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Annihilation of Caste

The Annotated Critical Edition
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( 8,914 ratings, 1,026 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Annihilation of Caste is B.R. Ambedkar's bold 1936 critique of Hinduism and its rigid caste system. It offers a scholarly denouncement of scriptures that uphold social hierarchy and inequality. This extensively annotated edition includes Arundhati Roy’s introduction, The Doctor and the Saint, which explores the ongoing relevance of caste and the historic clash between Ambedkar and Gandhi.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$7300

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers interested in political philosophy, social justice, Indian history, and the fight against caste discrimination. Scholars, students, and activists will find this essential for understanding the roots and persistence of systemic inequality in India.

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One of the most important, yet neglected, works of Indian political writing with an extensive introduction by the author of 'The God of Small Things'.

One of the most important, yet neglected, works of Indian political writing with an extensive introduction by the author of The God of Small Things

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

B.R. Ambedkar's Annihilation of Caste is one of the most important, yet neglected, works of political writing from India. Written in 1936, it is an audacious denunciation of Hinduism and its caste system. It offers a scholarly critique of Hindu scriptures, scriptures that sanction a rigidly hierarchical and iniquitous social system.

Arundhati Roy introduces this extensively annotated edition in "The Doctor and the Saint," examining the persistence of caste in modern India, and how the conflict between Ambedkar and Gandhi continues to resonate. Roy breathes new life into Ambedkar's anti-caste utopia, and says that without a Dalit revolution, India will continue to be hobbled by systemic inequality.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as an essential read, Annihilation of Caste is described by Gandhi as a critical indictment that no devotee of Hinduism should overlook. Reviewers commend the book’s conceptual clarity and political insight, and Roy’s introduction adds a sharp, emotive perspective. Scholars highlight its status as a transformative and robust edition of a powerful, under-appreciated classic. Anand Teltumbde calls it the Indian equivalent of The Communist Manifesto.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781784783525

Publisher: Verso Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 16 February 2016

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Verso Books

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Arundhati Roy

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 526g

Pages: 416

About the Author

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born in 1891 into an "Untouchable" family of modest means. One of India's most radical thinkers, he transformed the social and political landscape in the struggle against British colonialism. He was a prolific writer who oversaw the drafting of the Indian Constitution and served as India's first Law Minister. In 1935, he publicly declared that though he was born a Hindu, he would not die as one. Ambedkar eventually embraced Buddhism, a few months before his death in 1956.
Arundhati Roy is the author of the Booker Prize-winning novel The God of Small Things. Her recent political writings include Listening to Grasshoppers, Broken Republic, and Capitalism: A Ghost Story.
S. Anand is the publisher of Navayana, an independent press in New Delhi. He is the coauthor of Ambedkar: The Fight for Justice, a graphic biography, and has annotated this edition of Annihilation of Caste.

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