Chamar Caste Movement and Its Leaders in District Bijnor (1900–1950 Ad)
Authors
Research Scholar department of History K. G. K. (P.G.) College Moradabad. (India)
Assistant Professor, Deptt of History Constituent Government College, Thakurdwara, Moradabad (U.P), M.J.P Rohikhand University Bareilly. (India)
Article Information
DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI.2026.130200126
Subject Category: Social Sciences
Volume/Issue: 13/2 | Page No: 1423-1428
Publication Timeline
Submitted: 2026-02-13
Accepted: 2026-02-20
Published: 2026-03-11
Abstract
This research paper explores the rise, development, and impact of the Chamar caste movement in Bijnor district (Uttar Pradesh) during the first half of the twentieth century. Emphasizing the socio-political awakening among the Chamars, this study analyses the role of key leaders, caste organizations, religious identity assertion, and their contribution to the anti-caste and national freedom movements. Using archival sources, oral traditions, and secondary literature, this paper highlights how the Chamars of Bijnor transformed their socio-political status from a marginalized leather-working caste to a politically active community asserting dignity and representation.
Keywords
Chamar Caste Movement, Dalit Upliftment, Bijnor, Caste Leaders, Social Reform, Dalit Politics, Anti-Caste Struggle, Untouchability, Identity Assertion, Scheduled Castes Federation.
Downloads
References
1. Rawat, Ramnarayan S. “Reconsidering Untouchability: Chamars and Dalit History in North India”. Indiana University Press, 2011, pp. 81, 110. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
2. Shyamlal. “Dalit Chetna aur Vikas”. Rawat Publications, 2002, p. 71. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
3. Jatav, Rameshchandra. “Dalit Andolan ka Itihas”. Dalit Sahitya Akademi, 2004, p. 141. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
4. Omprakash, Singh. “Chamar Andolan ka Itihas: Bijnor ke Sandarbh Mein”. Manuscript, 2024, pp. 90–96. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
5. Raizada, N. “Dalit Movement in India and Its Leaders (1857–1956”. Kalpaz Publications, 1996, pp. 142– 145. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
6. Sharma, Pankaj. “Ravidas and His Times”. Lokbharati Prakashan, 2001, pp. 75–76. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
7. Omvedt, Gail. “Ambedkar: Towards an Enlightened India”. Penguin Books, 2004, p. 81. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
8. Zelliot, Eleanor. “From Untouchable to Dalit: Essays on the Ambedkar Movement”. Manohar, 2001, pp. 85–116. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
9. Shyamlal. “Dalit and the State”. Concept Publishing, 2002, p. 71. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
10. Omvedt, Gail. “Dalits and the Democratic Revolution”. Sage, 1994, p. 112. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
11. Bayly, Susan. “Caste, Society and Politics in India from the Eighteenth Century to the Modern Age”. Cambridge University Press, 1999, pp. 214–215. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
12. Juergensmeyer, Mark. Religious Rebels in the Punjab: The Ad Dharm Challenge to Caste. Oxford University Press, 1988, p. 93. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
13. Narayan, Badri. Fascinating Hindutva: Saffron Politics and Dalit Mobilisation. Sage, 2009, pp. 56–58. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
14. Jaffrelot, Christophe. India's Silent Revolution: The Rise of the Lower Castes in North India. Columbia University Press, 2005, pp. 103–112. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
15. Jones, Kenneth. Arya Dharm: Hindu Consciousness in 19th Century Punjab. University of California Press, 1969, pp. 210–211. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
16. District Archives, Bijnor. “Report on Social Movements,” 1938. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
Metrics
Views & Downloads
Similar Articles
- Orientation and Mobility Training as a Core Component of Supported Employment for Employees with Visual Impairment
- Influence of Menstrual Health Management on Mental Health of Adolescents in Thrissur District
- Echoes Beneath the Earth: Cultural and Spiritual Beliefs of Miners in the Mining Industry
- An Analytical Exploration of Construction Contract Terms from Legal Cases
- Dynamics of Doctoral Research Writing at a State College: Challenges, Strategies, and Influencing Factors