Workshop Descriptions
The Origins of Caste
Presenter: Brian Didier
RESOURCE FILES:
Document 1
In this workshop, we will explore the origins of caste and review critically the evidence we have of social stratification in Indus Valley Civilization as well as in the Vedic period. Those of us who teach caste are invariably confronted with the issue of origins. We naturally turn to the Purusha myths and other Vedic period writings as evidence for the early origins of India’s caste system. And yet, such evidence has serious limitations and requires that teachers as well as students use such evidence carefully. What do these myths, laws and stories tell us about the realities of early Indian social life? Does the system of social stratification reflected in these early writing look anything like the caste system today? Participants are encouraged to bring their own knowledge and experiences.
Presenter Bio:
Brian Didier teaches history at the Winsor School in Boston. He trained as a social anthropologist and spent several years conducting ethnographic research in the south Indian state of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. His research focuses on south India Islam and the nature of intra-religious conflicts that shape Muslim communities. His Indian History course at Winsor uses the 2002 communal violence in Gujarat as a lens through which to explore India’s past and the politics that shape understandings of it.