12 - Low-caste Hinduism in central India

Summary

Central India (referred to hereafter as “the region”) is one of the most culturally diverse sections of the country. Its recorded history dates back to the time of the Buddha more than twenty-five hundred years ago. Centrally located, the region is bordered by most of the country's larger states and provinces. Over the millennia, various dynasties, tribal groups, bands of refugees, and wanderers have come from these bordering lands, as well as from distant places, and settled into the region. Due to this, one can find there pockets of nearly all the major Indian ethnic and linguistic groups, as well as the religious traditions and movements they brought with them. Not only has the distinctive character of each group exchanged influences with the existing religious cultures, at the same time they have all been affected by the calm and relaxed nature that tends to pervade the region. With time, there has come to exist a richly interwoven fabric of diverse religious beliefs and practices.

Currently, the region is made up of two states: Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. During much of the British rule, the two were politically united, and this continued after Indian Independence until 1 November 2000, when they were separated. Nevertheless, the religious traditions in both states have much in common. Because of the vast number of immigrant ethnic and religious groups in the region, more than thirty languages and a hundred dialects are spoken there.