Caste

by

Isabel Wilkerson

Bhimrao Ambedkar Character Analysis

Bhimrao Ambedkar was born in India in the late 19th century to a family from the “Untouchable” caste—the bottommost rung of the Indian caste system. In spite of the circumstances of his birth, Ambedkar achieved academic success and, in 1913, traveled to the United States to study economics at Columbia University. Ambedkar soon began working alongside civil rights activists like W.E.B. DuBois, finding many commonalities between the struggle of his people and the struggles of Black Americans. As the “patron saint of the low-born” and the “father” of the anti-caste movement in India, Ambedkar advocated for the Untouchables to become known as the Dalits—a word for “broken people” who’d been unfairly excluded from society for millennia. Ambedkar dedicated his life to raising awareness about caste systems around the world, as well as to dismantling them.
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Bhimrao Ambedkar Character Timeline in Caste

The timeline below shows where the character Bhimrao Ambedkar appears in Caste. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter Three: An American Untouchable
Caste, Race, and Social Division in the U.S.  Theme Icon
Caste as a Global Problem  Theme Icon
In 1913, a man named Bhimrao Ambedkar —born into the Untouchable class in India—arrived in New York City to study economics at... (full context)
Caste, Race, and Social Division in the U.S.  Theme Icon
Caste as a Global Problem  Theme Icon
...Indian caste system, the organizers of the conference presented Wilkerson with a bronze bust of Bhimrao Ambedkar . Countless presenters and attendees talked with Wilkerson about their experiences of caste. On the... (full context)