Population distribution and processes of social mobility influenced caste mobility considerably among various castes in colonial Bengal, especially the marginalized ones. Concentration of certain caste groups in given space helped creating occupational diversification, political aspiration, and community consciousness. Such transformation caused emergence of elite groups within marginalized castes who mobilized masses of their respective communities and eventually challenged dominant caste groups. Castes like Namasudra, Rajbanshi, Pod, Mahishya, Telli, and Sadgop have gone through the process during this period. This paper examines the intricate relationship between demographic concentration and caste mobility with focus on how population dynamics influenced the social setup of colonial Bengal at both individual and community levels. This study envisages to understand the mechanisms of social change and mobility and its historical significance in caste-based hierarchical societal framework of precolonial and colonial Bengal.
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