Hindu Sects and Caste

Abstract

Abstract In South Asia, Hindu sects have always involved only a minority of people. They nevertheless have played a crucial role to the point that some authors have seen them as being responsible for the very survival of Hinduism. How must this sectarian phenomenon be understood in a society organised around the caste system? This chapter deals with this question by examining the different ways sects have been defined throughout history, by indigenous authors as well as by sociologists. It also analyses the different ways Hindu sects interact with the caste system. It shows that because caste and sect represent two antagonistic, yet compatible, types of religious communalization, their distinction is a fecund one through which to apprehend the diversity of Hinduism. Yet, as sociological categories these two terms do not cover all scales of Hindu religious groups.