The nineteenth century saw the beginning of a violent and controversial
movement of protest amongst western India's low and untouchable castes,
aimed at the effects of their lowly position within the Hindu caste
hierarchy. The leaders of this movement were convinced that religious
hierarchies had combined with the effects of British colonial rule to
produce inequality and injustice in many fields, from religion to
politics and education. This study concentrates on the first leader of
this movement, Mahatma Jotirao Phule. It shows him as its first
ideologist, working out a unique brand of radical humanism. It analyses
his contribution to one of the most important and neglected social
developments in western India in this period - the formation of a new
regional identity. This process of identity formation is studied against
the background of the earlier history of caste relations in this area of
India, and contributes important evidence about the relationship between
ritual status and political power.The movement itself provides a
fascinating example of early Third World radicalism, illustrating the
role of ideology and religion in the struggle against British colonial
power.