Through an analysis of the twenty-month long Gandhian Satyagraha (non-violent resistance) against untouchability at Vykom, Kerala, in the mid-1920s, this book explores new approaches to the understanding and practice of non-violence as a means of civil protest.
"Throughout South India, masks are related to the presence of divine beings and, as such, induce transformation in the awareness of both performers and audience. Masked performance may also be powerfully linked to rituals of healing, which aim at freeing the self from states of …
This volume presents a detailed ethnographic study of rural Paraiyar communities in South India, focusing on their religions and cultural identity. Formerly known as Dalits, or Untouchables, these are a largely socially marginalised group living within a dynamic and complex soci…
How have cinema and popular religion shaped each other? Is the display of devotion in the cinema hall the same as devotion in a temple? If cinema has a power to persuade people to believe in the image, to mesmerize or even possess them, how do we understand that compelling power…
How have cinema and popular religion shaped each other? Is the display of devotion in the cinema hall the same as devotion in a temple? If cinema has a power to persuade people to believe in the image, to mesmerize or even possess them, how do we understand that compelling power…
"This book presents a historical account of plantations in India in the context of the modern world economy. It brings history up to the present, thereby showing how history can assist in explaining contemporary conditions and trends. The author focuses on labour and economic de…
The phenomenon of caste has probably aroused more controversy than any other aspect of Indian life and thought. Susan Bayly's cogent and sophisticated analysis explores the emergence of the ideas, experiences and practices which gave rise to the so-called 'caste society' from th…
