Assa Doron Bücher

Focusing on the boatmen of Banaras, this anthropological study explores their strategic repositioning within traditional social hierarchies and their efforts to challenge upper-caste and state authority. Assa Doron delves into the community's evolution, utilizing diverse sources to reveal the intricate cultural politics surrounding social and economic inequality in modern India. The work highlights the boatmen's unique role on the river as both a privilege and a means of contestation.

As well as the brilliant Travancore Minister, Sir T. Madhava Rao; social reformers like P. Thanu Pillai; Father Emmanuel Nidhiry who challenged European bishops; the courageous Dr P. Palpu, who struggled for opportunities for lower castes; the poet and activist N. Kumaran Asan.