Who Invented Hinduism: Essays on Religion in History
Who Invented Hinduism? presents ten masterly essays on the history of religious movements and ideologies in India by the eminent scholar of religious studies, David N. Lorenzen. Stretching from a discussion on the role of religion, skin colour and language in distinguishing between the Aryas and the Dasas, to a study of the ways in which contact between Hindus, on the one hand, and Muslims and Christians, on the other, changed the nature of the Hindu religion, the volume asks two principal questions: how did the religion of the Hindus affect the course of Indian history and what sort of an impact did the events of Indian history have on the Hindu religion. The essays cast a critical eye on scholarly Arguments which are based as much on current fashion or on conventional wisdom as on evidence available in historical documents. Taking issue with renowned scholars such as Louis Dumont, Romila Thapar, Thomas Trautmann and Dipesh Chakrabarty on some central conceptions of the religious history of India, Lorenzen establishes alternative positions on the same through a thorough and compelling look at a vast array of literary sources. Touching upon some controversial arguments, this well-timed and insightful volume draws attention to the unavoidably influential role of religion in the history of India, and in doing so, it creates a wider space for further discussion focusing on this central issue.
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akharas Anantadas Aryan Aryas Asian Basham beliefs and practices Bengal Bettiah bhakti Brahmins British Buddhist Capuchins Cassiano caste Hinduism century A.D. Chandernagore Christian claim colonial concept cultural Dāsas Dasnami Dasyus Delhi Dialogue discussion early English essay ethnic European evidence fact fakirs friars Gargnano Giuseppe da Rovato Giuseppe Maria Goddess groups Gupta guru Hindi Hindu Hinduism ibid ideology important Indra inscription invented Italian Kabir Panth Kapalikas karma king kingship language Lorenzen Macerata Marco della Tomba Maria da Gargnano missionaries modern movements Mughal Muslim Nepal nirguni non-Aryas non-caste Hinduism Nonetheless passage Patna political published Puranas raja Ramanand references religious Rg-veda Rovato sadhus saints Sankara Sannyasi Rebellion sannyasis Sanskrit scholars sects Shudra Sikandar Sikh Singh skin colour social society sources South Asia Tantric Tantric religion temples texts Thapar Tibet Tibet Mission tion tradition translation Trautmann Tukaram University Untouchables upper caste varna Vedas Vedic Vishnu warrior ascetics word written