Renowned Indian sociologist Andre Beteille passes away at 91

Renowned Indian sociologist, writer, and academic Andre Beteille died on Tuesday night at the age of 91 due to an age‑related illness at his residence in New Delhi. “My father was ailing for some time and was in the hospital. Last night we brought him home where he passed away,” his daughter, Radha Beteille , said. His last rites were performed on Wednesday .

Born on September 30, 1934 , in West Bengal to a French father and an Indian mother, Beteille completed his MA from Calcutta University before moving to Delhi, where he would spend much of his academic life. He became one of India’s most respected sociologists, widely recognized for his empirical studies of caste, class, power, inequality, and social change in Indian society.

Beteille’s intellectual journey was marked by rigorous fieldwork and a commitment to marrying theory with real‑world observation. His seminal work, Caste, Class and Power: Changing Patterns of Stratification in a Tanjore Village , based on extensive fieldwork in a Tamil Nadu village called Sripuram, showed how caste, economic class, and political power intertwined and shifted in modern India. This landmark book challenged earlier views of caste as a monolithic system and opened new paths for empirical sociology in India.

Throughout his career, Beteille wrote extensively on themes ranging from political sociology to the sociology of religion , inequality, social change, backward classes, and social reproduction. His major contributions include works such as Society and Politics in India , The Idea of Natural Inequality and Other Essays , Castes: Old and New , and influential essays on democracy, citizenship, and social stratification.

Beteille held prominent academic positions both in India and abroad. He was Professor of Sociology at the Delhi School of Economics and served as Professor Emeritus at the University of Delhi from 2003. He was appointed National Research Professor by the Government of India in 2007 , served as Chancellor of North Eastern Hill University , and was the first Chancellor of Ashoka University . He also held visiting fellowships at prestigious institutions including Cambridge University , the London School of Economics , and the University of Chicago .

Recognized for his enduring impact on sociology and public thought, Beteille received the Padma Bhushan in 2005 for his contributions to literature and education. He was also a Fellow of the British Academy and an honorary fellow of other international scholarly bodies.

Leading public intellectual Ramachandra Guha expressed deep sorrow at Beteille’s passing, describing him as “a moral and intellectual anchor” for many scholars and thinkers in India.

Andre Beteille’s work reshaped the study of Indian society by insisting that inequality, hierarchy, and social change be understood through empirical evidence and comparative analysis rather than abstract models. His scholarly legacy will continue to influence students, researchers, and policymakers for generations.