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    Religion and Society in Early India

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    Satyam Sinha
    This course examines the social contexts and historical developments of early Indian religious traditions from the Vedic period to early medieval periods. It covers topics such as the evolution of Vedic religion and ritual priesthood, the emergence of Buddhism and Jainism in the 6th century BCE as reform movements, the development of Puranic religions and concepts of bhakti and image worship, schisms within Buddhism and Jainism, and the evolution of the Rama cult. The reading list provides references on these topics and the historiography of studying Indian religious traditions from interdisciplinary perspectives.

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    Religion and Society in Early India

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    Satyam Sinha
    247 views6 pages
    This course examines the social contexts and historical developments of early Indian religious traditions from the Vedic period to early medieval periods. It covers topics such as the evolution of Vedic religion and ritual priesthood, the emergence of Buddhism and Jainism in the 6th century BCE as reform movements, the development of Puranic religions and concepts of bhakti and image worship, schisms within Buddhism and Jainism, and the evolution of the Rama cult. The reading list provides references on these topics and the historiography of studying Indian religious traditions from interdisciplinary perspectives.

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    This course examines the social contexts and historical developments of early Indian religious traditions from the Vedic period to early medieval periods. It covers topics such as the evolution of Vedic religion and ritual priesthood, the emergence of Buddhism and Jainism in the 6th century BCE as reform movements, the development of Puranic religions and concepts of bhakti and image worship, schisms within Buddhism and Jainism, and the evolution of the Rama cult. The reading list provides references on these topics and the historiography of studying Indian religious traditions from interdisciplinary perspectives.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    247 views6 pages

    Religion and Society in Early India

    Uploaded by

    Satyam Sinha
    This course examines the social contexts and historical developments of early Indian religious traditions from the Vedic period to early medieval periods. It covers topics such as the evolution of Vedic religion and ritual priesthood, the emergence of Buddhism and Jainism in the 6th century BCE as reform movements, the development of Puranic religions and concepts of bhakti and image worship, schisms within Buddhism and Jainism, and the evolution of the Rama cult. The reading list provides references on these topics and the historiography of studying Indian religious traditions from interdisciplinary perspectives.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pdf or txt
    of 6

    M 214/7

    Religion and Society in Early India


    Dr. R. Mahalakshmi
    Centre for Historical Studies
    Jawaharlal Nehru University

    This course studies the social basis of the early Indian religious traditions. What were the
    historical contexts in which institutionalized religions emerged, evolved and transformed
    over centuries, is one of the concerns. In chronological terms, the developments from the
    early Vedic to early medieval periods will be thematically surveyed.
    I.

    II.

    III.

    IV.

    V.

    VI.

    VII.

    VIII.

    Historiography of early Indian religious traditions: Problems and Perspectives


    In this theme, we look at the ways in which scholars from different
    disciplinary viewpoints, including history, have understood Indian religious
    traditions. The recent emphases on inter-disciplinary methods to study
    mythologies, sacred texts and liturgy that constitute religious traditions will be
    discussed.
    Early Vedic Religion and Society: The Rg Veda is a landmark for two reasons
    it provides the first literary evidence for the settling of Indo-Aryan speaking
    communities in the sub-continent. Secondly, it allows us to study the social
    contexts in which Vedic religion had its roots.
    Later Vedic Religion and Society: Development of ritual priesthood and caste
    system. The elaboration of sacrifice and its socio-economic implications will
    be discussed.
    Religious Movements of the Sixth century BCE: Buddhism and Jainism, can
    we call them sectarian developments or sramanic movements? We look at the
    origins of the movements from what we know of their founders/ prominent
    leaders. What was the social context that led to the development of such
    traditions? What were the philosophical currents that these traditions were
    engaging, discursing and debating with?
    Evolution of Puranic religions: Image worship and associated rituals; the
    concepts of bhakti and ahimsa; the process of brahmanization of tribal cults;
    the concepts of acculturation, Sanskritization; the typologies of Viu, iva
    and Durg.
    Schisms within Buddhism and Jainism: evolution of institutionalized forms of
    both traditions. The temporal spread of the traditions, acculturation/
    transformation through interactions with local traditions.
    The legend of Rama Dasarathi and the evolution of his cult. This theme
    explores the ways in which Rama appears as an iconic figure in early
    medieval literature and seeks reasons for this conspicuous positioning of the
    hero/ deity and the cult that developed around him.
    Inter-cultural exchanges, syncretism and contestations

    Reading list:
    Apte, Y.M.,

    Social and Religious life in the Grhya Sutras, Bombay,


    1954.

    Banerjea, J.N.,

    Pauranic and Tantric Religion: Early Phase, University of


    Calcutta, Calcutta, 1966.

