: Social reform movements in Telangana #IndiaNEWS #Education Today The caste system has been one of the crucial barricades of economy in the then Hyderabad State The caste system in India evolved over

Social reform movements in Telangana #IndiaNEWS #Education Today
The caste system has been one of the crucial barricades of economy in the then Hyderabad State
The caste system in India evolved over centuries and distinct castes and tribes emerged owing to varied historical, religious and cultural factors. In Indian history, those referred to as slaves, chandal, panchama and untouchables belonged to depressed castes and were subjected to various forms of oppression. They continued to be called untouchables and Dalits in modern times and primarily depended on hereditarily acquired caste-based occupations and agricultural labour.
The feudal system in Telangana, which was ingrained in the caste system, contributed to further exploitation and made the lives of the Dalits – Madiga and Mala communities more miserable. The association between caste structure and economy became a barrier to social and economic betterment of Dalits.
Dalits eked out a living mainly as servants (palerlu, jeetagadu) and bonded labour (vetti labour) of the landlords. The traditional occupation of the Malas was as agricultural labourers for Hindu caste land-owning communities and thus they became the ‘backbone of the agricultural labour force’ in colonial Andhra. Similarly, the caste-defined traditional occupation of the Madigas was leather work and making footwear. But most of them also worked as agricultural labourers. Moreover, the social distribution of landed property closely corresponded to the caste hierarchy, wherein the Brahmin and Sat-Shudra communities like the Reddy, Kamma, Kapu, Velama etc, had considerable access to land and other economic resources, while Dalits were compelled to work mostly as field labourers. An examination of the available census data on caste and occupation indicates that the Mala and Madiga communities constituted the bulk of the agricultural labour force and worked as farm servants, palerus and casual workers. Very few of them possessed land.
The Hyderabad State, of the Nizam, witnessed the rise of new social classes due to social and economic development during the last two decades of the 19th century. Modern education, urbanisation and employment opportunities provided fillip to new consciousness among the downtrodden/oppressed classes. Social reform movements and outbreak of identity struggles, revolts/protest movements of Dalit, Bahujan and Adivasis contributed to rise of new consciousness among the downtrodden sections in British India. Similarly, there were several movements of peasants and Adivasis against the oppressive Nizam and the feudal system in Hyderabad State. Also, several social reform movements as well as language and cultural movements emerged, more particularly in the first decade of the 20th century of Hyderabad State.

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