Nchi : Caste Society And Politics In India
Author: Susan Bayly
Publisher:
Published:
Total Pages: 440
ISBN-13: 9780521678612
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →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 the pre-colonial period to the end of the twentieth century. Using an historical and anthropological approach, she frames her analysis within the context of India s dynamic economic and social order, interpreting caste not as an essence of Indian culture and civilization, but rather as a contingent and variable response to the changes that occurred in the subcontinent s political landscape through the colonial conquest. The idea of caste in relation to Western and Indian orientalist thought is also explored.