Sanskritisation
Topic: Gender, Religion and Caste in Politics · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Sanskritisation is a term from the sociologist M.N. Srinivas. It describes how a lower caste or a tribe adopts the rituals, customs and way of life of higher castes so it can claim a higher place in society. This can mean taking up practices such as giving up meat, following certain rituals or changing marriage customs. It matters because it shows caste status can shift a little. It also shows that the caste ladder itself stays in place, because the group moves up by copying the people at the top.
Example
A caste once ranked "low" in a village gives up meat and alcohol and begins upper-caste temple rituals. Over a generation or two, it then claims a higher rank in the local caste order.
Don't confuse with
- Occupational mobility: people move to new kinds of work, and that weakens the link between caste and job. Sanskritisation is about copying the customs of higher castes, and it does not need any change of job.