ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to comprehend the conceptual journeys of caste and to present the larger theoretical context to the empirical questions that propose to engage with studies on the dynamics of caste in contemporary India. The labelling of caste as a 'traditional institution' in contrast to the 'modern West' also presupposes that Indian society is at an evolutionary stage different from the West. Tradition has always been the most common mode of conceptualizing caste. Its history dates back to early engagement of Western and colonial scholars and rulers with cultures of South Asian region. The Western view of caste evolved over a period of time, through the writings of Orientalists, missionaries and colonial administrators. The main point of contention in Dumont's thesis is the relationship between the status hierarchies of caste on one hand, and realities of power and materialities of everyday life on the other. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
