International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences

Vol-6, Issue-4; Jul-Aug, 2021

Journal Home Page Available: https://ijels.com/

Journal DOI: 10.22161/ijels

Peer-Reviewed Journal

A Hidden Renaissance in Bengal: The ‘Rebirth’ of

Subaltern ‘Matua’ Namasudras
Dr. Milan Mandal

Ex-PhD Research Scholar, Department of English, Seacom Skills University, Bolpur, Pin Code- 731204, W.B. India.

Received: 17 Jul 2021; Received in revised form: 10 Aug 2021; Accepted: 22 Aug 2021; Available online: 27 Aug 2021
©2021 The Author(s). Published by Infogain Publication. This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Abstract— The caste system in Hindu religion operates stratification which constitutes social hierarchy.
The Brahman is at the apex of this hierarchy, with the Kshatriya second; Vaisya third in rank. The fourth is
the Sudra, the ‘footman’, the servant of former three varnas. This sect is alienated as untouchable in this
hierarchical order since the Rig Vedic era. The ‘Chandal’ (later allowed as Namasudra) of Bengal is a
severely unprivileged segment of Sudra. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, this sector
rebelled against the oppression, exploitation and persistent humiliation of the ‘upper’ Varnas under the
leadership of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur and later by his son Sri Sri Guruchand Thakur. They promoted an
alternative socio-religious Matua movement to awake the marginal Namasudras to make their distinct
identity. They took extensive education as means of their intellectual and social upliftment. The influence of
the education movement continues its widespread influence till today. Agonisingly, the history of this
renaissance movement is kept almost silenced in the caste dominated testimonials and elite history. The
paper, therefore, attempts to unearth this glorious history of academic and social elevation of the
unacknowledged Bengali Namasudras.
Keywords— Education, Hide, Matua, Movement, Namasudra, Renaissance.

I. HISTORY OF NAMASUDRAS Mahananda Halder in his Sri Sri Guruchand Charit states
Namasudra as a distinct sect has its own historical that after Pala Empire Bengal was under the reign of Sena
root. It has been a subject of debate regarding the origin of kings who were the patrons of Brahmanism. Hence, they
Namasudras. Namasudra as a sub-caste originated from the unleashed their severe atrocities on the Buddhists and
Aryanisation processes which led to gradual absorption of deprived of their social and religious rights. Those
non-Aryans into the four-fold Varna system. Later on, the alienated Buddhists were identified as Namasudras and
Varna system turned into jati system based on they were made the objects of social oppression and
occupational distinctions among various varnas. In Bengal, discrimination for generations. Snigdhendu Bhattacharya
the continual spread of Aryanisation led to the has put almost the same view:
classification of different sects with typical occupations as Some early Bengali historians refer to them as
distinct jatis. The people, who were mostly engaged with ‘Brahmin-Buddhists’ who refused to accept Hinduism
diverse occupations like fishing, cultivation, carpenting, after the decline of the Pal dynasty and the rise of the
boating, roof thatchering, weaving, and egg and vegetable Hindu revivalist Sen dynasty, which ruled in the 11th and
selling, came to be recognized as Sudra (Namasudra) in 12th centuries CE.
terms of Varna. According to Sekhar Bandyopadhyay, Whatever the origin of Namasudras - through the
Namasudra is a settled ‘peasant community’ (Caste, Aryanisation process, conversion from Buddhists or from
Culture and Hegemony 154). The Namasudras inhabited in Brahmanism- is, it is the very fact that they have been
marshy Eastern Bengal districts of Faridpur, Khulna, made objects of oppression in social organization and
Dhaka Bakerganj, Jessore and Mymensingh. Acharya

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Milan Mandal A Hidden Renaissance in Bengal: The ‘Rebirth’ of Subaltern ‘Matua’ Namasudras

