Caste, Occupation and Social Transformation

A Study of Artisans of Punjab

This book is about artisan caste, i.e., Thathiar. They are traditionally associated with utensil making. In the wake of industrialization and with the process of modernization many new forces have been unleashed into this traditional hereditary occupation of the Thathiars.The mechanisation of the work processes and intergenerational mobility point towards the diversifications as well as the decay of this occupation in Punjab. The findings on the process of Sanskritisation are illuminating. The study makes an invaluable addition to the body of knowledge needed for the study of social change in changing society.