Andre Beteille, India's most influential sociologists, passes away at 91
Celebrated Indian sociologist Andre Beteille has died at 91.
Historian Ramachandra Guha remembered him as "the great sociologist" he most admired and described Beteille as "a moral and intellectual anchor."
Born in West Bengal to French-Indian parents, Beteille's work shaped how India thinks about society.
Beteille's life and work
Beteille was known for his deep research on caste, class, and power in India.
After studying anthropology at Calcutta University and earning his doctorate from Delhi University, he taught at the Delhi School of Economics and top global universities like Oxford and Cambridge.
He led major academic institutions, became Ashoka University's first chancellor, received the Padma Bhushan in 2005, and wrote influential books like Caste, Class and Power.