The Interpretation of Caste
Declan Quigley(Author)
Clarendon Press
Published on 1. April 1995
Book
Paperback/Softback
244 pages
978-0-19-828027-9 (ISBN)
Description
This study proposes a radical alternative to prevailing theories of the caste system, which either build on indigenous rationalizations of the Brahman's supremacy or reduce hierarchy to material factors. Drawing on a wide range of historical and ethnographic sources as well as four years' fieldwork, Declan Quigley presents a comparative approach which locates caste-organized communities in the context of complex agrarian societies generally. At the heart of caste, he argues, there is a tension between the centralizing forces of kingship, with its associated ritual, and decentralizing forces of kinship. Dr Quigley believes that it is this tension, rather than Brahminical ideology, which generates the characteristic patterns of hierarchy and the preoccupation with purity and pollution.
More details
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Oxford University Press
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
New edition
Illustrations
line figures, table, bibliography
ISBN-13
978-0-19-828027-9 (9780198280279)
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Schweitzer Classification