Culture and power in Banaras : community, performance, and environment, 1800-1980

This collection of ten essays on Banaras, one of the largest urban centers in India's eastern Gangetic plain, is united by a common interest in examining everyday activities in order to learn about shared values and motivations, processes of identity formation, and self-conscious constructions of community. Part One examines the performance genres that have drawn audiences from throughout the city. Part Two focuses on the areas of neighborhood, leisure, and work, examining the processes by which urban residents use a sense of identity to organize their activities and bring meaning to their lives. Part Three links these experiences within Banaras to a series of "larger worlds," ranging from language movements and political protests to disease ecology and regional environmental impact. Banaras is a complex world, with differences in religion, caste, class, language, and popular culture; the diversity of these essays embraces those differences. It is a collection that will interest scholars and students of South Asia as well as anyone interested in comparative discussions of popular culture. Frontmatter LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (page vii) CONTRIBUTORS (page ix) PREFACE (page xi) NOTES ON TRANSLITERATION (page xvii) INTRODUCTION: THE HISTORY AND POLITICAL ECONOMY OF BANARAS (page 1) PART 1 / PERFORMANCE AND PATRONAGE Introduction (page 25) 1. Rām's Story in Shiva's City: Public Arenas and Private Patronage (Philip Lutgendorf, page 34) 2. The Birth of Hindi Drama in Banaras, 1868-1885 (Kathryn Hansen, page 62) 3. The Rise of a Folk Music Genre: Birahā (Scott L. Marcus, page 93) PART 2 / IDENTITY AND CONSTRUCTIONS OF COMMUNITY IN BANARAS Introduction (page 117) 4. Protection and Identity: Banaras's Bīr Babas as Neighborhood Guardian Deities (Diane M. Coccari, page 130) 5. Work and Leisure in the Formation of Identity: Muslim Weavers in a Hindu City (Nita Kumar, page 147) PART 3 / BANARAS IN WIDER ARENAS Introduction (page 173) 6. Forging a New Linguistic Identity: The Hindi Movement in Banaras, 1868-1914 (Christopher R. King, page 179) 7. State and Community: Symbolic Popular Protest in Banaras's Public Arenas (Sandria B. Freitag, page 203) 8. Land Use and Environmental Change in the Gangetic Plain: Nineteenth-Century Human Activity in the Banaras Region (Robert G. Varady, page 229) 9. The Ecology and Cosmology of Disease in the Banaras Region (David Arnold, page 246) LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS (page 269) BIBLIOGRAPHY (page 271) INDEX (page 287) Annotation. This collection of ten essays on Banaras, one of the largest urban centers in India's eastern Gangetic plain, is united by a common interest in examining everyday activities in order to learn about shared values and motivations, processes of identity formation, and self-conscious constructions of community. Part One examines the performance genres that have drawn audiences from throughout the city. Part Two focuses on the areas of neighborhood, leisure, and work, examining the processes by which urban residents use a sense of identity to organize their activities and bring meaning to their lives. Part Three links these experiences within Banaras to a series of "larger worlds," ranging from language movements and political protests to disease ecology and regional environmental impact. Banaras is a complex world, with differences in religion, caste, class, language, and popular culture; the diversity of these essays embraces those differences. It is a collection that will interest scholars and students of South Asia as well as anyone interested in comparative discussions of popular culture Rām's Story In Shiva's City : Public Arenas And Private Patronage / Philip Lutgendorf -- The Birth Of Hindi Drama In Banaras, 1868-1885 / Kathryn Hansen -- The Rise Of A Folk Music Genre : Birahā / Scott L. Marcus -- Protection And Identity : Banaras's Bīr Babas As Neighborhood Guardian Deities / Diane M. Coccari -- Work And Leisure In The Formation Of Identity : Muslim Weavers In A Hindu City / Nita Kumar -- Forging A New Linguistic Identity : The Hindi Movement In Banaras, 1868-1914 / Christopher R. King -- State And Community : Symbolic Popular Protest In Banaras's Public Areas / Sandria B. Freitag -- Land Use And Environmental Change In The Gangetic Plain : Nineteenth-century Human Activity In The Banaras Region / Robert G. Varady -- The Ecology And Cosmology Of Disease In The Banaras Region / David Arnold. Edited By Sandria B. Freitag. Includes Bibliographical References. This collection of ten essays on Banaras, one of the largest urban centres in India's eastern Gangetic plain, is united by a common interest in examining everyday activities in order to learn about shared values and motivations.