2016/04/01 by Vibhuti Paresh Parikh · 2 citations
Arts and Humanities · #Geography #Ideology #Indian History and Philosophy #Indian and Buddhist Studies #Law #Political science #Politics
paper · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199463749.003.0006
openalex publication_date 2016/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Political and economic changes in the nineteenth century created new opportunities for various social groups, including individuals at the lower levels of the caste scale. Swaminarayan teachings provided the ideological base to this kind of upward mobility thereby redefining social identity. Prominent among the new adherents were the Kolis of Gujarat, for whom the new ideology served as a medium to re-enter the social mainstream from whence they had been pushed out earlier and to focus their energies towards more honest and industrious pursuits. The Kolis present an interesting case study, and this chapter critically examines the changing profile of the Kolis in Gujarat against the backdrop of the Swaminarayan doctrine.