The Cambridge Companion to Modern Indian Culture (Cambridge Companions to Culture)

India Is Changing At A Rapid Pace As It Continues To Move From Its Colonial Past To Its Globalised Future. This Companion Offers A Framework For Understanding That Change, And How Modern Cultural Forms Have Emerged Out Of Very Different Histories And Traditions. The Book Provides Accounts Of Literature, Theatre, Film, Modern And Popular Art, Music, Television And Food; It Also Explores In Detail Social Divisions, Customs, Communications And Daily Life. In A Series Of Engaging, Erudite And Occasionally Moving Essays The Contributors, Drawn From A Variety Of Disciplines, Examine Not Merely What Constitutes Modern Indian Culture, But Just How Wide-ranging Are The Cultures That Persist In The Regions Of India. This Volume Will Help The Reader Understand The Continuities And Fissures Within Indian Culture And Some Of The Conflicts Arising From Them. Throughout, What Comes To The Fore Is The Extraordinary Richness And Diversity Of Modern Indian Culture-- Machine Generated Contents Note: Chronology; Introduction / Vasudha Dalmia And Rashmi Sadana; Part I. Cultural Contexts: 1. Scenes Of Rural Change / Ann Grodzins Gold; 2. The Formation Of Tribal Identities / Stuart Blackburn; 3. Food And Agriculture / Amita Baviskar; 4. Urban Forms Of Religious Practice / Smriti Srinivas; 5. The Politics Of Caste Identities / Christophe Jaffrelot; Part Ii. Cultural Forms: 6. History And Representation In The Bengali Novel / Supriya Chaudhuri; 7. Writing In English / Rashmi Sadana; 8. Dalit Life Histories / Debjani Ganguly; 9. Three Traditions In Modernist Art / Sonal Khullar; 10. Mass Reproduction And The Art Of The Bazaar / Kajri Jain; 11. Urban Theatre And The Turn Towards 'folk' / Vasudha Dalmia; 12. Aesthetics And Politics In Popular Cinema / Ravi S. Vasudevan; 13. Musical Genres And National Identity / Amanda Weidman; 14. Voyeurism And The Family On Television / Amrita Ibrahim. Edited By Vasudha Dalmia And Rashmi Sadana. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front......Page 2 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Illustrations......Page 8 Maps......Page 10 Contributors......Page 11 The Brahmanical tradition and the Vedic period......Page 12 Classical and medieval India......Page 13 The Mughal Empire and the English East India Company......Page 14 Nineteenth-century social and religious reform......Page 16 Twentieth-century nationalist movement......Page 18 Partition, Independence and beyond......Page 20 Introduction......Page 26 Part I. Cultural Contexts......Page 36 1. Scenes of rural change......Page 38 2. The formation of tribal identities......Page 55 3. Food and agriculture......Page 74 4. Urban forms of religious practice......Page 92 5. The politics of caste identities......Page 105 Part II. Cultural Forms......Page 124 6. History and representation in the Bengali novel......Page 126 7. Writing in English......Page 149 8. Dalit life histories......Page 167 9. Three traditions in modernist art......Page 188 10. Mass reproduction and the art of the bazaar......Page 209 11. Urban theatre and the turn towards 'folk'......Page 231 12. Aesthetics and politics in popular cinema......Page 251 13. Musical genres and national identity......Page 272 14. Voyeurism and the family on television......Page 289 Further reading......Page 308 Cambridge Companions to Culture......Page 316 Front 2 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Illustrations 8 Maps 10 Contributors 11 Chronology 12 The Brahmanical tradition and the Vedic period 12 Classical and medieval India 13 The Mughal Empire and the English East India Company 14 Nineteenth-century social and religious reform 16 Twentieth-century nationalist movement 18 Partition, Independence and beyond 20 Introduction 26 Part I. Cultural Contexts 36 1. Scenes of rural change 38 2. The formation of tribal identities 55 3. Food and agriculture 74 4. Urban forms of religious practice 92 5. The politics of caste identities 105 Part II. Cultural Forms 124 6. History and representation in the Bengali novel 126 7. Writing in English 149 8. Dalit life histories 167 9. Three traditions in modernist art 188 10. Mass reproduction and the art of the bazaar 209 11. Urban theatre and the turn towards 'folk' 231 12. Aesthetics and politics in popular cinema 251 13. Musical genres and national identity 272 14. Voyeurism and the family on television 289 Further reading 308 Cambridge Companions to Culture 316