Author:

Sambuddha Chakraborty
1Ph.D. Research Scholar
Department of History
Rabindra Bharati University
Kolkata,West Bengal,India

Email: Sambuddha29@gmail.com

Abstract:: This paper explores the historical and ideological transition from the Vaishnava bhakti movement of Chaitanya in medieval Bengal to the emergence of the Matua movement under Harichand Thakur in the nineteenth century. Situated within the broader framework of caste hierarchy in Indian society, the study examines how Brahmanical dominance institutionalised graded inequality through ritual exclusion and social stratification. Although Chaitanya’s devotional universalism appeared to transcend caste distinctions and attracted followers from diverse social backgrounds, its impact remained largely confined to the spiritual domain, leaving structural inequalities intact.The paper argues that while the Matua movement emerged from the Vaishnava devotional tradition, it moved beyond spiritual egalitarianism to articulate a form of caste consciousness and social transformation, thereby reshaping Namasudra identity in Bengal.

Key Words:: Namasudra, Matua Movement, Vaishnavism, Caste Hierarchy etc.