Political Hinduism: The Religious Imagination in Public Spheres

Political Hinduism looks at the numerous ways in which Hinduism might be described as having become `political' since the upsurge of Indian nationalism in the late nineteenth century. Recent studies of Hindu nationalism have mostly focused on Hindutva, and in particular on the activities, organizational structure, and politics of the Hindu right. This book argues that `Political Hinduism' is much more than Hindutva
BR>The essays by established scholars of Indian history, politics, and culture address issues of topical relevance: transmission of Hinduism to the United States; Gandhi's religious politics and secularism; disputes over `Vande Mataram' and its immensely rich history; Rajagopalachari's multiple tellings of the Ramkatha; popular patriotism in Hindi cinema; and much more. Exploring the relationship between Hinduism and popular culture, this volume revisits familiar figures- Bankimchandra, Tilak, Gandhi, Rajagopalachari, Savarkar, and Narayana Guru, among others- to investigate the politics of knowledge embedded in their ideas

The comprehensive Introduction by Vinay Lai suggests how `Political Hinduism' may be `political' in more ways than is usually perceived. It goes on to show how a more nuanced reading of Hindu nationalism is needed than what is furnished by the idea of Hindutva

Wide-ranging in scope and with several new readings, Political Hinduism will be invaluable for students and teachers of politics, sociology, history, and media and cultural studies. The book will also appeal to anybody interested in learning more about the negotiations between religion and politics in contemporary India

Vinay Lai teaches history at the University of California, Los Angeles. Author of The History of History: Politics and Scholarship in Modern India (OUP, 2003), he has co-edited (with Ashis Nandy) Fingerprinting Popular Culture: The Mythic and the Iconic in Indian Cinema (OUP, 2006)