Beyond Reformism

Chhatrapati Shahu and Hinduism Reimagined

Abstract

In this article, I investigate the intellectual contributions of Chhatrapati Shahu, who was the ruler of the princely state of Kolhapur from 1894 to 1922. Shahu was not just a prominent source of patronage for the non-Brahmin movement, but he was also an influential public speaker who shaped an alternative conception of Hinduism. Shahu attempted to reimagine Hinduism through the prism of the Arya Samaj and as this article explores, Shahu’s creatively resolved the balance between this alternative idea of Hinduism while simultaneously retaining a staunch critique of caste practices. Instead of identifying him as a ‘Sanskritizing Kshatriya’ agent, I seek to study Shahu’s gradual transformation of views on caste by calling him a ‘radical reformist’. Furthermore, I argue that Shahu’s public presence from 1890s to 1920 had a major impact on how the generation after Jotirao Phule imagined and responded to the discourses surrounding religion, identity and caste. Despite Shahu’s status as the Maharaja of Kolhapur, his speeches delivered all across Maharashta and beyond, were instrumental in channelling the movement’s trajectory during the early 20th century. Lastly, I suggest that even if Shahu’s methods seemingly imitated Brahmins, more so with the adoption of the Kshatriya seat of authority as a counter to the Brahmin one, his conception of this parallel authority emphasised the significance of equality and individual autonomy.