institution. The author Dr. Pandharinath H. Prabhu has inter-caste marriage etc and that way they tried to build an
represented the essentials of Hindu social thought and alternative, non-hierarchical society (368).
organization in his book Hindu Social Organization and The great essence of the Matua religion is the unification
interpreted that “The creation of the Sudra from the foot of Karma (work) and Dharma (religion): “Haate kaam aar
symbolizes the fact that the Sudra is to be the ‘footman’, mukhe nam” (“work with your hands and chanting [of
the servant of other varnas (286). The French Haribol] with your mouth” is the core message of the
anthropologist Louis Dumonto views in his Homo Matuadharma. The professor Sipra Mukherjee has rightly
Hierarchichus that the “Caste system as an extreme form stated in her article “In Opposition and Allegiance to
of ‘social stratification’ (3) in Hindu society in which Hinduism: Exploring the Bengali Matua Hagiography
people of hierarchical strata denies the ‘rights’ of dalits: Harichand Thakur” that:
“Our two cardinal ideals are called equality and liberty”
The Matua dharma, a dissenting faith against the
(4). The Namasudras are alienated as untouchables in the
established Brahmanical faith, nurtured the
hierarchical order of ‘Hindu’ society.
community’s spirit of independence and dignity, enabling
it to move up the economic ladder through its secular ethic
II. HARI CHAND THAKUR’S MATUA of work (16).
RELIGION: A MOVEMENT OF SOCIAL Manoranjan Byapari, one of the most renowned authors of
AWAKENING the Namasudra community, has represented the secular
Sri Sri Harichand Thakur (1812-1877), a dalit, ethic of the Matuas religion in his book Matua Ek Mukti
who was born at Safladanga in the district Faridpur (now Sena (Matua, the Freedom Fighters, 2013).
in Bangladesh), rebelled against the social injustice of Harichand Thakur perceived that education is the
caste Hindus. He introduced an alternative ‘Matua utmost means which can bring the financial independence
religion’ to revive own rights and distinct socio-political and social rights of subaltern people. Hence, he assigned
entity during the end of the nineteenth century. He aimed his son Sri Sri Guruchand Thakur to spread education
“to achieve social freedom for the untouchables.” among Namasudras: “My father Harichand advised me, /
According to the historian Sekhar Bandyopadhyay, To provide education to the doors of my own clan.”
Harichand Thakur “was born in this world to bring (Mahananda Halder 108, translation mine).
salvation to the downtrodden" (The Matua Sect and the
Namasudras" 163). He also states that the Matua
community was formed as ‘a protestant Vaishnava III. GURUCHAND THAKUR’S EDUCATION
religious sect’ that rejected the humiliating hegemony of MOVEMENT
the Brahmanical Varna in order to create an independent Guruchand Thakur (1846-1937) took up the
identity rejecting the Vedas, and their rituals. The president leadership of the Matua religion and brought about a
of the Bangla Dalit Sahitya Sangstha, Manohar Mouli renaissance, the ‘rebirth’ (transformation which is
Biswas also opines the same view of “Matua faith as being culminated through ‘a series of social, political, and
in opposition to Brahmanism, the Vedas and their rituals” intellectual transformations.’) among the illiterate and ever
(Sipra Mukherjee, 3). oppressed marginal. He renewed the religion through the
The Matua dharma begins “with a defiant unification of Shakti (potentiality) and Bhakti (devotion);
opposition to Brahmanical Hinduism.” It is a separate Dharma (religion) and Karma (work). He renamed the
religion outside of Hinduism, which denies the Matua Sangha as Matua Maha Sangha.
Brahmanical Varna system and against the rules of Veda, Guruchand Thakur prioritised the work of
priestly hedonism and rituals. Instead, Harichand’s Matua spreading education in underdeveloped societies as
religion was based on secularism, love, gender equality directed by his father Harichand Thakur: “Get educated
and unification of untouchables and the oppressed people. first, and then make family”. According to Sekhar
Manosanta Biswas in his article “De-Sanskritization and Bandyopadhyay, he was the true pioneer of Namasudra
Social Mobilization”: has also unfolded the fundamental renaissance under whom “the sect achieved its doctrinal
principles of Matua movement: cohesion and organizational push” (Caste, Culture and
Alternative reform movements had the courage to Hegemony 96). He comprehended that it was not possible
build separate caste identities by defying the caste to have social rights through religion. Hence, he
distinction and rejecting the Brahministic customs and introduced extensive education movement and messaged
rituals. They gathered liberty to their women, allowed his community stating that: “Uneducated man is like a

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Milan Mandal A Hidden Renaissance in Bengal: The ‘Rebirth’ of Subaltern ‘Matua’ Namasudras

