A History of the Mahrattas v1.c18.16

v1.c18.16

² [The Lingāyats are a religious community resident in the southern part of the Bombay Presidency, and date their establishment in the twelfth century when a reformer, Basava of Kalyāni, Hyderābād, first brought them into prominence. They are Shaivas, and wear the lingam suspended round their necks. Originally the movement was anti-Brahmanical, and caste distinctions were entirely ignored by the earlier converts, many of whom had belonged to the Jain religion. The converts of a later date are ranged in subdivisions based on profession and occupation, and despite their principles, castes exist among them to-day.]