Dalit

The term Dalit refers to the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent, who were excluded from the fourfold varna of the caste hierarchy and formed a fifth varna, also known as Panchama. Dalits predominantly follow Hinduism, but also have significant populations of adherents of Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity, and Islam. The term Dalit was first coined by Jyotirao Phule in the late 19th century to describe the outcasts and untouchables who were oppressed and broken in Hindu society, and was popularized by B.R. Ambedkar, a Dalit himself, who included all depressed people in the definition of Dalits.learn more on wikipedia