Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar — jurist, economist, chief architect of the Constitution of India and the foremost leader of India's Dalits — was also one of the most searching thinkers on religion in modern India. He subjected Hindu society to an uncompromising critique of caste, searched for a faith founded on liberty, equality and fraternity, and in 1956 embraced Buddhism with hundreds of thousands of followers. This page presents his views in his own terms.
A life against caste
- 1891Born on 14 April at Mhow into the Mahar community, then treated as "untouchable".
- 1913–23Studies at Columbia University and the London School of Economics; called to the bar.
- 1927Leads the Mahad Satyagraha for access to a public water tank; the Manusmriti is publicly burned on 25 December.
- 1930Leads the Kalaram temple entry satyagraha at Nashik.
- 1935At Yeola declares that he will not die a Hindu.
- 1936Writes "Annihilation of Caste".
- 1947–51Law Minister; chairs the Drafting Committee of the Constitution; resigns in 1951 over the stalling of the Hindu Code Bill.
- 1956Embraces Buddhism at Nagpur on 14 October with a vast gathering of followers; dies in Delhi on 6 December.
The critique of caste and scripture
For Ambedkar, caste was not a mere social custom but a system sanctioned by religious texts, above all the Manusmriti, which divided society into graded inequality. In "Annihilation of Caste" (1936), written as an address that its organisers refused to let him deliver, he argued that reform within the system was not enough: the religious authority behind caste had to be rejected.
I was born a Hindu, but I solemnly assure you that I will not die as a Hindu.
A religion of liberty, equality and fraternity
Ambedkar did not reject religion as such. He believed society needed a moral foundation, and he defined true religion as one founded on liberty, equality and fraternity and on reason rather than revelation. In Buddhism — an Indian religion that rejected caste — he found that foundation. His book "The Buddha and His Dhamma" (published in 1957) presents the Buddha's teaching as a social and ethical gospel, and the 22 vows he administered at Nagpur explicitly renounced belief in Hindu deities and in caste.
Ambedkar and Hindu national thought
Ambedkar is today honoured across the political spectrum, including by Hindu nationalist organisations that cite his choice of an Indian religion over others and his concern for national unity, as in "Thoughts on Pakistan" (1940). Many Ambedkarite scholars and activists object that such claims obscure the depth of his rejection of Hinduism and the caste order. Any fair account must keep his own words at the centre: he was a reformer who left Hinduism, not one who stayed within it.
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Frequently asked questions
Why did Ambedkar convert to Buddhism?
He held that Hinduism sanctioned caste inequality and sought a religion based on liberty, equality, fraternity and reason; he found it in Buddhism and converted at Nagpur on 14 October 1956.
What is Annihilation of Caste?
A 1936 text by Ambedkar, written as a speech, arguing that caste could not be ended without rejecting the religious authority that sanctioned it.
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Read nextNetaji Subhas Chandra BoseSources & copyright status
- B. R. Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste (1936) — public domain in India
- B. R. Ambedkar, The Buddha and His Dhamma (1957) — public domain in India
- Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches (Government of Maharashtra) — government publication
- Report of the Yeola conference speech (1935) — historical record
- Historical facts: not subject to copyright.
- Commentary and translations on this page: original to The Hindu Book. © The Hindu Book, all rights reserved.
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