The impact of sanskritization in a forest‐dwelling tribe of Gujarat, India. Ecology, food consumption patterns, nutrient intake, anthropometric, clinical and hematological status

The phenomenon of “Sanskritization,” a process by which a low caste or tribe is able to rise to a higher position in the caste hierarchy by adopting vegetarianism, teetotalism, and rituals of the higher castes, was investigated in two culturally different segments of the forest‐dwelling Rathwakoli, Gujarat, India. Sixty‐five Bhagat families who had given up meat, alcohol and other tribal ways were compared with 42 non‐Bhagat families who adhered to tribal habits for differences in ecological lifestyle, food consumption patterns (especially edible forest produce), nutrient intakes, anthropometric, clinical and hematological status. The Bhagats were superior with respect to village leadership, literacy and living conditions whereas the non‐Bhagats were superior in land ownership, variety of food crops cultivated and milch cattle. Major dietary differences were rejection of non‐vegetarian food, of alcohol, and of much edible forest produce by Bhagats. Non‐Bhagats adhered to primitive recipes, Bhagats preferred an urbanized diet. Non‐Bhagat children (1–5 years) had superior weight‐for‐age, adult Bhagat males had better anthropometric status. Clinical deficiency signs attributable to inadequate intakes of vitamin A, iron and ascorbic acid were more prominent among Bhagats, whose hematological status was inferior to that of non‐Bhagats. Sanskritization has brought the Bhagats social benefits and led to rejection of earlier sound dietary habits, leading to higher prevalence of specific nutritional disorders.

Key words:

• Sanskritization
• ecology
• dietary
• anthropometries
• clinical studies
• hematological studies
• tribal studies
• India