The history of Dalits in India is commonly presented as one of discrimination. Dalit understandings of the past, however, go beyond this and are intricately connected to the emotional space of the ‘under-privileged’. They resist attempts to homogenise the community and its experiences, assert that the term ‘Dalit’ houses not one but many identities shaped by complex social processes, and call for the study of new sources and the adoption of new methodologies in constructing the histories of the marginalised.

Exploring the diverse facets of the history and cultural experiences of Dalits, Identity, Conflict, and Counter-Narratives studies how this multiplicity aids our understanding of what it means to be Dalit. The ten essays in this volume engage with a wide spectrum of Dalit realities, from the community histories of theyyam artistes in Kerala and the soldiers-turned-acrobats and leather-workers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, to the politics of lower-caste social mobility in West Bengal, of identity formation in Tamil Nadu, and of reservations in north and south India. They chart narratives of suppression, assertion, negotiation, and adaptation against the backdrop of larger historical developments in the subcontinent.

Foregrounded in this attempt is the image of the Dalit as warrior, entertainer, craftsperson, cultural custodian, priest, leader, thinker, visionary, self-interested political agent—in sum, a kaleidoscope of incisive, rigorous regional histories that have been overlooked or oversimplified in the national imagination.

Written by leading scholars from all over India, this volume is a pioneering contribution to the growing field of caste studies that will prove invaluable to students of history, sociology, and political science, as well as to interested readers.