Anti-Brahminism


Anti-Brahminism is the ideology of being opposed to Brahminism.

History

Early criticism against Brahmanism flourished within Sramana movement. Particularly in Nāstika schools of Indian philosophy like Buddhism, Jainism, and others such as Ājīvika, Cārvāka and Ajñana.
Ajñana were the sceptical school of ancient Indian philosophy. A major rival of early Buddhism, Jainism and Vedic Hinduism.
The fourth school of Ajñana scepticism is associated with Sanjaya Belatthiputta. Sanjaya is described as a contemporary of Buddha, as a well-known and celebrated teacher, and as a leader of a sect who was held in high esteem by the common folk. He is said to have taught Sariputta and Moggallāna, before their conversion to Buddhism.
Cārvākas were the atheistic and materialism school of ancient Indian philosophy. They were critical of Brahmanism, as well of Buddhism and Jainism.
Buddhism was critical of Brahmanism, Jainism, Carvaka and Ājīvika.

Medieval period

Criticism against Brahmanism continued up to late medieval period, particularly by some Shaivism and Vaishnavism sects of Hinduism notably with rise of Bhakti movement and Lingayatism. The Bhakti movement in particular encouraged followers to attain spiritual union with God not through sacrifices, rituals, pilgrimages, or prayers, but through the “force of pure love and fervent yearning for God.” The merchant class and agricultural class largely funded the growth of Nāstika sects and religions during ancient and medieval period, who saw them as alternative to expensive Brahmanical ritualism and superstitions.

20th century

In the early 20th century, criticism against Brahminism came within various sections of Brahmin and other Hindu communities who were part of nationalist and rationalist movement. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was an eminent Hindu nationalist leader of the Indian independence movement. He was also an atheist and a staunch rationalist who disapproved of orthodox Hindu beliefs of caste system and dismissed cow worship as superstitious. Being Hindu, for him, was a cultural and political identity.
Anti-Brahminism became organized in the formation of the Justice Party in late 1916 in Tamil Nadu. This party, composed of upper-class non-Brahmins who were typically feudal castes, land-owning agricultural castes and merchant castes and was committed to enhancing the opportunities for non-Brahmins. The Reddys, Mudaliars, and Nairs are specific examples of South Indian non-Brahmin castes that were involved in the anti-Brahminism movement for about 50 years. With the dawn of the 20th century, and the rapid penetration of western education and western ideas, there was a rise in consciousness amongst the lower castes who felt that rights which were legitimately theirs were being denied to them. One of the most prominent proponents of Anti-Brahminism was Dravidian leader Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, who called on Brahmins and non-Brahmins to reject Brahminism. Ramasamy was known for excluding Brahmins from his movement.

Anti-Brahmin violence in Maharashtra

20th Century acts of violence

After Gandhi's murder by Nathuram Godse, a Chitpawan, Brahmins in Maharashtra, became targets of violence, mostly by some elements from the Maratha caste. The exact number deaths are unknown. Thousands of offices and homes were also set on fire. Molestation incidents were also reported during these attacks. On the first day alone, the number of deaths in Bombay were 15 and 50 in Pune.
As per V.M. Sirsikar, "It will be too much to believe that the riots took place because of the intense love of Gandhiji on the part of the Marathas. Godse became a hate symbol against the Brahmins "
Donald Rosenthal opines in 1948 that the motivation for the violence was the historical opposition Maratha community faced for their caste status. He writes,"Even today, local Brahmins claim that the Marathas organized the riots to take political advantage of the situation".
In Satara alone, the official reports show that about 1000 houses were burnt down in about 300 villages. There were "cruel, cold-blooded killings" as well - for example, one family whose last name happened to be 'Godse' had three of its male members killed.
Maureen Patterson concludes that the greatest violence took place not in the cities of Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur - but in Satara, Kolhapur and Belgaum. Destruction was very large in Kolhapur was In Sangli, the Jains and the Lingayats joined the Marathas in the attacks against the Brahmins. Here, specifically, the factories owned by the Chitpawan Brahmins were destroyed. This event led to the hasty integration of the Patwardhan states into the Bombay Province by March 1948.

21st century threats of violence

Purshottam Khedekar, the chief of "Maratha Maha Sangh" and Sambhaji Brigade, published writings in 2011 that had defamatory statements about the sexual habits, orientation and character of Brahmin men and women. He made a call for "instigating communal riots purposefully started to kill Brahmin men." However, Ramteke, an Ambedkarite, has written against Khedekar's writing. He said: “We should keep a distance from Khedekar and his movement against Brahmins. B. R. Ambedkar|Dr Babasaheb never stooped to this level. If we continue to associate with him, it will malign our image. The government should ban the book and the organisation”. In 2011, a news report said that the "Maratha politicians have mostly been silent on the issue". A case has since been registered against Khedekar.

Anti-Brahmin violence in TN

In the late 1950s, members of Dravidar Kazhagam have been accused of having assaulted the owner of "Hotel Murali Cafe", in Triplicane, Chennai for having the name "Hotel Murali Iyer's Cafe". The party members have been accused of laying siege to the Brahmin owner, by dragging him through litigation and harassment. The ordeal is said to have ended when a seer of Kanchi Mutt, Chandrasekara Saraswathy intervened.
In 2015, an 80 year old man and a 12 year old boy were attacked, and their religious symbols were destroyed in public. The assailants were later identified as party members of Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, a Periyar inspired party, who yelled "Periyar Vaazhga" during the assault.