Sectarian Diversity to Shared Identity: Examining the Caste Formation of the Bairagi Community in Colonial India

Abstract

Vaishnavism as a form of devotion remained an important part of the social milieu across space and time in the Indian subcontinent. In medieval times many new forms of devotion were propounded by Ramanuja, Chaitanya, Madhvacharya, and others who worship different forms of Vishnu incarnation. This paper shows how different Vishnuites sects united and came under the single umbrella term “Bairagi”. Furthermore, the primary focus of this study lies in unravelling the intricate complexities associated with the formation of the Bairagi caste. How “multiple identity bearing community” developed caste consciousness from an open heterodox sect. So, the present article examines the socio-economic, and political conditions to trace the development of caste consciousness among Bairagis from precolonial to the colonial era. The conflict for power and resources in the late 18th century determined the identity of Bairagis in a more pervasive form. Specifically, the article aims to explore how the multifaceted organizational structure of the Bairagis’ sect which was initially formed to counter Shaivites, gradually transformed into the caste structure. The investigation seeks to shed light on the nuanced factors of how the sect identity dissipates, giving way to the emergence of the Bairagi caste. The research also raise the question of self-definition, or community consciousness, and its relation with the historical experiences of the Bairagis through oral history.