religion, and the role of religion in the public sphere. It draws a clear sketch of early Hindu traditions and practices and their social role, the engagement of Hinduism with minority traditions, and its
modern political and social context. The essays touch upon various themes providing a historical perspective of early Hindu traditions (Hardy, Stientencron), religious authority (Malinar), movements (Dalmia), engagement with minority traditions (Das), law (Conrad), and contemporary trends, especially in historiography (Pandey), performance (Kapur), Hindutva (Chatterjee, Jaffrelot), and gender (Paola Bacchetta) among others. A comprehensive introduction by Vasudha Dalmia situates the essays in
their proper political and social context and also provides an update on recent developments.
Share This Book: