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:: page 6 ::
Shahu’s Anti-Casteist Reforms
As rightly summed up by Mr. Y.B. Chavan in his preface to the
Shahu Memorial Volume (Marathi): “Mahatma Jotirao Phule was a
pioneer passionate thinker in Maharashtra for the eradication
of untouchability. But Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj was the only
person who afterwards made determinded efforts for the
eradiction of untoucability consciously, systematically in all
fields, administrative as well as non-administrative. Some
well-meaning persons had even suggested to him that he should
use his instruments for the benefit of his castemen. But it is
important to note that this ruler emerged in that period, who
brushed them aside by telling them emphatically that the
depressed in the society must be ensured justice first and
implemented accordingly.”
As regards the anti-casteist onslaught by Shahu, it is
explained that the incredible refusal of the royal priest to
perform the Vedic ceremonics and telling him that he did so
because the Maharaja and his ancestors were Shudras and not
Ksatriyas deeply hurt the royal pride and that is why he
pitted himself against the entire superior caste.
There is no doubt that the spark in Shahu’s quest for equality
and an equitable deal for the depressed, was ignited
powerfully by the Vedokta episode as the eminent novelist Mr.
V. S. Khandekar points out in his tribute to Shahu ‘People’s
King’ in Shahu Memorial Volume (Marathi). But if the royal
pride was hurt by this insolent casteist refusal, one cannot
understand why it should cause chagrin. On the contrary, I
think, it was definitely an instance of adding insult to an
injury. If Shahu reacted severely against this religious
obscurantism, it was a matter of just retaliation; the only
wonder is that he was as restrained as he actually was in
appointing a committee and getting the matte thrashed out.
As Mr. Justice G.N. Vaidya points out in his Chhatrapati Shahu
Memorial lecture, Series 4 at the Shivaji University in 1973:
Shahu Chhatrapati: A Ruler and a Revolutionary: “As stated
above all this controversy sounds not only fantastic in the
modern times, but ridiculous.” Yet one cannot forget that it
did bring to the surface the obscurantist views of militant
nationalist leader like Lokmanya Tilak in social reform
matters, who as Mr. Dhananjaya Keer notes, was conventional,
rigid and orthodox and told the untouchables that be would
dine with them if they won Swaraj!
However, this crucial religious episode in Shahu’s life and
his relentless crusade against Brahmanism and casteist
obscurantism brought to the fore the persistent and almost
eternal division of the Hindu Society into the so-called
touchables and untouchables. All the Hindu scriptures whatever
their vaunted spirit of altruism, universal tolerance and
vasudhtaiva kutumbakam (world as a family) were curiously
split, as I explained earlier, with the fundamental defect
relegating a part of their society to hatred, excommunication
and worse.
Untouchables and Hindu Scriptures
This is evident from the saying in Brihaspati Smriti: “A
shudra, teaching the people of religion or uttering the words
of the Veda or insulting a Brahmin, shall be punished by
cutting out his tongue.” And Manu Smriti said: A Brahmin may
take possession of the goods of the shudra with perfect peace
of mind for, since nothing at all belongs to this shudra as
his own, he is one whose property may be taken away by his
master” (Chapter XX, sutras 4-6) “Indeed, an accumulation of
wealth should not be made by a shudra, even if, he is able to
do so, for the sight of mere possession of wealth by a shudra
injures a Brahmin.”
शक्तेनापि शुद्रेण न कार्यो धनसंचय:|
शुद्रोपि धनमासाद्य ब्राह्मणानेव बाधते
... Continued
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