Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
From one of the world's foremost scholars of Hinduism, a vivid reinterpretation of its history.
An engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and myth, The Hindus offers a new way of understanding one of the world's oldest major religions. Hinduism does not lend itself easily to a strictly chronological account. Many of its central texts cannot be reliably dated within a century; its central tenets arise at particular moments in Indian history and often differ according to gender or caste; and the differences between groups of Hindus far outnumber the commonalities. Yet the greatness of Hinduism lies precisely in many of these idiosyncratic qualities that continue to inspire debate today. This groundbreaking work elucidates the relationship between recorded history and imaginary worlds, the inner life and the social history of Hindus.
Synopsis
From one of the world's foremost scholars on Hinduism, a vivid reinterpretation of its history
An engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and myth that offers a new way of understanding one of the world's oldest major religions, The Hindus elucidates the relationship between recorded history and imaginary worlds.
Hinduism does not lend itself easily to a strictly chronological account: many of its central texts cannot be reliably dated even within a century; its central tenets—karma, dharma, to name just two—arise at particular moments in Indian history and differ in each era, between genders, and caste to caste; and what is shared among Hindus is overwhelmingly outnumbered by the things that are unique to one group or another. Yet the greatness of Hinduism—its vitality, its earthiness, its vividness—lies precisely in many of those idiosyncratic qualities that continue to inspire debate today.
Wendy Doniger is one of the foremost scholars of Hinduism in the world. With her inimitable insight and expertise Doniger illuminates those moments within the tradition that resist forces that would standardize or establish a canon. Without reversing or misrepresenting the historical hierarchies, she reveals how Sanskrit and vernacular sources are rich in knowledge of and compassion toward women and lower castes; how they debate tensions surrounding religion, violence, and tolerance; and how animals are the key to important shifts in attitudes toward different social classes.
The Hindus brings a fascinating multiplicity of actors and stories to the stage to show how brilliant and creative thinkers—many of them far removed from Brahmin authors of Sanskrit texts—have kept Hinduism alive in ways that other scholars have not fully explored. In this unique and authoritative account, debates about Hindu traditions become platforms from which to consider the ironies, and overlooked epiphanies, of history.
The Washington Post - Michael Dirda
Wendy Doniger's erudite "alternative history" shouldn't be anyone's introduction to Hinduism. But once you've learned the basics about this most spiritual of cultures, don't miss this equivalent of a brilliant graduate course from a feisty and exhilarating teacher.
Editorials
Michael Dirda
Wendy Doniger's erudite "alternative history" shouldn't be anyone's introduction to Hinduism. But once you've learned the basics about this most spiritual of cultures, don't miss this equivalent of a brilliant graduate course from a feisty and exhilarating teacher.—The Washington Post
Pankaj Mishra
…staggeringly comprehensive…it is impossible not to admire a book that strides so intrepidly into a polemical arena almost as treacherous as Israel-Arab relations…This book will no doubt further expose [Doniger] to the fury of the modern-day Indian heirs of the British imperialists who invented "Hinduism." Happily, it will also serve as a salutary antidote to the fanatics who perceive—correctly—the fluid existential identities and commodious metaphysic of practiced Indian religions as a threat to their project of a culturally homogenous and militant nation-state.—The New York Times
Library Journal
Doniger's "alternative history" of Hinduism takes a closer look at how outsiders contributed to its evolution. The term outsiders is used very broadly here. Some have been the marginalized people within mainstream Hinduism itself, such as tribal people and Dalits(Untouchables) or women (within a strongly patriarchal society). Others have been believers in other religions-notably Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Sikhism-or alien conquerors and rulers, such as the Greeks, Moghals, and British. All these and more have influenced Hindu faith and practice and have in their turn been influenced by the Hindus. As shown here, outsiders and mainstream Hindus have dealt with one another at times violently and at times peacefully. A respected historian and a translator of several important Sanskrit works (e.g., Hindu Myths), Doniger (history of religions, Univ. of Chicago) takes particular pains to show the outsider influences in Hindu literature, a tall order at which she mostly succeeds. There are times when the reader may feel overwhelmed by the wealth of information, so this sizable text is not for the casual reader. Recommended for academic and public libraries with strong religion collections.
—James F. DeRoche