Dalit
Sign in to savethumb| Representation of the varna system hierarchy, depicting Brahmins (priests) at the highest level and Dalits (historically marginalized as untouchables, considered outside the varna system) at the lowest stratum.
AI overview
Dalits are people in South Asia who have historically been excluded from the traditional caste hierarchy and treated as "untouchables," facing severe social discrimination and restrictions. Their status matters because this marginalization has persisted for centuries and continues to affect access to education, employment, and basic rights for millions of people today.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Ethnic group.group
- Dalit
- Ethnic group.image
- 200px|Two women from the Dalit community of Kerala
- Ethnic group.image_caption
- Two Pulaya women from Kerala
- Ethnic group.pop1
- 201.4 million (2011)
- Ethnic group.pop2
- 6.5 million (2010)
- Ethnic group.pop3
- 5 million (2011)
- Ethnic group.pop4
- 5 million (2011)
- Ethnic group.pop5
- 3 million (2011)
- Ethnic group.pop6
- 500,000 (2013)
- Ethnic group.pop7
- 250,000 (2013)
- Ethnic group.langs
- South Asian languages
- Ethnic group.related
- Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Munda
Article
45 sectionsContents
- Terminology
- Other terms
- Official term
- Harijan
- Regional terms
- History
- Demographics
- Socioeconomic status and discrimination
- Education
- Poverty
- Occupations
- Healthcare and nutrition
- Crime
- Prevention of Atrocities Act
- Religion
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Sikhism
- Jainism
- Christianity
- Islam
- Political involvement
- National Dalit-led political parties in India
- Other recognized state political parties
- Nepali Dalit-led parties
- Dalit-led political parties in Pakistan
- Other dalit groups
- Votebank
- Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Sub-Plan
- Beyond the Indian subcontinent
- United Kingdom
- Sikh diaspora in Britain
- In the Caribbean
- In Continental Europe
- In the United States
- Literature
- In the film industry
- Internal conflicts
- Notable people
- See also
- Similarly discriminated groups
- References
- Sources
- Further reading
- External links
thumb| Representation of the varna system hierarchy, depicting Brahmins (priests) at the highest level and Dalits (historically marginalized as untouchables, considered outside the varna system) at the lowest stratum.
Dalit (, from meaning "broken/scattered"), also called Harijans () is a term used for untouchables and outcasts, who represent the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold varna of the caste hierarchy in Hinduism and were seen as forming a fifth varna, also known by the name of Panchama.