beast, / With lights of education take fire religious He urged to increase the sense of rights and self-awareness
knowledge to the life.” (Quoted from Sipra Mukherjee 16) among the alienated and deprived people of Bengal. He
The historical symposium, the Nikhilbanga messaged to them that illiteracy is the root of their
Namashudra Mahasammelan (All Bengal Namasudra deprivation and pledged them to be educated to have their
Conference) endeavored by Guruchand Thakur in 1907 in own rights:
Khulna (now in Bangladesh), was organised to determine Due to our illiteracy, we are deceived.
the future outlines of his movement. The movement was So, I say, if you wish to be free, you must be
aimed at the embracement of education to have social and educated yourselves.
political right. His educational vibrance unlocked new
If you have education, grief will go away,
doors for dalits and backward classes all over Bengal. It
also brought about immediate and continuing effects. The And be happy forever on the earth. (Mahananda
American historian Katherine Mayo in her book Mother Halder 130, translation mine).
India (1927) has statistically shown the educational He began to establish schools with his tired-less efforts for
elevation of this dalit community: the elevation of the unlettered oppressed people of Bengal.
By the last report they had in Bengal over 49,000 It was very difficult enterprise for him to set up academic
children under tuition, of whom 1,025 had reached institutions. There were financial crisis to institute school
the High School and 144 the Arts Colleges, where, buildings, denial of the educated caste Hindus to teach in
because of caste feeling, Government has been obliged those schools as well as the reluctance of the poor to read.
to set aside special hostels for their lodging. This Under those critical conditions, Guruchand Thakur set up
community is rapidly raising its status (160). his first school in his own house in 1880 and it was
upgraded to a high school in 1908. In the same year, the
Although able to pass, educated Namasudras were not
first English-medium high academy was set up in his
entitled to jobs, as they belonged to untouchable society.
village. It was an unprecedented initiative for the
Guru Chand Thakur gave a deputation against that
unprivileged illiterate people of Dalit society.
discrimination to the British government on 14 August
1907 and it resulted that the learned youth of the A Namashudra Mahasammelan chaired by
untouchable society of Bengal got the right to participate Guruchand Thakur was held in 1881 to convey the essence
in the first government service in 1908. of inevitability of education in dalit Namasudras and the
way of its spreading among them. In his speech at the
Guruchand Thakur was also an uncompromising
convention, he proclaimed to accept education as the only
fighter on the question of self-esteem. In 1871, in the
way to uplift illiterate dalit people: “There is no regret in
'census' of the British government led by the caste Hindus,
living or dying, /I prefer to build schools from village to
the Namasudras were registered as 'Chandals'. The
villages (Halder 145, translation mine). By 1931, he
agitation stirred by Guruchand Thakur and Dr. C.S. Mead
established a total of 1820 schools in undivided Bengal. Dr
forced the English government to use the word
C. S. Mead, an Australian Baptist missionary, was of
'Namasudra' instead of 'Chandal' in the 1911 Census
immense help to him in the education and social justice
Report.
movements.
He unrolled the message among the unlettered
Guruchad Thakur was truly the pioneer of dalit
Namasudras that religion can satisfy the hunger of the
renaissance in Bengal. He apprehended the necessity of
human mind, but it can never satisfy the hunger of the
women education. He built numerous schools for girls. He
human stomach. He perceived that only knowledge can
also set up a training academy for women. He donated a
liberate the marginal and oppressed people from the
boat for the girls to go to school. He also began a new era
oppression of caste Hindu and hunger and only knowledge
by initiating the widow-marriage and an ‘Ashram’ for
can make them happy forever. Hence, he instructed his
them with assistance of Dr. C.S. Mead’s wife.
disciples to educate their children:
The caste Hindu attempts to lower the
I tell you all if you obey me,
significance of the Matua movement and has kept almost
Never make your sons unlettered. hidden in the history. The faith of this religion is love and
There is no sorrow in eating or fasting, love to all, irrespective of caste, creed and religion. Sri
What I want is to teach children. (Mahananda Thakur did not confine his movement of education only to
Halder 144, translation mine) Matua sector. Indeed, it was spread among other depressed
castes like Teli, Mali, Kumbhakar, Kapali, Mahishya,
Yadav, Das, Chamar, Kamar, Tanti and even Muslim.

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Milan Mandal A Hidden Renaissance in Bengal: The ‘Rebirth’ of Subaltern ‘Matua’ Namasudras

Shri ‘Rajarshi’ Guruchand Thakur induced the to focus on the history of education and social movements.
“intense interest in education” among the subaltern class Very recently, Prof. (Dr.) Tapan Kumar Biswas, the
and he was also able to convey the value of their Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of the University Harichand
schooling. This consciousness of education resulted to set Guruchand University (HGU) and his eminent associates
up lots of colleges and universities by his followers in have established the Centre for Matua Studies (CMS) to
India and Bangladesh, as after the partition of India extend Guruchand’s education movement and ‘the culture,
in1947, a major number of Matuas migrated to India and heritage, and prospect of Matua Community’ in modern
formed their second organisation in Thakurnagar, West age.
Bengal, India. The elite chroniclers never perceive to focus on
this repressed history. Rather, the history of Namasudra
IV. CONCLUSION renaissance movement has been almost inaudible in their
conventional history, except in the testimonials of dalit
Hari Chand Thakur and more particularly
intellectuals. It is, thus, undeniable that the history of the
Guruchand Thakur initiated renaissance, a ‘revival of
sublime renaissance of subaltern Namasudras of Bengal is
interest’ in education and social awakening, which
marginalised in elite history.
enlightened the dalit Namasudras. Sadly, the history of this
Bengal renaissance is kept almost hidden in the elite
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