Dirks also highlights the pivotal role played by missionaries, such as Robert Caldwell, in fanning ‘virulent anti-Brahmanism’ owing to which ‘he became an extraordinary figure in the history of the Dravidian movement’ in southern Bharat. Given the connections drawn by Dirks whose relevance to raging contemporary debates are self-evident, I would urge readers to read his work before forming their views on the subject of ‘caste’ and to recognise the deep-seated coloniality in contemporary perceptions of caste.
