Community Dominance and Political Modernisation: The Lingayats

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This book examines the relevance of Prof. M.N. Srinivas's concept of a dominant caste with reference to the Lingayat Community. While Prof. M.N. Srinivas applied his concept of a dominant caste at a micro level (village level Rampura), the present study has applied it at a macro level (state level). The basic elements of the dominant caste like numerical strength, economic power, politicial power, education, higher social status and respectable occupation as listed by Prof. M.N. Srinivas are also valid with regard to the Lingayat community at the macro level. However, the study has found ten new secondary/supportive elements of dominance with regard to the Lingayat Community.

The book focuses its light on the reactions of the dominant Lingayat community to the modernisation and democratic processes through ten chapters. It traces the history of the Lingayat community from the ancient period to the modern period in terms of its evolution in religious and social philosophy, structures and practices. It narrates the traditional and modern means and methods adopted by the Lingayat leaders to modernise their community and to involve it in the political process to achieve certain goals. It explains how and why the Lingayat community shifted its priority from the sectarian mobilization to the general mobilization for national movement and movement for Karnataka unification. It states and analysis how the Lingayat community is numerically, socially, educationally, economically and politically dominant with the help of facts and figures and assesses the role of the secondary/ supportive elements of dominance in strengthening the dominance of the Lingayats in various fields. It also describes how the Lingayat community has moved away from dominant politics to competitive politics in view of emergence of newly awakened weaker sections in recent years in the politics of Karnataka State.

Dr. S.H. Patil is a Professor of Political Science (Retd.), Karnataka University, Dharwad, and was I.C.S.S.R. Senior Fellow and U.G.C. Emeritus Fellow. He is the author of the following books: The Congress Party and Princely States, Gandhi and Swaraj, A Text Book of Political Thought, Modern Western Political Thought, Central Grants and State Autonomy, Political Analysis (Co- author,), Bharatadalli Dharmanirap- ekshe (Secularism in India, Dharwad), and Bharatad Swatantra Mattu Karnataka Ekikaran: Lingayatar Patra (The Role of the Lingayats in the Freedom Movement and Karnataka Unification, Co-editor, Gadag).

His thirty articles have been published in the following academic journals: Journal of the Karnataka University, Social Sciences, Gandhi Marg, Political Science Review, Indian Journal of Politics, Journal of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies, India Quarterly, ISDA Journal, Man and Development, Journal of Government and Political Studies, Basava Journal and Indian Journal of Secularism.

Some of his articles are abstracted in (i) International Political Science Abstracts, Paris, and (ii) 1.C.S.S.R. Journal of Abstracts and Reviews, New Delhi.

The present work, Modernisation and Democratic Politics of a Dominant Community A Case Study of Lingayats in Karnataka, explains how the Lingayat community modernised and mobilised itself by making use of the agents of modernisation under the impact of modernisation and democratic processes in the beginning of the 20th century. It analyses how the Lingayat community moved from the sectarian mobilization to the general mobilization through the movements for national freedom and Karnataka unification. It examines the role of the Lingayats as a dominant community between 1956 and 1971 and assesses the impact of emergence of the weaker sections on the dominant role of the Lingayats between 1971 and 1999 in the state politics. It evaluates the factors responsible for social unity and political divisions among the Lingayats in the light of primodial loyalties and competitive politics.

The study notes how the Lingayat community rediscovered, under the impact of modernisation and democratisation, the relevance of the Basava model for social change which had advocated egalitarian society based on truth, non-violence, dignity of labour, liberation of women, removal of untouchability, etc., which were preached and practised by Basaveshwar and other Sharanas in the 12th century It also notes conversion of the legacy of social mobilization for egalitarian society launched by the Sharanas in the 12th century into socio-economic and political mobilization for sectarian and general purposes in the 20th century by the traditional and modern Lingayat elites.

Though the Lingayat community has been numerically, T socially, economically and politically dominant in Karnataka, yet it was not studied from the point of view of political sociology at a macro level. The present work is the first attempt to accomplish such academic requirement. Dr. S.H. Patil has done well in accomplishing this task and deserves our congratulations.

The work is very comprehensive and is carried through ten chapters which are organically linked with one another and which provide an evolutionary and dynamic face of the Lingayat community. The chapter I covers the history of the Lingayats, many dimensions of the Lingayat revolutionary movement in the 12th century, legacy and relevance of such movement in the modern and democratic period, religious philosophy and religious structures and social principles and social structures of the Lingayat community, the political culture of the Lingayats, the Lingayat concept of state, the Lingayats in the various fields, etc. This comprehensive background of the Lingayat community is intended to establish a linkage between the nature of the Lingayat community and its responses to modernisation and democratic process in Karnataka.

The Chapter 2 explains theoretically the various dimensions of modernisation. It examines how the Lingayats made use of the agents of modernisation like transport and communication, western education, printing press, newspapers and periodicals, co-operative societies, banking institutions, etc., to modernise themselves and help others in such process. It assesses the impact of modernisation on the Lingayat community in various fields. It explains why the Lingayat community re-adopted the Basava model rather than the Sanskritisation process for social change when a vast majority of castes/communities preferred Sanskritisation process for social change.

Chapter 3 explains theoretically the concept and dimensions of mobilization. In the light of such theoretical background, it examines the socio- religious mobilization of the masses by the Sharanas to build an egalitarian society in the 12th century and its legacy in the modern period. It explains the role of the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha in the mobilization of the Lingayat community to achieve certain modern goals in the fields of education, agriculture, industry, civil service, politics, etc., in the 20th century.

Purpose of Undertaking the Study

Both major and minor communities/castes provide base for competitive politics, development of leadership, organisational skill, etc., and have been the important sociological variables influencing state politics. They are not what they were about a hundred years ago. They have been exposed to modernisation and democratic processes and have adopted themselves to the changing political conditions and compulsions.

Among various communities and castes, the dominant communities/castes play an important role in state politics because they are socially, economically and politically dominant and have sizable following. They have tried to control political institutions from village level to state level and have established their control over 'Panchayat Raj' institutions directly and indirectly.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages