Kanthapura

by

Raja Rao

A low caste of manual laborers. Also called sudra.

Shudra Quotes in Kanthapura

The Kanthapura quotes below are all either spoken by Shudra or refer to Shudra. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Oral Tradition, Writing, and Political Power Theme Icon
).
Section 1 Quotes

Till now I’ve spoken only of the Brahmin quarter. Our village had a Pariah quarter too, a Potters’ quarter, a Weavers’ quarter, and a Sudra quarter. How many huts had we there? I do not know. There may have been ninety or a hundred—though a hundred may be the right number. Of course you wouldn’t expect me to go into the Pariah quarter, but I have seen from the street-corner Beadle Timmayya’s hut.

Related Characters: Achakka (speaker), Moorthy, Beadle Timmayya
Page Number: 5
Explanation and Analysis:
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Kanthapura PDF

Shudra Term Timeline in Kanthapura

The timeline below shows where the term Shudra appears in Kanthapura. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Section 1
Gandhism and the Erosion of Caste Theme Icon
Labor, Exploitation, and Economic Independence Theme Icon
...poor peasant”—but he is also “a terror […] to the authorities!” He protects his fellow sudras, who “were always badly dressed” and never paid their debts on time. (full context)
Gandhism and the Erosion of Caste Theme Icon
Land, Geography, and Belonging Theme Icon
Across the Sudra Street is the Brahmin Street, where Achakka herself lives, Subba Chetty has his shop, and... (full context)
Oral Tradition, Writing, and Political Power Theme Icon
Gandhism and the Erosion of Caste Theme Icon
...for her—and Moorthy continues around the village collecting money, even from the Potters, Weavers, and Sudras. Achakka worries when she hears Moorthy even went to the Pariah quarter, wondering whether “he... (full context)