Hinduism And Islam In India

Peter Gottschalk offers a compelling study of how, through the British implementation of scientific taxonomy in the subcontinent, Britons and Indians identified an inherent divide between mutually antagonistic religious communities. England's ascent to power coincided with the rise of empirical science as an authoritative way of knowing not only the natural world, but the human one as well. The British scientific passion for classification, combined with the Christian impulse to differentiate people according to religion, led to a designation of Indians as either Hindu or Muslim according to rigidly defined criteria that paralleled classification in botanical and zoological taxonomies. Through an historical and ethnographic study of the north Indian village of Chainpur, Gottschalk shows that the Britons' presumed categories did not necessarily reflect the Indians' concepts of their own identities, though many Indians came to embrace this scientism and gradually accepted the categories the British instituted through projects like the Census of India, the Archaeological Survey of India, and the India Museum. Today's propogators of Hindu-Muslim violence often cite scientistic formulations of difference that descend directly from the categories introduced by imperial Britain. Religion, Science, and Empire will be a valuable resource to anyone interested in the colonial and postcolonial history of religion in India.

"Islam and Hinduism co-existed in India for hundreds of years, dominating, suppressing, and influencing one another." "This book begins with a detailed analysis of the Hindu caste system from its beginnings in antiquity to a guild-like village caste and professional caste system in the Middle Ages, and its continuance within the Muslim and colonial societies. The author analyzes Muslim society in medieval and early modern India by examining a range of topics including the ashraf-ajlaf divide." "Over the course of centuries, India had two parallel societies, the coexistence of which had consequences for all aspects of administration and culture. The author explains the lack of major efforts by Hindu states to resist Muslim and other invaders and discusses the late emergence of Hindu nationalism in response to Muslim and European invaders and rulers, as well as the concept of 'one India.'" --Book Jacket.

This book focuses on the impact of Hindu cultural and religious practices on the Indian Muslims. As a minority, Indian Muslims have been living in close proximity with the Hindus since eleventh century. While the traces left by Muslim rule on Indian Society, literature, and culture have been well-recognised, the impact of Hindus on Muslims has not been studied to the extent desired.

Monograph on social integration of the Islamic minority group in India - examines cultural factors which have contributed to social conflict and unharmonious intergroup relations, presents survey data, etc., and recommends that moslems undertake voluntary cultural change and undergo acculturation to the surrounding hindu majority.

This book reconstructs Hindu–Muslim relations from a European standpoint. Drawing from the Indian context, the author explores options for Western Europe – a region grappling with the refugee crisis and populist reactions to the growth of Muslim minorities. The author shows how India can serve not only as a model but also as a warning for Europe. For example, European liberals may learn not only from the achievements of Indian secularism but also from its crisis. Based on extensive interviews with Indians from diverse backgrounds, from politicians to social activists and from the middle class to slum dwellers, the volume investigates a wide range of perspectives: Hindu and Muslim, religious and secular, moderate and militant. Relevant, engaging and accessible, this book speaks to a broad audience of concerned citizens and policy makers. Scholars of political science, sociology, modern history, cultural studies and South Asian studies will be particularly interested.

`A sensitive and intelligent account of the Indian nationalist thought and the difficulties it faced in doing justice to India`s Islamic inheritance' - Lord Parekh Fellow of the British Academy `A thoughtful, well-researched and original analysis of the nationalist conceptualisation of the Muslim presence in India' - Professor Noel O`Sullivan , University of Hull Amalendu Misra shows that while some eminent nationalist leaders were implacably hostile to Muslims, even wholly secular ones were uneasy with India’s Muslim past and had a generally unfavourable disposition towards both Muslims and Islam. The book explicates this by focusing on the writings of Vivekananda, Gandhi, Nehru and Savarkar supported by a wealth of examples from a wide range of contexts. It argues that the views of these four prominent individuals were heavily shaped by British historiography as well as their respective visions of independent India. The author goes on to suggest how modern India needs to redefine itself to flourish as a genuinely secular democracy.