Anti-Brahminism originated in selective anti-Brahmin massacres by the Islamic and Portuguese invaders, and became central to the British defence of the colonial system. The Brahmin community was recognized as an obstacle to conversions and the backbone of the freedom movement. The Dalit and Dravidianist movement have instrumentalized the Aryan Invasion Theory in its service. It remains a central plank in India’s “secularism” and international Hindu-bashing.