A ̄rya Sama ̄j, and the relation of social reform to the British rule of law interfac-
ing with Hindu law. Developing the history into the twentieth century, C. Ram
Prasad shows the importance of the idea of Hinduism in contemporary India
and the wider Hindu world, discussing the ideology ofhindutva, the rise of
Hindu nationalism, and political developments in the last years of the twentieth
century. In parallel to this theme, Sumathi Ramaswamy shows how nationalism
functions in relation to the Tamil language and its personification in the Goddess
Tamil
̄
tta ̄y, a deity who performs a similar function to Mother India (Bha ̄rat
Ma ̄ta ̄). Vasudha Narayanan’s essay on gender takes the idea of the social con-
struction of gender and examines this with particular reference to the S ́rı ̄
Va i s.n.ava tradition (previously contextualized in Colas’s essay). The issues raised
by Narayanan of the relation of gender to sex, of role play to devotional sen-
sibilities, are centrally important in understanding contemporary gender roles
in Hindu society.
All of the essays in the volume are by recognized experts in their field. The
reader will appreciate in the range of material covered not only the richness and
complexity of Hinduism, but also that Hinduism is a highly contested area of
discourse. Yet along with a sense of diversity and the fragmentation of different
traditions, historical periods, and problems, it is also hoped that the reader will
appreciate some of the links, common threads, and issues that persistently
reoccur in the history of this vast and complex entity that “Hinduism” refers to.
References
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Wien: Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften: 69–173.
Blackburn, Stuart. 1988. Singing of Birth and Death: Texts in Performance. Philadelphia:
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1997: pp. 82–107.
Fuller, C. 1992. The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India. Princeton:
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introduction: establishing the boundaries 17