Who is a Hindu? : Hindu revivalist views of Animism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and other offshoots of Hinduism

As part of their entrenched power position, the British colonizers and later their Nehruvian successors have always tried to control the discourse on religion. Among other concerns, they have seen to it that the term "Hindu" got divorced from its historical meaning, which quite inclusively encompassed all Indian Pagans, in order to fragment Hindu society. In parallel with their effort to pit caste against caste, they have tried to pit sect against sect, offering nurture to the egos of sect leaders by telling them that in fact they were popes in their own right of full-fledged religions, equal in status but morally superior to Hinduism. Hindu revivalists have countered this effort by reaffirming the basic Hindu character of tribal Animism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism and more recent reformist sects. Table of Contents:- Foreword 1. Credal Definitions 2. Hindus as "Indian Pagans" 3. Legal Definition of "Hindu" 4. Hindutva 5. "Semitization", of Hinduism 6. Are Hindu Reformists Hindus? 7. Are Jains Hindus? 8. Are Sikhs Hindus? 9. Are Indian Tribals Hindus? 10. Are Buddhists Hindus? 11. Are Neo-Buddhists- Hindus? 12. General Conclusion Bibliography This book contains a part of the author's Ph.D. thesis, updated and adapted for general publication. It can best be read in conjunction with the main part of the thesis, now in print under the title *Decolonizing the Hindu Mind*. The author thanks Mrs. Yamini Liu, Mr. Gopi Maliwal, Mr. Krishan Bhatnagar, Mr. Pradeep Goel, Mr. Satinder Trehan, Dr. Tushar Ravuri and Mr. Vishal Agarwal, as well as the late Prof. Kedar Nath Mishra. Corrections and other feedback are welcomed. Koenraad Elst. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [326]-342) And Index.