Making India Hindu: Religion, Community, and the Politics of Democracy in India (Oxford India Collection (Paperback))

Previous ed. published as: Contesting the nation : religion, community, and the politics of democracy in India. Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press, 1996. For The Past Few Decades Powerful Political Forces Have Sought To Make The Indian State Hindu. Their Rising Influence Since 1980 Has Occured During A Period Of Radical Change In Indian Society And Politics, And Has Been Accomplished By Electoral Means As Well As By Organized Violence. The 1996 Elections Have Been A Major Test Of Their Power And The Influence Of Hindu Majoritarianism Among The Indian Electorate. Thirteen Prominent Scholars From India, Europe And The United States Provide Perspectives From The Fields Of Political Science, Religious Studies, History, Art History, And Anthropology, Comparing Trends In India With Ethnic, Religious, And Cultural Movements In Other Parts Of The World. The Second Edition Has Been Brought Up-to-date With A New Preface In Which Ludden Provides An Incisive Analysis Of The 2004 Elections And Highlights Direct And Indirect Operations Of Hindutva Inside India`s Political Mainstream. It Also Carries A Revised Bibliography. Introduction. Ayodhya : a window on the world / David Ludden The iconography of Rama's chariot / Richard H. Davis Mass movement or elite conspiracy? : the puzzle of Hindu nationalism / Amrita Basu Communal mobilization and changing majority in Uttar Pradesh / Zoya Hasan Mass media : images, mobilization, and communalism / Victoria L. Farmer Music, the media, and communal relations in north India, past and present / Peter Manuel Soldier monks and militant sadhus / William R. Pinch Imagining Hindurashtra : the Hindu and the Muslim in Bankim Chandra's writings / Tanika Sarkar The myth of unity : colonial and national narratives / Mushirul Hasan Contesting in public : colonial legacies and contemporary communalism / Sandria B. Freitag Communalism and modernity / Richard G. Fox Writing violence / Peter van der Veer Indian nationalism and the politics of Hindutva / Sumit Sarkar. "Written in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition, Making India Hindu brings together the work of eminent scholars to provide an interdisciplinary perspective on communalism in India." "With an in-depth introduction and a new Preface, these essays show how Hindutva's spreading and deepening influence has drawn sustenance from cultural trends that permeate modern Indian history and from multifarious media that propagate-Hindutva." "This is a significant read for historians, political scientists, and students and scholars interested in the role of politics, religion, and nationalism in South Asia."--Jacket This classic collection by eminent scholars takes a critical look at the mobilizations, genealogies, and interpretive conflicts that have attended efforts to make India Hindu since the rise to power of Hindu political parties from 1980. The second edition has been updated with a new preface in which Ludden provides an incisive analysis of the recently held elections and highlights how Hindutva operates inside India's political mainstream. Pt. 1. Mobilizing Hindutva -- pt. 2. Genealogies of Hindu and Muslim -- pt. 3. Community and conflict