India's silent revolution : the rise of the lower castes in North India

India has long been dominated by the upper castes, even though the lower castes make up more than two thirds of the population. This book examines how the lower castes have become more assertive in recent decades. Since the 1960s a new assertiveness has characterized India's formerly silent majority, the lower castes that comprise more than two-thirds of the population. Today India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, is controlled by lower-caste politicians, as is Bihar, and lower-caste representation in national politics is growing inexorably. Jaffrelot argues that this trend constitutes a genuine "democratization" of India and that the social and economic effects of this "silent revolution" are bound to multiply in the years to come. India has long been dominated by the upper castes, whose influence permeates society at every level. Since the 1960s a new assertiveness has characterized this formerly silenced majority and the author of this text argues that this trend constitutes a genuine "democratization" of India. Christophe Jaffrelot. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 497-500) And Index.