[ 'hʌrɪdʒ(ə)n , 'harɪdʒan ]
■ noun a member of a hereditary Hindu group of the lowest social and ritual status. See untouchable .
Origin
from Sanskrit harijana , lit. 'a person dedicated to Vishnu', from Hari 'Vishnu' + jana 'person'. The term was adopted and popularized by Gandhi.