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This study of the pre-history of Indian nationalism examines a relatively unexplored field of study in Indian history. It uses a novel perspective, at least in Indian historiography: the study of emotions, feelings, and sentiments as bonds in the construction of a 'felt community' before the emergence of modern Indian nationalism. The author argues that the nation might be construed by modernity but it is likely to be rooted in older sentiments and ideas. The book addresses questions about Indian identity in the aftermath of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Although a historical work based on primary sources, it has a political and current relevance for the national states in the Indian subcontinent. It historicizes inter-community relations beyond the rubric of mere communalism, which is what most other writers do. This study will interest historians, sociologists, political scientists, and the general reader.
This book draws on a new interdisciplinary field known as emotional history, which combines insights and techniques from psychology, history, and gender studies. The book sheds new light on the Bengal Renaissance and the Indian Awakening by showing how the gender structure of Indian society, especially the predominance of caste and community, shaped the Indian experience of love in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The unique quality of this experience derived from the persistence of caste despite the rise of a new romantic mentality. The author describes the rich emotional histories that resulted and reveals how these experiences have contributed to the restructuring of the culture over the last two centuries.
This book shows how the gender structure of Indian society shaped the experience of love in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The unique quality of this experience derived from the persistence of caste despite the rise of a new romantic mentality. It is demonstrated that an unsuspected sexual formation of society determined emotional history.
In studying the social, political, and economic history of Bengal during 50 critical years, this book unravels the complex relationship between imperialism and nationalism in Calcutta and its hinterland. Here, Ray analyzes both the long-term goals and short-term parochial preoccupations of Bengali nationalists in their struggle against imperialism. He examines how well the Bengalis fared on the all-India platform, how and why Bengali nationalism became divided within the region, and the movement's ability to penetrate from elite Calcutta to the grassroots of provincial Bengali society. Throughout, Ray effectively demonstrates that the dynamics of political change in Bengal lay in the increasing conflict between the European commercial and administrative elite and the Indian business and professional groups before, during and after World War I.
Mind, Body, and Society explores the various levels of mentality in a colonial society, especially with regard to gender, sex, and the young. The experiences of children at school and adolescents in college are addressed, as are the confrontations of Bhadralok, Baul, aand Mullah,and the mutedvoices of women in purdah.
Contributed articles.
Essays on India, most written between 1991 and 1996.
The Essays In This Volume Approach The Issues Of Syncretism, Synthesis, And Pluralism In South Asia Today To Objectively Reassess Their Importance In Coping With A Political And Cultural Future. With Its Eclectic Selection Of Themes, It Examines Theresilence, Strengths And Weaknesses Of Syncretic Culture With Special Reference To Democracy And Federalism.