A Study of Śrīmanata Śaṅkaradeva’s Neo-Vaiṣṇavism from Sociological Perspective

Abstract

This study explores the socio-cultural dimensions of Śrīmanata Śaṅkaradeva’s Neo-Vaiṣṇavism, a significant religious reform movement originating in 15th-century Assam. Through a sociological lens, the research examines how Śaṅkaradeva’s teachings and practices influenced societal structures, community cohesion, and individual identity. The study analyzes the movement’s role in promoting social harmony, challenging existing hierarchical norms, and fostering a collective religious consciousness among followers. By investigating the interplay between religious ideology and social change, the research highlights Neo-Vaiṣṇavism’s impact on the socio-cultural fabric of Assamese society and its enduring relevance in contemporary times. This sociological perspective provides a nuanced understanding of how religious movements can serve as catalysts for social transformation and cohesion. One of the most significant socio-cultural and religious revivals in Northeast India's history was the Neo-Vaiṣṇavite movement in Assam in the fifteenth century, led by the polymath Śrīmanta Śaṅkaradeva. Although the movement has historically been seen through a hagiographic or theological lens, this paper uses a sociological framework to examine it as a conscious attempt at social engineering. This study examines how Śaṅkaradeva questioned strict caste hierarchies, incorporated various ethnic and tribal groups and promoted a democratic identity by examining the structural and functional elements of indigenous institutions such as the Nāmghar, Thans and Kirtanghars. The study makes the case, using an analytical and historical approach that Neo-Vaiṣṇavism served as a catalyst for social change by substituting an egalitarian framework known as Eka-Śaraṇa-Nāma-Dharma for esoteric ritualism and animal sacrifice. The study comes to the conclusion that the movement's focus on moral behaviour, group involvement and cultural synthesis served as the cornerstone of contemporary Assamese society and provided a strong example of social cohesiveness that endures even now, five centuries later. Keywords: Cohesion, Bhakti Movement, Egalitarianism, Nāmghar, Neo-Vaiṣṇavism, Śrīmanta Śaṅkaradeva, social cohesion, social engineering.