Abstract
As one of the architects of the state newly liberated from British colonial rule, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar's (1891–1956) thinking represents a departure from the near universal dichotomy of native tradition versus colonial modernity that Congress Party nationalists such as M K Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were tactically engaged in during the years preceding formal independence. This article examines Ambedkar's sociological interpretation of India's past which was designed to discover a new place for his Untouchable followers in Indian society. It asks whether a mechanistic understanding of the reasons why history is unavailing as an example of liberation or hope to the oppressed can ever successfully serve their interests and aspirations.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 23-43 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Postcolonial Studies |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2011 |