The Chitpavans: Social Ascendancy of a Creative Minority in Maharashtra (1818-1918)

The Chitpavans were the vanguards of the radical, conservative, traditional and reformist social and political movements of Maharashtra. They not only exhibited caste exclusiveness but also the extrovert energy of the philosophical position that worked against its own exclusiveness. The Chitpavans shared in full measure the strong paradox of Maharashtra renaissance. This phenomenon is illuminating as the society apparently exhibited the total sway of caste/group divisions and conflicts. The overwhelming caste consciousness of the Chitpavan Brahmans modulated their national consciousness and offered a paradoxical admixture of modern nationalism with the sub-stratum of traditions and history. It was resurgence within the framework of existing social hegemony.