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Sanskritization

A Concept developed by

Prof. M.N. Srinivas

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Definition

Sanskritization is a process of socialmobility in which a low caste in aeneration or two to rise to a hiher

position in the caste hierarchy by adoptinveetarianism and teetotalism! and bySanskritizin its rit"al and pantheon.

#n short! it took over! as far as possible!the c"stoms! rites and beliefs of the$rahmins.

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$rahminization is s"bs"med in the wider

process of sanskritization tho"h at some

points $rahminization and Sanskritization

are at variance with each other.

Sanskritized Comm"nities% &inayats of

'arnataka! (ishwakarma $rahmins

So"rastras of )amil nad"

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Sanskritization means not only theadoption of new c"stoms and habits! b"talso e*pos"re to new ideas and val"es

which have fo"nd fre+"ent e*pression inthe vast body of Sanskrit literat"re. e..'arma! Dharma! Papa! Maya! Samsaraand Moksha are e*amples of some of the

most common Sanskritic theoloical ideas!and when a people become Sanskritizedthese words occ"r fre+"ently in their talk.

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Modern , -estern technoloy has aided thespread of Sanskritization. e.. ilms based onmytholoical stories and reat epics of #ndia

co"ld take the val"es and morals of Sanskritictradition to all the people.

Modern,-estern political and leal interventionsin a sense indirectly has enco"raed certain

sanskritic reliio"s notions and practices amonthe lower caste ro"ps. e.. &eal ban on animalsacrifices to villae deities "pholds the$rahmanical tradition.

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-hy Sanskritization was preferred to

$rahminization/

#t is beca"se of certain (edic rites are

confined only to $rahmins and the two other

0twice1born2 castes.

#t is diffic"lt to avoid the caste specificity of

the $rahmins. e.. (eetarian and Non1

veetarian $rahmins.

3ad the term $rahminization been "sed! itwo"ld have been necessary to specify which

partic"lar ro"p was meant

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)he aents of Sanskritization are not

always $rahmins.

)ho"h! over a lon period of time!$rahminical rites and c"stoms spread

amon the lower castes! in short r"n the

locally dominant caste is imitated by the

rest. And the locally dominant caste isfre+"ently not $rahmin.