Dalit

Also known as untouchables, untouchable caste, pariah, pariahs

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.

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

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Commons category: Dalit

Sources (3)

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~53 min read

Article

45 sections

Contents

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

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.