David N. Lorenzen

Warrior Ascetics in Indian History

tanate. The earlier existence of violent conflict between kings and temples is documented for Kashmir in the Rdjatarangini. The basis of this conflict was in large measure economic. Under Muslim rule this economic conflict continued but was also given religious sanction. This seems to have altered the situation sufficiently to provoke the creation of military orders of ascetics. Even so, these orders became politically significant only after the collapse of the Mughal Empire, and more particularly after British activities created political and economic chaos in the second half of the eighteenth century. One result of this chaotic situation was the so-called Sannyasi Rebellion, a complex phenomenon whose main participants were in fact Muslim fakirs. After the consolidation of British rule no scope remained for the different groups of warrior ascetics and they rapidly declined in importance.

Europeans in late Mughal south Asia: The perceptions of Italian missionaries

During the last half of the eighteenth century, a group of Roman Catholic Capuchin friars from Italy were active as missionaries in various towns in Bihar and also in Chandernagore. Their principal stations in Bihar were Bettiah and Patna. Four of these missionaries wrote letters, essays, books and translations relating to their encounter with Hinduism, Indian culture, and the political events of the period. These texts shed light on what was happening in these towns during this period, and also explain in detail the reactions of the missionaries to Hindu polytheism, Hindu mythology, the caste system, and the political culture of late Mughal society. What is particularly interesting is the contrast between their perceptions, influenced by conservative Catholicism, and those of the French and British, more influenced by Enlightenment culture.

Book Review: History, Bhakti, and Public Memory: Namdev in Religious and Secular Traditions

Christian Lee Novetzke, History, Bhakti, and Public Memory: Namdev in Religious and Secular Traditions, Ranikhet: Permanent Black, 2009, pp. 309.

Book Reviews : ISHITA BANERJEE DUBE, Divine Affairs: Religion, Pilgrimage, and the State in Colo nial and Postcolonial India. Shimla: Indian Institute of Advanced Study, 2001, pp. 195

Ishita Banerjee Dube has written an important book about the cult of Jagannath in Puri and the long historical struggle for control of the rituals, the festivals and, above all, the pilgrimage income among the raja of Puri, the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial governments, and the various ritual functionaries associated with the temple. The book has four chapters arranged thematically rather than chronologically. The major themes include the following: (i) the myths and legends associated with Puri and Jagannath; (ii) the legal, political and religious relations between the temple and the raja of Khurda/Puri, on the one hand, and between the raja and the colonial and post-colonial states on the other; (iii) the everyday and festival activities of the temple managed by often competing groups of ritual functionaries, especially cooks, guards and pilgrimage guides (pandas), and their relentless efforts to extract income from the pilgrims and avoid administrative control by the raja or state; (iv) the famous car festival of Jagannath, its liturgical cycle, and the multiple meanings assigned to the festival and the pilgrimage to Puri to attend it. In addition, the introduction addresses some of the more theoretical

The Origins and Development of Classical Hinduism

The late A.L. Basham was one of the worlds foremost authorities on ancient Indian culture and religion. Modeled on his monumental work The Wonder That Was India, this account of the origins and development of classical Hinduism represents a lifetime of reflection on the subject, and offers an intriguing introduction to one of the richest of all Asian traditions.Synthesizing Bashams great knowledge of the art, architecture, literature, and religion of South Asia, this concise history traces the spiritual life of India from the time of the Indus Culture (around 2700 B.C.E) through the crystallization of classical Hinduism in the first centuries of the common era. It chronicles as well the rise of other mystical and ascetic traditions, such as Buddhism and Jainism, and follows Hinduisms later incarnations in the West, making it an especially comprehensive introduction to the subject.Unlike Christianity or Islam, Hinduism was not inspired by single great prophet but rather evolved organically. The wide range of influences and sources--along with the great number of sacred texts in ancient languages--can make the Hindu system of faith and practice seem almost impenetrable to the uninitiated. With its vivid presentation of Hinduisms sources--from the warrior Aryans to the wandering ascetics--and its clearly written explanations and analyses of the major Hindu texts--among them the Rg-veda, the Brahmanas, Upanishads, and the Mahabharata and Ramayana--The Origins of Classical Hinduism clarifies much of Hinduisms enduring mystique. With an especially helpful bibliography, numerous illustrations of Hindu art never before published, and a lucid, accessible style, this book is must reading for anyone who has ever been intrigued by this fascinating religion.