ABSTRACT
Jyotirishwar Thakur, the author of Varna Ratnakar in the fourteenth century compiled a list of castes in Bihar. He uses the word Manda caste to describe the various untouchable castes. The Dalits occupied at the bottom of the society. The Brahmins remained at the apex. The Dushadhs were normally employed as village watch-guards. Hence, their economic position was far better than other sections of the Dalits. The British rule which took roots in Bihar in the second half of the eighteenth century turned out to be a defining moment in the history of Dalits in Bihar, both economically and socially. During the first half of the nineteenth century the Dalits in Bihar suffered great economic deprivation. Mahatma Gandhi's campaign for the emancipation of the Dalits was as vigorous as his movement for the freedom of the country. The Congress party took many steps to empower the Dalits.
