Decline of the Caste Question - Jogendranath Mandal and the Defeat of Dalit Politics in Bengal

This revisionist exploration of the decline of caste-based politics in twentieth-century Bengal argues that it was as much the result of coercion as of consent. It traces this process through the political career of Jogendranath Mandal, the leader of the Dalit movement, over the transition of Partition and Independence.

List of contents

List of figures; Acknowledgments; Introduction: rethinking castelessness in mid-20th-century Bengal; 1. Jogendranath Mandal, the politics of caste, and provincial autonomy, 1932-37; 2. Representation, education and agrarian reform: Jogendranath Mandal and the demands of Dalit politics, 1937-43; 3. A separate political existence: the making of the Bengal Scheduled Castes Federation, 1943-45; 4. 'No matter how, Jogendranath had to be defeated': the Scheduled Castes Federation and the partition of Bengal, 1945-47; 5. Betrayed expectations: East Pakistan and West Bengal, 1947-50; 6. 'A Caste Hindu State': Jogendranath Mandal and the forced removal of Dalit refugees, 1950-64; 7. The decline of the caste question: the defeat of Dalit politics in Bengal, 1952-68; Conclusion: '... the most casteist society in India'; Bibliography; Index.

About the author

Dwaipayan Sen is Assistant Professor of South Asian History at Amherst College, Massachusetts.

Summary

This revisionist exploration of the decline of caste-based politics in twentieth-century Bengal argues that it was as much the result of coercion as of consent. It traces this process through the political career of Jogendranath Mandal, the leader of the Dalit movement, over the transition of Partition and Independence.

Product details

• Authors: Dwaipayan Sen, Dwaipayan (Amherst College Sen
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 30.11.2020
• EAN: 9781108405706
• ISBN: 978-1-108-40570-6
• No. of pages: 317
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Regional and national histories; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Social sciences, law, business > Social sciences (general); 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, India, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, Political leaders & leadership, Asian History, Social classes, Political leaders and leadership, HISTORY / Asia / South / General