religious beliefs and social hierarchy in Tamil Nādu, India

Abstract

Belief systems among South Indian Hindus are surprisingly diverse. The differences are such that they cannot be explained only in terms of differential historical diffusion] cults, environment] or occupation, but must be explained by the nature of the social system as a whole. We are not referring here to differences regarding deities, festivals, and legends, which have often been described in the context of the Hindu great tradition] intermediate regional traditions] and village little traditions. We are referring to philosophical concepts and the world view. Everyone recognizes the multiplicity of belief systems under the umbrella of Hinduism] ranging from the six classical systems of philosophy and the more recent philosophies to the teachings of gurk, the regional sects, and cults. But is has been supposed that all are drawn together within the Hindu fold by at least nominal regard for the Sanskrit tradition and by the commonality of concepts conveyed by such terms as karma and dharma. But this is not so because many villagers in the state of Tami! NIdu know absolutely nothing of the Sanskrit tradition and define fundamental Hindu terms in ways quite different than in the literary tradition. Hinduism is too plural a system to speak of "dogmas" and "heresies" as one might for religions of Near Eastern origin, though such terms can legitimately be used regarding the belief systems of particular Hindu sects. But we can think of Hindu "doctrines" as distinguished from those beliefs which are only "tenets." Doctrines are almost by definition supportive of the social position of those propounding them. Thus the BrHhmagical doctrines are rejected by many, probably the majority, of Tamils, who see the world and i t s forces from a different social vantage point. the social setting The three-way division of traditional society in South India among BrIhmans (3 percent of the population), non-Brahmans, and Harijans (Untouchables) is recognized popularly as well as by social scientists. Belief systems reflect this trifurcation. In Tami! Tamil villagers define key words of Hindu philosophy, such as dharma, karma, and samsara, in different ways, according to their social situation, for the usual definitions amount to doctrines of the religious elite. Many villagers reject the Brahmanical tendency to pull lower castes in the direction of Sanskritization. Their religion focuses on particularistic deities, whose power is manifest through shamans to solve personal problems.

Religious Ritual in a Scientific Space: Festival Participation and the Integration of Outsiders

“…23-26). Maloney (1975) argues that Sanskritization can be a top-down pull rather than a bottom-up push, where upper-caste Hindus bring other Indians into their orbit rather than a process of lower-caste Hindus actively seeking status through the adoption of a Brahminic conceptual ladder (p. 170). And Srinivas ([1966] 2013) offered a number of revisions and supplements to Sanskritization, including non-Brahminical Sanskritization (p. 7) and the process of westernization that many Brahmins, especially, use to raise themselves and maintain social distance between themselves and the Sanskritizing classes (p. 67).…”

Religion hindoue et dynamique de la société réunionnaise

“…La hiérarchie implicite, où les élites religieuses se placent au sommet et se constituent en modèle, opère largement comme une idéologie venue de ce sommet. Tout en étant assez généralement acceptée, elle n'est pas nécessairement partagée dans sa totalité par les autres secteurs de la population, surtout en pays tamoul (voir à ce sujet Maloney, 1975, qui donne d'intéressants exemples des variations dans l'acceptation des dogmes religieux en pays tamoul au long de la hiérarchie sociale).…”

Unities and Diversities in Chinese Religion

“…He writes that religious differences across caste have been over-emphasized, and that even Untouchables share a 'deep consensus' with all other groups. See Maloney ( 1975), however, for a very different view that emphasizes diversity over unity.…”