Ambedkar claims that the application of the word in the Hindu sense is incorrect as it wrongly associates them with the people and culture of the Indo-Aryan society, who committed wrongdoings, such as offending the Brahmins.

In the Indo-Aryan society, the word referred to a particular race of people, whereas in the Hindu society, the word loosely applies to individuals of a low social status, who are considered 'uncultured'. The common misconception that the two are related in terms of ancestry stems from the fact that people believe that the Hindu and Indo-Aryan meaning of the word 'Shudras' is the same, when they are actually different. Importantly, Ambedkar states that the Shudras of Hindu society are entirely different from Shudras of ancient Indo-Aryan Society. Owing to the denial of Upanayana, the Shudras who were Kshatriyas became socially degraded, fell below the rank of the Vaishyas and thus came to form the fourth Varna.'.As a result of the negligence towards the Shudras generated by their tyrannies and oppressions, the Brahmins refused to perform the Upanayana of the Shudras.There was a continuous feud between the Shudra kings and the Brahmins in which the Brahmins were subjected to many tyrannies and indignities.They ranked as part of the Kshatriya Varna in the Indo-Aryan society. The Shudras did not form a separate Varna.There was a time when the Aryan society recognised only three Varnas, namely.The Shudras were one of the Aryan communities of the solar race'.' Two questions are raised in this book: (1) Who were the Shudras? and (2) How they came to be the fourth Varna of the Indo-Aryan society? My answers to them are summarised below. In the book Ambedkar, citing Rigveda, Mahabharata and other ancient vedic scriptures, estimates that the Shudras were originally Aryans.Īmbedkar writes in the preface of the book, Ambedkar dedicated the book to Jyotirao Phule (1827–1890). The book discusses the origin of the Shudra Varna. Who Were the Shudras? is a history book published by Indian social reformer and polymath B.

Who were the shudras by ambedkar