Reconfiguring Inequalities and Tolerating Democratization: Understanding Political Elite Strategies in Rajasthan

This paper aims to describe the processes of social change in the elite structures and how traditional political elites, with princely family background, tend to reconfigure themselves in the changing social and political contexts of Bikaner city in Rajasthan state of India. The traditional system of feudal power organized around princely families has been challenged by the rise of new political elites from non-princely backgrounds in the postcolonial contexts in 19^th century India. This marked a shift in political field (to use Bourdieu’s concept), and created a rupture in the structures of power and domination. Drawing upon the empirical study of Bikaner town in Rajasthan, this paper maps the elite strategies to reproduce their monopoly over a particular field. It also explains the renewal in the process of reconfiguring power and inequalities vis-à-vis the challenges posed by democratic politics. With the entry of new elites and intermediate caste groups into urban politics and business, Bikaner city’s elite structure has become highly competitive and yet maintains its exclusivist nature. It concludes with the discussion of how this change has produced new problems of legitimation and of acceptability for traditional political elites.