Title page of the first edition of The Untouchables: Who Were They and Why They Became Untouchables, Amrit Book Co., New Delhi, first published October 1948. Digital Library of India scan.
Title page, first edition, 1948 · Photo: B. R. Ambedkar (Amrit Book Co.) · Public domain (PD-India) · Internet Archive
Book · 1948

The Untouchables

Who the untouchables were, and how untouchability began.

Inside the volumeWritings and Speeches, Vol. 7Printed pages 229–380 · PDF pages 248–399
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Text word for word from the official volume. 17 sections below, each opening at its page.

Contents of The Untouchables

  1. PrefacePDF p. 258
  2. Part I: A Comparative SurveyChapter I. Untouchability Among Non-Hindusp. 249
  3. Chapter II. Untouchability Among Hindusp. 256
  4. Part II: Problem of HabitatChapter III. Why Do the Untouchables Live Outside the Village?p. 271
  5. Chapter IV. Are the Untouchables Broken Men?p. 278
  6. Chapter V. Are There Parallel Cases?p. 281
  7. Chapter VI. How Did Separate Settlements for Broken Men Disappear Elsewhere?p. 284
  8. Part III: Old Theories of the Origin of UntouchabilityChapter VII. Racial Difference as the Origin of Untouchabilityp. 289
  9. Chapter VIII. Occupational Origin of Untouchabilityp. 305
  10. Part IV: New Theories of the Origin of UntouchabilityChapter IX. Contempt for Buddhists as the Root of Untouchabilityp. 311
  11. Chapter X. Beef Eating as the Root of Untouchabilityp. 318
  12. Part V: The New Theories and Some QuestionsChapter XI. Did the Hindus Never Eat Beef?p. 323
  13. Chapter XII. Why Did Non-Brahmins Give Up Beef-Eating?p. 329
  14. Chapter XIII. What Made the Brahmins Become Vegetarians?p. 334
  15. Chapter XIV. Why Should Beef-Eating Make Broken Men Untouchables?p. 350
  16. Part VI: Untouchability and the Date of Its BirthChapter XV. The Impure and the Untouchablesp. 359
  17. Chapter XVI. When Did Broken Men Become Untouchables?p. 370