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Anti-Brahmanism is hostility toward or prejudice against Brahmins as a religious, or ethnic community, which can range from individual hatred or indignation to institutionalized attempts to vilify Brahmins.
Brahmins form a small and elite community in India. While they are generally middle class in financial status, they have historically enjoyed considerable respect in the Indian society as scholars and priests.
Buddhism, opposed concepts of Brahmin superiority and questioned rights of caste by birth and never accepted any claims of Brahmins by birth. In Buddhism, by spiritual merit and effort, anyone could become a brahmin or any other spiritual level that they wanted to attain; Upon joining the order of the Buddhist Sangha one lost all caste/community identity and only spiritual merit and attainment determined one's status. . While modern Sikh institutions, influenced by the British sponsored Tat Khalsa movement, tend to be anti-Brahmin, the Sikh institutions during the life-time of the Gurus actually relied on the support of Brahmins.
Regions
Anti-brahminism is often encountered in these regions.
- Maharashtra: The anti-Brahmin Sambhaji Brigade attacked Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in January 2004 . Some of the anti-Hindu Dalit and missionary groups are also based in Maharashtra.
- Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu is home to one of the oldest anti-Brahmin Dravidar Kazhagam movement. Brahmins (Iyers, Iyengars etc.) are held responsible for direct or indirect discrimination, denial of education and oppression of lower caste people. In historical times, the lower-caste people were not allowed into temples and schools. Gradually, the lower-caste people started protesting against the oppression. As a result of this movement, a significant fraction of Tamil brahmins have migrated outside of Tamilnadu or even overseas.
- Punjab: The Tat Khalsa movement sponsored by the British government to create a pool from which loyal soldiers can be recruited. Punjab is home to Khalistani separationists who are generally strongly anti-Brahmin. The movement still received considerable support from overseas groups.
- Eastern India: Successful proselytization by overseas organizations have created regions in eastern India where anti-Brahmanism flourishes.
Justification of anti-Brahmanism has now been incorporated in the curriculum of some states in India, and many intellectuals feel comfortable with anti-Brahmanism. It should be noted that anti-Brahminism is supported by organizations which are opposed to Hinduism or India.
History of attitudes towards Brahmins
In Brahmanical Hinduism, the Brahmins have historically served as the philosophers, authors, teachers and priests. In modern Hinduism, these roles are no longer reserved for Brahmins. Prominent non-Brahmin Hindu religious personalities include Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Srila Prabhupada, Sathya Sai Baba, Ammachi and Pramukh Swami in the Swaminarayan sect. Still Brahmins enjoy a unique place in the Hindu society. Brahmins welcomed these people who truly represent the spirit of Brahman in this world. In present day India, as more and more people are educated in Sanskrit, the Brahmins have become more of a clan, and less of a caste.
However, Hinduism itself has stories of anti-Brahmin feelings which were first found in the Puranas when Prajapati Daksha, an arrogant Brahmin, had his head cut off, the entire brahmanical community who performed the sacrifice too were slaughtered, although they were revived out of pity by Mahadeva, the head of Daksha was replaced by a goat's by God himself (Mahadeva), due to his arrogance. This story is found not only the Puranas, but the Mahabharata and other important Hindu texts as well.
So far, anti-brahmin feelings in a political sense have not reached this level of fury.
Non-Brahmanical Indian traditions
- In Buddhism: One was required to become a true Brahmin and attain Brahman before one could call themself a Brahmin, and the sangha accepted no Brahmins by birth. All previous identities were rejected in Buddhism. Ambedkar, the father of neo-Buddhism, in India was ambivalent towards the Brahmins, knowing they were not really the oppressors. However in the past two decades the neo-Buddhists have turned increasingly hostile towards the Brahmins. See detailed article Brahmins in Buddhism.
- In Sikhism: All the Sikh Gurus were Khatri, or Kshatriya. Chhibbers, a Brahmin family, was associated with the Gurus for many generations. The attitudes towards the Brahmins were completely reversed by the British sponsored Tat Khalsa movement, which took over the Sikh institutions in early 20th century. The british divide and rule policy pitted Sikhs against Brahmins, and Hindu against Hindu.
- In Jainism: In general, while the Jains reject varna-based superiority, they are not antagonistic towards Brahmins as a group. A recent Jain acharya, Sushil Kumar, was born a Brahmin, and in some regions the Jains employ Brahmins as ritual specialists in some temples.
In non-Indian traditions
- In Christianity in India: Although the claim (for example in The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy whose mother is a Syrian Christian) that the Syrian Christians are descendants of the celebrated Nambudri Brahmins, is not historically supported, it is widely made. The Christian missionaries have observed the respect commanded by the Brahmins, they have made considerable efforts to convert Brahmins, but with extremely limited success. A Jesuit missionary Roberto de Nobili (1577-1656) started claiming to be Brahmin, when he realized that his claim of being a Kshatriya has not been very effective. In the past couple of decade, some of the missionary organizations, having given up on Brahmins, have started focussing on the dalits and the tribals, and have initiated an active anti-Brahmanist campaign.
Promotion of Anti-Brahmin hate
Here are some examples of the current affairs of the Brahmin intelligentsia. Most of these documents have been prepared by individuals and organizations having first hand experience of dealing with it.
Documents created by a Dalit group that has created an extensive set of web-documents posted on the Dalitstan and several other web-sites, promoting anti-Brahmin ideas and propagating egalitarian society rather than a heirachial Hindu society which serves the Brahmins manyfold as they occupy the highest status in the heirarchial Hindu society they try to promote. They have been widely promoted and quoted. Some of them are:
- BRAHMIN GOLD The Plunder of Paradise
- The Final Brahmin Annihilation of Dalitstan
- Brahminist Occupied Governments
- Narasimha Rao the Brahmin & His Final Solution to the "Sikh Problem"
Documents created/hosted by Khalistan supporters:
- SIKHS WANT OUT OF THE BRAHMIN SHANGRILA - THEY WANT KHALISTAN
- An evil brahmin empire which must be destroyed
- Original Buddhism And Brahminic Interference
Documents created by missionary organizations in India:
- a fake document inspired by The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and widely disseminated by the missionaries, specially among the dalits and tribals. See Secret Circular of the Brahmin Samaj of Balaghat.
See also
References
- (Udana)
-
Anand Soondas (January 19, 2004). [http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040119/asp/frontpage/story_2802420.asp
date=January 19, 2004 "Bonfire of cupboard of history - Pune institute continues to count the losses from attack by Sambhaji Brigade"]. Retrieved August 7, 2006.
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- Politics and Social Conflict in South India, the Non-Brahman Movement and Tamil Separatism, 1916-1929. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1969. By Prof. Eugene Irschik