Subaltern Studies is a group of South Asian scholars who study post-colonial and post-imperial societies from the perspective of the underclasses. The term "subaltern" was coined by Antonio Gramsci to describe an inferior rank in the army. Today, it refers to people of inferior rank due to their economic condition, race, ethnicity, gender, caste, or sexual orientation. The Subaltern Studies Group aims to produce historical analyses that view subaltern groups as the subjects of history, rather than the objects of it. The group's anti-essentialist approach is one of history from below, focused more on what happens among the masses at the base levels of society than among the elite

Sudipta Kaviraj on Passive Revolution

Sudipta Kaviraj uses the concept of passive revolution, a term originally developed by Antonio Gramsci, to analyze the nature of social and political change in post-colonial societies, particularly India. In Gramsci’s framework, a passive revolution refers to a type of transformation in which significant structural changes occur, but they are implemented without a radical or active mobilization of the masses. Instead, these changes are orchestrated by elite groups to maintain power while adapting to new circumstances.

Kaviraj’s Use of Passive Revolution:

Kaviraj applies this concept to understand the historical and political development of India during and after the colonial period. He suggests that the transition from colonial rule to independence, and the subsequent formation of the modern Indian state, did not represent a complete rupture or revolutionary overthrow of old power structures. Rather, it was a complex process in which the Indian elites, influenced by colonial legacies and modern political ideas, managed a controlled transformation to incorporate aspects of Western modernity without fully democratizing or dismantling traditional hierarchies.

Key Aspects of Kaviraj’s Analysis:

1. Elite-Led Transformation
2. Gradual Adaptation
3. Hybrid Modernity
4. Maintaining Social Hierarchies