ABSTRACT
In the 12th century, the north-eastern region of present-day Karnataka, which is now known as Kalyana Karnataka, witnessed a revolution famously known as the ‘Vachana movement’ spearheaded by Basavanna. While it was not exclusively a social movement owing to its focus on bhakti – devotion – it was against the varna and the caste system and Basavanna addressed the ills of the religion. The Vedic religion was exploitative and imposed inequality among the people through the varna and the caste system. Literacy and wealth were directly proportional to the caste to which one belonged. Therefore, religious reformation and social revolution were intertwined in his era. ‘One God, one people’ was his religious axiom. In order to achieve this goal, he brought together people from all walks of life and propagated work is worship.
