scorecardresearch
Add as a preferred source on Google
Monday, August 24, 2026
YourTurnSubscriberWrites: The Brahmin Advantage in 1931

SubscriberWrites: The Brahmin Advantage in 1931

In the 1931 census, the Bombay region was a picture of Brahmin dominance, with the literacy rate of Brahmins 1.7x that of the next caste group (Lohana)

Thank you dear subscribers, we are overwhelmed with your response.

Your Turn is a unique section from ThePrint featuring points of view from its subscribers. If you are a subscriber, have a point of view, please send it to us. If not, do subscribe here: https://theprint.in/subscribe/

One of the common misunderstandings about caste in India is that the extent of Brahmin privilege is similar across India. One way we can investigate this is by examining literacy rates across castes. In the 1931 census, the Bombay region was a picture of Brahmin dominance, with the literacy rate of Brahmins 1.7x that of the next caste group (Lohana). In Madras, the dominance is less pronounced, with the literacy rates of Brahmins 1.25x that of the next caste group, Nayars. But if you move to Punjab, the pattern reverses, with Brahmins no longer the most literate caste. The Khatri literacy rate in Punjab is 1.7x that of Brahmins. (See also Bengal, where Brahmins were not the most literate caste.)

Punjab and Sind are also interesting for their small populations of Scheduled Castes, with just 4.5% of the population categorized as such compared to the average of about 14% (Appendix II of Ambedkar’s book on Pakistan). (This is thought to be partly a result of conversions to Sikhism and Islam.)

These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Nine Years, Made Possible by Readers

In 2017, Shekhar Gupta started ThePrint with a simple belief: Indian readers want journalism that asks why and what next, not just what. And that enough of them would be willing to pay for good journalism.

Nine years on, that belief has held.

And, in these nine years, we’ve stayed true to our mission. We’ve been asking the follow-up questions, going beyond the headlines and explaining what’s actually happening. We’ve travelled across the country to bring you in-depth, visually-compelling stories from the ground.

It’s been nine years of readers choosing to make this possible. If you’d like to be one of them:

Support ThePrint

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here