness.

4. Significance of this Document

• Counter to Modernization Theory: At a time when Western scholars predicted caste would disappear with urbanization and elections, Kothari provided empirical evidence of its resilience and transformation.
• Framework for Indian Political Analysis: This text became foundational for understanding caste-based parties (like the BSP, SP, RJD) and the role of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Indian democracy.
• Relevance Today: The arguments remain highly relevant for analyzing contemporary issues such as caste census, reservation politics, and identity-based mobilization.

5. Possible Excerpts or Data (from a “15.pdf” section)
If page 15 is part of a chapter, it may contain: Document Write-Up: Rajni Kothari – Caste in Indian

• A table comparing pre-colonial caste hierarchies with post-independence caste associations.
• Kothari’s critique of the “Western model” of interest groups applied to India.
• A case study of a specific state (e.g., Gujarat, Bihar, Maharashtra) where caste politics first emerged strongly.

6. Suggested Use

• For Students: Excellent for political science, sociology, and South Asian studies courses on democracy, identity, and development.
• For Researchers: Provides a foundational theoretical framework for studying caste in electoral behavior, party formation, and policy making.
• For Practitioners: Helps political strategists understand the persistence of caste as a social and political category.

7. Citation (Sample)
Kothari, Rajni, ed. Caste in Indian Politics. New Delhi: Orient Longman, 1970. (See especially [relevant chapter/page 15]).

Note: Since the actual content of “15.pdf” is not viewable here, this write-up is based on the widely known arguments from Kothari’s Caste in Indian Politics. For precise page references, please check the PDF directly.

2. The “Vote Bank” as a Caste Bank

Long before “vote bank” became a pejorative term, Kothari described it neutrally. He observed that political parties do not fight caste; they systematize it. A candidate from a dominant caste (e.g., Patidars in Gujarat, Marathas in Maharashtra) does not win simply because of ritual status, but because they can deliver a consolidated bloc. Page 15 often provides the earliest scholarly formulation of what we now call caste-based mobilization. The Politicization of Caste: Caste groups use democratic

Key Quotations (paraphrased from his work)

“Caste has become a political category — not a ritual one.”
“The politicization of caste has in fact strengthened democracy by giving voice to previously silenced groups.”
“India’s party system is a system of caste-based negotiations, not ideology.”

The Historical Context: Writing in 1970

To understand the power of Kothari’s argument, one must revisit the India of the late 1960s. The Congress system was showing cracks. Non-Congress coalitions were rising. The Green Revolution was altering rural power equations. And yet, most political analysis still treated caste as a primordial, irrational obstacle to modernity.

Kothari rejected this. In Caste in Indian Politics, he and his contributors (including Anil Bhatt, D.L. Sheth, and Ghanshyam Shah) demonstrated that caste was undergoing a “secularization.” By Page 15 of the introductory essay, Kothari is already deep into explaining how caste federates rather than fragments Indian society.

1. Caste as a “Political Category”

Kothari argued that caste in the political arena is not the same as caste in the religious or social domain. Ritually, a Brahmin is superior to a Shudra. But politically, a large block of Shudras (e.g., Yadavs in Bihar) can outmaneuver a small group of Brahmins. Politics transmutes caste from a hierarchy of purity into a calculus of numbers. Page 15 often contains the famous line: “Caste in politics is a different animal from caste in society.”