Independent India conducted its first census in 1951. However, this was not novel given that census exercises have been conducted every decade starting from 1870s. The last “proper” census conducted in British India was in 1931, as the one in 1941 was badly hampered by war.

The 1931 census is a very significant document and worthy of study, as it was the last time a census exercise examined India through the prism of caste and community – dimensions which have been taboo in census reports post-1951.

When we read the 1951 report, we learn that the Indian literacy rate was 18.3 per cent. But we do not know how that number varied by caste, nor do we know the interplay between caste, region, and gender.

To get insights into how Indian literacy levels varied by these factors, the best we can do is to dig deep into the 1931 census – a remarkable document with a wealth of information that has been denied to us post-1951 for better or worse.

While the document is rich in many ways, we will focus specifically on data pertaining to literacy – and how it varies across three important dimensions: region, caste and gender.

Before we start looking at literacy rates, we must first understand how the report in 1931 defined "literacy". This report said a literate person was someone who can write a letter, and also read an answer to it, in any language. Also the literacy rates were published based on the section of the population aged five and above.

So, based on these qualifiers, the literacy rate in British India back in 1931 was 9.5 per cent, translating into 28.1 million out of a total population of 296.3 million. The literacy rate was 15.6 per cent among men and 2.9 per cent among women.

How did literacy rates vary by region? Here's a quick look at the literacy rates in some major provinces: