INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH CULTURE SOCIETY

Abstract:   The Lingayat movement was a powerful socio-religious movement that originated in north-western Karnataka in the latter half of the 12th century. Later, it spread to the rest of Karnataka and also to parts of Andhra Pradesh. The Lingayat movement strongly critiqued discrimination based on caste and gender. Alongside this, they also critiqued the existing ritualistic aspects of orthodox Brahmanical religion. However, the most significant aspect of this movement is its unique conceptualisation of religion and advocacy for equality among men and women. This research paper tries to explore and analyse some aspects of the lives of Lingayat women during the colonial period in light of the strong pro-women Lingayat tradition. The paper analyses the core philosophical aspects of the movement and the extent of its influence on the Lingayat community during the colonial period. The primary sources utilised for this purpose suggest that Lingayat practices were influenced by the process of colonial knowledge production and reflect a deviation from the core aspects of Lingayat philosophy. This change in their practices shaped the lives of young girls and women of the community. This paper is a humble attempt to initiate a serious discussion on the colonial history of the Lingayat community with a gender lens.