Caste and Religion in Telangana: A Historical Study
Chakrapani Ghanta *
Faculty of Social Sciences, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Caste and Religion are the principal identification markers in India. They are becoming increasingly significant in mass mobilization for identity politics and urge for social equality and social justice. This paper examines the link between caste and religion, especially in the case of the lower castes. It argues that both caste and religion meant different things at different levels of social hierarchy. It also examines the distinctive characteristic feature of religious identities in Telangana, South India. India is culturally diverse; though it broadly appears as a single entity, there are several cultural and religious differences from state to state and region to region. Telangana, the newly formed state in India, got its significance in religious practices and caste hierarchy. This paper attempts to map the socio-cultural characteristics of the people of Telangana based on caste, religion, and other cultural practices. It analyses the distinctive caste and spiritual aspects of Telangana society and caste-based hierarchy in terms of religious rites and rituals of the lower castes.
Keywords: Telangana, caste, religion, hierarchy, culture, festivals, fairs