Glossary of Terms from D.C. Ahir's Gandhi and Ambedkar Chapters One and Two

HIS 312: Gandhi's India


1. Depressed Classes, Panchama  Other names for "untouchable" or Dalit.
2. Round Table Conference Conference(s) organized by the colonial government in 1931 to discuss political reforms leading to (eventual though unspecified) self-government
3. Varnashram Dharma The philosophy of organizing social life based on all varnas following their "dharma" or duties.*
4. Chatur Varna The Four Varnas.
5. Varna Vyavastha  The Varna System.
6. Jat Pat Todak Mandal Name of an organization set up with the explicit aim of destroying the caste system.
7. Savarna The top three varnas (literally, WITH Varna)
8. Vedas, Upanishads, Smritis, Puranas, Mahabharata Ancient Hindu texts dating approximately from 1000 BCE to 300 CE.
9. Chaitanya, Jnyandev, Tukaram, Tiruvalluvar Names of leaders of devotional religious movements which, it is argued, did not make distinctions of caste among their followers

 * "Donation, study and Yagya, these three are the religion of a Brahmin. Performing Yagya for others, teaching and accepting donation are the three vocations of Brahmin. Donation, study and Yagya are also the religious duties of Kshatriyas. Protection of land and using weapons are vocation for Kshatriyas. Religious duties of a Vaishya are also [the] same ...[as] that of the Brahmins such as donation, study and Yagya. For a living, Vaishya may take up animal rearing, agriculture and trade as profession. Serving all these three above mentioned castes as well as making donations and performing Yagya are the religious duties of a Shudra. Tilling the earth, serving Brahmins, feeding animals, selling and purchasing items are professions of a Shudra." 

Taken from the "Duties of a Householder" from the Markandeya Puranahttp://www.urday.com/mark_chp5.htm