Table Of ContentW Dhananjay Soindaji Wanjari
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The growing power of business and the increasing rhetoric of the
r
i
cultural–religious ideology of Hindutva have been the focus of the
recent scholarly ventures seeking to explain the persistent undemocratic
I
tendencies in India. The book argues that this traditional and pervasive
N
analytical framework has failed to unravel the deep-rooted societal H INHERITANCE,
causes of the growing degeneration in political institutions. What is E
missed out is the increasing concentration of power in the hands of the R
I
hereditary governing class. Inheritance, Hierarchy and Caste: Origins T
A
of Political Decay in India shows how the elite pursuit for controlling
N
societal power, retaining hierarchy and perpetuating inheritance is
C
making use of ideology and, thereby, undermining the democratic spirit
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in India and reshaping the state itself. The book underlines the realistic ,
significance of the effective representation of the governed classes H
and analyses how it is critical for bringing pragmatism to the relation I
E aaaaannnnnddddd
between the institutional and functional aspects of the democratic R
consolidation in India. A
R CCAASSTTEE
C
H
Dhananjay Soindaji Wanjari is an IRS Officer, and Y
the Additional Director and Faculty of the Planning A
and Research Division at the National Academy of N
Direct Taxes, Nagpur, India. D Origins of
C
A
S Political Decay
T
E
in India
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Foreword by CHRISTOPHE JAFFRELOT
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Los Angeles | London | New Delhi | Singapore | Washington DC | Melbourne
Advance Praise
Dhananjay Soindaji Wanjari’s book is essential reading for anyone
seeking to understand the challenges facing Indian democracy today.
Wanjari sees these challenges not as recent developments but rather
as the culmination of deep caste divisions within the Indian society.
While caste is certainly not a neglected topic among scholars, Wanjari
succeeds in restoring forward caste power to its place as the central
and continuing challenge to the consolidation of democracy in India.
Charles Hankla, PhD
Associate Professor, Political Science
Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
Dhananjay Soindaji Wanjari’s Inheritance, Hierarchy and Caste offers
a well-argued analysis of the intersections of state, society and caste
in the Indian society. His exploration of the contentious claims about
political decay and the illiberal turn in Indian politics are sure to be
provocative, and they will stimulate more thought on the democratic
remedies for the challenges facing India’s socio-religious institutions
and political life. His book represents a comprehensive and creative
examination of the vexed relationship between the state and society,
and religion and civil politics in India.
Scott R. Stroud, PhD
Associate Professor of Communication Studies
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
InherItance,
hIerarchy
and
caste
InherItance,
hIerarchy
and
caste
Origins of
Political Decay
in India
Dhananjay Soindaji Wanjari
Copyright © Dhananjay Soindaji Wanjari, 2022
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
First published in 2022 by
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Published by Vivek Mehra for SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd and typeset in 10.5/13 pt Berkeley by
AG Infographics, Delhi.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Name: Wanjari, Dhananjay Soindaji, author.
Title: Inheritance, hierarchy and caste : origins of political decay in India / Dhananjay Soindaji Wanjari.
Description: New Delhi, India ; Thousand Oaks, California : Sage Publishing, 2022. | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021052683 (print) | LCCN 2021052684 (ebook) | ISBN 9789354791994
(hardback) | ISBN 9789354792076 (epub) | ISBN 9789354792151 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Politics and government–India. | Hinduism and state–India. | Caste–India. | Hindutva–
India. | Democracy–India–History.
Classification: LCC JQ231.W37 2022 (print) | LCC JQ231 (ebook) | DDC 320.954–dc23/eng/20211120
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021052683
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021052684
ISBN: 978-93-5479-199-4 (HB)
SAGE Team: Rajesh Dey, Shipra Pant and Anupama Krishnan
Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in the book are author’s personal views and academic
in nature. They do not have any connection whatsoever with the views or policies of any government
agency/department or any other organization.
To the memory of my Aai (my maternal aunt)
and
To my Nani (my mother)
