A dominant caste is one which preponderates numerically over other castes and also wields preponderant economic and political power. A large and powerful caste group can be more easily dominant if its position in the local caste hierarchy is not too low. The concept of dominant caste was introduced in 1959 by sociologist M. N. Srinivas.
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👉 Dominant caste in the context of M. N. Srinivas
Mysore Narasimhachar Srinivas (16 November 1916 – 30 November 1999) was an Indian sociologist and social anthropologist. He is mostly known for his work on caste and caste systems, social stratification, Sanskritisation and Westernisation in southern India and the concept of 'dominant caste'. He is considered to be one of the pioneering personalities in the field of sociology and social anthropology in India as his work in Rampura (later published as The Remembered Village) remains one of the early examples of ethnography in India. That was in contrast to most of his contemporaries of the Bombay School, who focused primarily on a historical methodology to conduct research, mainly in Indology. He also founded the Department of Sociology at the Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi in 1959.
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Dominant caste in the context of Sanskritisation
Sanskritisation (or Sanskritization) is a process through which individuals or communities belonging to certain castes and tribal groups adopt the culture, values, lifestyles, and ritual practices of the dominant upper castes, with the aim of attaining upward social mobility and an elevated social status within the hierarchical structure of caste system of India. The phenomenon bears resemblance to the sociological concept of "passing". The term Sanskritisation was popularised in the 1950s by Indian sociologist and anthropologist M. N. Srinivas.
Sanskritisation has in particular been observed among mid-ranked members within caste hierarchy. It is considered an aspect of the wider historical and cultural process of Brahmanisation, which is the assimilation or alignment of local and regional Indian religious traditions with Brahmanism, leading to the Hindu synthesis and the formation of Hinduism, through a syncretic blending of diverse beliefs and customs into the Brahmanical fold.