Souza, Teotónio R. de2012-10-032012-10-0303/10/2012http://hdl.handle.net/10437/2879While the colonial policies and the missionary activities dented the caste system by playing upon the caste rivalries to divide and rule, the post-independence Indian democracy transformed the traditional castes into valuable vote-banks that have permitted non-brahmin castes to achieve political leadership in several States, particularly following the politics of reservation recommended by the Mandal Commission in 1980s.application/pdfengopenAccessPOLITICAL SCIENCEHISTORY OF INDIACASTLESCIÊNCIA POLÍTICAHISTÓRIA DA ÍNDIAGOACASTELOSarticle