Anti-Brahminism

Anti-Brahminism is a term used in opposition to caste based hierarchal social order which places Brahmins at its highest position. Initial expressions of Anti-Brahminism emerged from instances of pre-colonial opposition to the caste system in India, ideological influences during the colonial period, and from a colonialist Protestant Christian understanding of religion in the 19th century, which viewed "Brahminism" as a corrupted religion imposed on the Indian population.

Ambedkar and some Hindu Reformists structured their criticism along similar lines following the 19th century criticism of "Brahminism," opposing the dominant position Brahmins had acquired by the time of British rule in the 19th century.

However, anti-Brahminism has also manifested as an anti-Brahmin sentiment, notably during the Dravidian movement and the Self-Respect Movement in the 20th century, and even in the 21st century among some followers of Periyar.