People will forgo material political gains to preserve their religious beliefs

Evidence

But what is worthy of note is that the plebeians permitted themselves to be thus cheated because they too, like the patricians, held firmly the belief that the approval of the goddess was a condition precedent to the taking charge by an official of his duties, and that election by the people was not enough. If the plebeians had contended that election was enough and that the approval by the goddess was not necessary, they would have derived the fullest benefit from the political right which they had obtained. But they did not. They agreed to elect another, less suitable to themselves but more suitable to the goddess—which in fact meant more amenable to the patricians. Rather than give up religion, the plebeians gave up the material gain for which they had fought so hard. Does this not show that religion can be a source of power as great as money, if not greater? — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 850

Categorization

Category: Causal Relationships

• DEEPTHINKING: The subordinated don’t merely lose to religious power — they actively prefer it, trading material gains to keep the dominant creed. This is the psychological penetration of caste itself, which the reader must grasp for annihilation to be prescribed correctly.

Related

• Religion can rival or exceed money as a source of political power (similarity 0.86)