Status Conflicts within a Hindu Caste

A content analysis of 445 items from the two intra-caste journals of a minority Hindu caste, the Sadhu, revealed that (1) this group is engaged in a complex and contradictory process of social change; (2) the older sub-group shows a “negative chauvinism” by rejecting the older Sadhu identifications and adopting the new Brahminic names and symbols; (3) the newer sub-group within this caste shows a positive force towards the traditional mode of identification, but is otherwise more achievement-oriented than the older group; (4) under the influence of recent socio-political changes on the national level, this marginal caste is motivated to change its lower status. Despite the consistent status conflicts and other changes over the period of 30 years, the group, in general, still functions as a traditionally endogamous and intra-dining caste.