    Bhandarkar, R.G.,

    Vaiavism, aivism and Minor Religious Systems,


    Indological Book House, Varanasi, 1965.

    Bhattacharji, Sukumari, The Indian Theogony: A comparative study of Indian


    mythology from the Vedas to the Puras, Firma KLM,
    Calcutta, 1978.*
    Bhattacharya, N.N.,

    The Indian Mother Goddess, Manohar, Delhi, 1999 (1970).

    --------,

    Ancient Indian rituals and their social contexts, Manohar,


    Delhi, 1996 (1975).*

    --------,

    History of the Sakta religion, Munshiram Manoharlal,


    Delhi, 1974.*

    Brockington, J.L.,

    Righteous Rama: the Evolution of an Epic, OUP, Delhi,


    1984.*

    Brown, Cheever Mackenzie, The Triumph of the Goddess: the canonical models and
    theological visions of the Dev-Bhagavata Pura, r
    Satguru Publications, Delhi, 1992.
    --------,

    God as Mother: A feminine theology in India An historical


    and theological study of the Brahmavaivarta Pura, r
    Satguru, Delhi, 1990.

    Chakrabarti, Kunal,

    Religious Process: The Puras and the making of a


    regional tradition, OUP, Delhi, 2001.*

    Chakravarti, Uma,

    The social dimensions of early Buddhism, OUP, Delhi,


    1987.*

    Chanana, Devraj,

    Social Implications of Reason and Authority


    Buddhism, IESHR, 3:3, 1966, pp. 292-302.*

    in

    Chatterjee, Asim Kumar, A Comprehensive history of Jainism, 2 volumes, Firma


    KLM, Calcutta, 1984.
    Chattopadhyaya, B.D.

    Representing the Other? Sanskrit Sources and the Muslims,


    Manohar, Delhi, 1998.*

    --------,

    Historical context of the early medieval temples of north


    India, in Studying Early India, Permanent Black, Delhi,
    pp. 153-171.*

    ---------,

    Reappearance of the Goddess or the Brahmanical Mode


    of Appropriation: Some Early Epigraphic Evidence Bearing
    on Goddess Cults, in Studying Early India, pp. 172-90.*

    Coburn, Thomas,

    Dev Mahatmya: The Crystallization of the Goddess


    Tradition, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1984.

    Coomaraswamy, A.K.,

    The dance of Shiva in The Dance of Shiva, Munshiram


    Manoharlal, DElhi, 1999 (1918).*

    Doniger, Wendy,

    Pura Perennis: Reciprocity and transformation in Hindu


    and Jaina texts, SUNY, Albany, 1993.

    ---------,

    Asceticism and eroticism in the mythology of iva, OUP,


    London, 1973.

    --------,

    The Rig Veda: An anthology, Penguin, Middlesex, 1986.*

    Eliade, Mircea,
    ---------,

    Encyclopaedia of Religions, relevant chapters.*


    Yoga: Immortality and Freedom, Princeton, 1969.

    Eschmann, Kulke and Tripathi (eds.),

    Gonda, Jan,

    The Cult of Jagannatha and the Regional


    Tradition of Orissa, Manohar, New Delhi,
    1978.*

    Aspects of early Viuism, Utrecht, 1954.

    Hawley, John Stratton, and Donna Marie Wulff (eds.), The Divine Consort: Radha
    and the Goddesses of India, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi,
    1984.
    Hazra, R.C.,

    Studies in the Puranic records on Hindu rites and customs,


    Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1975 (1948).*

    Heesterman, J.C.,

    The Broken World of Sacrifice An Essay in Ancient Indian


    Ritual, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1993.*

    Hudson, D. Dennis,

    Bhagavata Religion and Beyond, OUP, Delhi, 2010

    Jaini, Padmanabh S.,

    Gender and Salvation: Jaina debates on the spiritual


    liberation of women, Delhi, 1991.*

    --------,

    The disappearance of Buddhism and the survival of


    Jainism: a study in contrast, in A.K. Narain (ed.), Studies
    in history of Buddhism, B.R. Publishing, Delhi, 1980.*

    Jaiswal, Suvira,

    The Origin and Development of Vaiavism, Munshiram


    Manoharlal, Delhi, 1981 (1980).*

    ---------,

    Historical Evolution of the Rama legend, Social Scientist,


    21:3-4, 1993, pp. 89-97.*

    Jamison, Stephanie

    Sacrificed Wife/ Sacrificers Wife: Women, Ritual and


    Hospitality in Ancient India, OUP, USA, 1996.

    Jha, D.N.

