Abolition movements (slavery in America caste oppression in India).

Abstract

The comparative study of abolition movements against slavery in America and caste oppression in India reveals how deeply entrenched systems of human subjugation were challenged through sustained struggles for justice, equality, and dignity. While American slavery was based on race and legitimized through economic and legal structures, the Indian caste system was rooted in religious sanction and hereditary stratification, relegating Dalits to lives of exclusion. Both movements, though shaped by different cultural contexts, were driven by powerful leaders, reformers, and literature that exposed oppression and mobilized resistance. In America, abolitionist activism, narratives of enslaved individuals, and the Civil War led to emancipation, while in India, social reformers and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s radical vision culminated in constitutional safeguards against untouchability. Yet, legacies of racism and casteism persist, making these struggles relevant even today. This study highlights abolition as an unfinished project, vital for global discourses on equality and human rights.