The religious and philosophical traditions, practices, and social structures of the Brahmin caste in Hinduism, or the ideology that upholds Brahmin supremacy.
From 'brahmin' plus the English suffix '-ism' meaning a system, practice, or ideology. This creates a noun describing the complete system of Brahmin beliefs and practices.
Brahminism describes both the genuine spiritual philosophy and the social hierarchy that gave Brahmins power—the word itself became contested because it could mean either the philosophical tradition OR the system of caste oppression, depending on who was using it.
Brahminism historically reinforced rigid patriarchal caste hierarchies that strictly regulated women's roles, education, and inheritance. The system excluded women from religious authority and intellectual leadership, encoding gender subordination into spiritual doctrine.
Recognize gendered harms when discussing Brahminism; acknowledge women's resistance movements and alternative Hindu/Buddhist traditions that rejected brahminical patriarchy.
["brahminical system","brahminical authority structures"]
Women philosophers and bhakti movement leaders (e.g., Akka Mahadevi, Mira Bai) directly challenged brahminical gender restrictions through devotional and intellectual traditions.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.