What was the condition of the untouchables in British India?

The exclusion of low caste-men as such from the Sirkar service is another substantial disability. Here as in the other phases of the question, the idea of 'thindal' is at the root of the injustice, and besides, over and above the more purely religious question there is a strong popular feeling that if a low caste man was admitted to a position of authority, high caste-men would on occasion have to stand before him-a situation very repugnant to high caste feeling.

In native states of South India, condition of the untouchables continued to be deplor­able even though the British intervention had forced their government to ameliorate their sufferings considerably. Thus some reforms like abolition of slavery, admission to schools, courts and other public offices, permission to use public roads etc., were granted to make their life better than it used to be.

The Hindus were divided into castes and sub-castes. At the bottom of the social ladder were the untouchables. They were not allowed to draw water from wells used by people of the high castes and a high caste person would not eat or drink anything touched by an untouchable.