இயேசுவின் பிறப்பால் என்ன நன்மை? | Pas.John Roy | AMM CHURCH

Описание: Bishop Robert Caldwell is considered a foundational influence and intellectual pioneer for the Dravidian movement, particularly regarding ideas of Dravidian linguistic and cultural self-respect, identity, and social justice.
While he did not personally lead the later political movements, his academic work provided the essential framework for subsequent leaders like Periyar E.V. Ramasamy and the Justice Party.

Key Contributions to Dravidian Thought

Linguistic Independence and Antiquity: In his seminal book, A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South-Indian Family of Languages (1856), Caldwell scientifically established that South Indian languages (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, etc.) constituted a distinct language family, separate from Sanskrit and the Indo-Aryan languages. This challenged the prevailing view that Tamil was derived from Sanskrit and asserted the ancient glory and independence of Tamil culture.

Challenging Caste and Brahmanical Hegemony: Caldwell used his linguistic and historical research to critique the caste system, which he viewed as an external imposition on the indigenous Dravidian culture. He argued that the four-fold varna system was not native to ancient South India and that Brahmins were "Aryan invaders" who had imposed a rigid social hierarchy.

Elevating Non-Brahmin Identity: By positioning all non-Brahmin South Indians as a unified "Dravidian" race, he created a discursive space for a new collective identity that was distinct from Sanskritic Hinduism. This was a powerful idea that was later leveraged by the non-Brahmin and Self-Respect movements to demand social and political equality.

Social Justice Implications: His work was seen as a way to "elevate public estimation of the cultural standing of the lower castes". The argument that caste was an alien imposition on an originally more egalitarian Dravidian society provided an intellectual basis for movements focusing on self-respect, rationality (questioning religious justifications for caste), and social justice.

In recognition of his profound impact, the government of Tamil Nadu erected a statue of Caldwell on Chennai's Marina Beach in 1968, and a postage stamp was issued in his honor in 2010.