    Temples as Landed Magnates in early medieval south


    India, R.S. Sharma and V. Jha (ed.), Indian Society:
    Historical Probings, In Memory of DD Kosambi, PPH,
    Delhi, 1974, pp. 202-17.

    Kane, P.V.,

    History of the Dharmasastras, 5 volumes, Bhandarkar


    Oriental Research Institute, Poona, 1930-1962.*

    Kosambi, D.D.

    An introduction to the Study of Indian History, Popular


    Prakashan, Bombay, 1975.

    ---------,

    Culture and civilization of ancient India in historical


    outline, London, 1965.

    ---------,

    Myth and Reality Studies in the Formation of Indian


    culture, Popular Prakashan, Bombay, 1962.*

    Kramrisch, Stella

    The presence of iva, Motilal, Banarsidass, Varanasi, 1988


    (1984).

    Long, Bruce J.

    Life out of death: the structural analysis of the myth of the


    churning of the ocean, in Bardwell L. Smith (ed.),
    Hinduism: New Essays in the History of Religions, E.J.
    Brill, Leiden, 1976.

    Lorenzen, David N.

    Who Invented Hinduism: Essays on Religion in History,


    Yoda Press, Delhi, 2006.

    Mahalakshmi, R.

    The Book of Lakshmi, Penguin Viking, Delhi, 2009.

    Nandi, R.N.,

    Origin and Nature of aivite Monasticism, in R.S. Sharma


    and V.Jha (eds.), Indian Society: Historical Probings,
    Delhi, 1974, pp. 190-201.

    ---------,

    Social roots of religion in ancient India, K.P. Bagchi,


    Calcutta, 1986.

    --------,

    Jinism, in K.M. Shrimali and R.S. Sharma (eds.), A


    Comprehensive History of India, Volume IV, Part 2,
    Manohar, New Delhi, 2008.*

    Olivelle, Patrick,

    The early Upanishads: Annotated text and translation,


    OUP, Oxford, 1998.*

    ----------,

    Dharmasutras: the law codes of Apastamba, Gautama,


    Baudhayana and Vasishtha, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi,
    2003 (2000).

    ----------,

    Manus code of law: a critical edition and translation of the


    Manava-Dharmasastra, OUP, New DElhi, 2006 (2005).*

    Pande, G.C.

    Studies in the Origins of Buddhism,

    --------,

    Life and thought of Shankaracarya, Motilal Banasidass,


    Delhi, 1998 (1994).*

    --------,

    Buddhism, in K.M. Shrimali and R.S. Sharma (eds.), A


    Comprehensive History of India, Volume IV, Part 2,
    Manohar, New Delhi, 2008.*

    Pintchman, Tracy

    The rise of the goddess in the Hindu tradition, r Satguru


    Publishers, Delhi, 1996.

    Ramaswamy, Vijaya

    Walking Naked: Women, Society, Spirituality in south


    India, IIAS, Simla, 1997.*

    Richman, Paula (ed.),

    Many Ramayanas: the diversity of a narrative tradition in


    south Asia, OUP, Delhi, 1992.

    Schopen, Gregory,

    Bones, Stones and Buddhist Monks: Collected Papers on


    the Archaeology, Epigraphy and Texts of monastic
    Buddhism in India, Univeristy of Hawaii Press, Honolulu,
    1997.

    Sharma, R.S.,

    Material Background of the Origin of Buddhism, Das


    Capital Centenary Volume, PPH, Delhi, 1968

    --------,

    Material milieu of Tantricism, in Sharma (ed.), Indian


    Society: Historical Probings, PPH, Delhi, 1974.*

    Shende, H.J.,

    Religion and Philosophy of the Atharvaveda, Poona, 1952.

    Shrimali, K.M.

    Essays in Indian Art, Religion and Society, Indian History


    Congress/ Munshiram Manoharlal, Delhi, 1987.

    Singh, Upinder,

    Sanchi: the history of patronage of an ancient Buddhist


    establishment, IESHR, 33:1-35.

    --------,

    Cults and shrines in early historical Mathura, World


    Archaeology, 36:3, 2004, pp. 378-98.

    Sircar, D.C.

    Studies in the religious life of ancient and medieval India,


    Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1971.

    Staal, Frits,

    Discovering the Vedas, Origins, Mantras, Rituals, Insights,


    Penguin, India, 2008.*

    Tamabaiah, S.J.,

    World Conqueror and World Renouncer, Cambridge, 1976

    Thapar, Romila,

    Ancient Indian Social History: Some interpretations, Delhi,


    1978.

    --------,

    Imagined religious communities? Ancient history and the


    modern search for a Hindu identity, in Interpreting Early
    India, Delhi, 1992, pp. 60-88.

    Weber, Max,

    Religions of India, Delhi, 1968.

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