Hindu reconversion failed because higher castes refused to mingle with the purified
Evidence
Shuddhi or shuddhikaranâa movement for âreconversionâ to Hinduismâwas initiated by Dayananda Saraswati, founder of the Arya Samaj. In 1877, two years after founding the Arya Samaj, Dayananda is said to have performed the first ever shuddhi of a Muslim man (Parel 2000, 122). Swami Shraddhananda (1856â1926) carried on this legacy more militantly in the early twentieth century in the Punjab and the United Provinces. For an account, see Jaffrelot (1995). However, as Ambedkar points out, shuddhi created many problems since the privileged castes were not willing to mingle with newly âpurifiedâ lower caste members. â Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The AnnotatedâŠ, 1096
Categorization
- XREF: This is the exact caste-inclusivity test Ambedkar applies throughout â reconversion rituals admit lower castes on paper but caste prejudice persists in social practice.