Description
Over the course of the twentieth century, Bombay's population grew twentyfold as the city became increasingly industrialized and cosmopolitan. Yet beneath a veneer of modernity, old prejudices endured, including the treatment of the Dalits. Even as Indians engaged with aspects of modern life, including the Marxist discourse of class, caste distinctions played a pivotal role in determining who was excluded from the city's economic transformations. Labor historian Juned Shaikh documents the symbiosis between industrial capitalism and the caste system, mapping the transformation of the city as urban planners marked Dalit neighborhoods as slums that needed to be demolished in order to build a modern Bombay.
Drawing from rare sources written by the urban poor and Dalits in the Marathi language--including novels, poems, and manifestos--Outcaste Bombay examines how language and literature became a battleground for cultural politics. Through careful scrutiny of one city's complex social fabric, this study illuminates issues that remain vital for labor activists and urban planners around the world.
Author: Juned Shaikh
Publisher: University of Washington Press
Published: 04/25/2021
Pages: 242
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 9.10h x 5.90w x 0.70d
ISBN13: 9780295748504
ISBN10: 0295748508
BISAC Categories:
- History | Asia | South | General
- Social Science | Social Classes & Economic Disparity
- Social Science | Minority Studies
About the Author
Juned Shaikh is associate professor of history at the University of California, Santa Cruz.