The Legacy of Vaiṣṇavism in Colonial Bengal

Description

This book offers a focused examination of the Bengali Vaiṣṇava tradition in its manifold forms in the pivotal context of British colonialism in South Asia. Bringing together scholars from across the disciplines of social and intellectual history, philology, theology, and anthropology to systematically investigate Vaiṣṇavism in colonial Bengal, this book highlights the significant roles―religious, social, and cultural―that a prominent Hindu devotional current played in the lives of wide and diverse sections of colonial Bengali society. Not only does the book thereby enrich our understanding of the history and development of Bengali Vaiṣṇavism, but it also sheds valuable new light on the texture and dynamics of colonial Hinduism beyond the discursive and social-historical parameters of an entrenched Hindu "Renaissance" paradigm. A landmark in the burgeoning field of Bengali Vaiṣṇava studies, this book will be of interest to scholars of modern Hinduism, religion, and colonial South Asian social and intellectual history. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of illustrations Notes on contributors Foreword Acknowledgements Vaiṣṇavism in colonial Bengal: Beyond the Hindu Renaissance Bengali Vaiṣṇavism and Caitanya Bengali Vaiṣṇava Studies Vaiṣṇavism in colonial Bengal The “Renaissance” paradigm and colonial Hinduism Beyond the Hindu Renaissance Genesis, structure, and content Note on transliteration and spelling Notes References Part I: Recovering the legacy: How Vaiṣṇavas adopted colonial modalities Chapter 1: The afterlife of an avatāra in modern times Introduction Vaiṣṇavism, religion, and culture in colonial Bengal The Bengali Luther Historicism, humanness, and divinity in Caitanya Avatāra and incarnation Conclusion: translation into modernity Notes References Chapter 2: Theorising Bengal Vaiṣṇavism: Bipin Chandra Pal and new perspectives on religious life and culture Contesting ideologies in nineteenth century Bengal: Vaiṣṇavism and Vedānta Building bridges of understanding The renewed need for theory Notes References Chapter 3: Vaiṣṇava institutional processes in colonial Bengal The Hari Sabha as an early form of Vaiṣṇava institutionin colonial Bengal Priyanath Nandi and the Sri Krishna Chaitanya Tattva Pracharini Sabha (1909) The SKCTPS and novel stretegies of Vaiṣṇava reform Conclusion Appendix I Notes References Chapter 4: Baba Premananda Bharati: His trajectory into and through Bengal Vaiṣṇavism to the West Baba Bharati’s religious background In the tradition of Prabhu Jagadbandhu In the tradition of Radharaman Charan Das Dev In the tradition of Ramdas Babaji Towards the West The Mission New York Boston Los Angeles Departure Teaching in the West Legacy Note Bibliography Works by Baba Premananda Bharati Sources in Indian languages English sources Chapter 5: Claiming high ground: Gauḍīya missionising rhetoric on the adhikāra of worship Introduction Claiming high ground in “idolatry” “Whether touchable or untouchable …” Concluding reflections Notes References Chapter 6: Directions for future research on Vaiṣṇavism in colonial Bengal Building upon the O’Connell legacy Notes References Part II: Contending the portrayal: How ethics shaped this religion of love Chapter 7: The power of the secret: The tantalising discourse of Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyā scholarship From siddhācārya to sahajiyā: the making of a history or what we thought we knew From tradition to essence: competing interpretive constructs From context to code: the joy of lex From text to texts: the advantages and pitfalls of the comparative approach From overt to covert: constructions of secrecy From revelation to rahasya: esotericism and the power of the secret From rahasya to secrecy: the joy [?] of [Victorian] sex From secrecy to deception: questions for the modern scholar Notes References Chapter 8: Sahajiya texts of Nadia: Beyond reform and revival The Sahajiyas Fieldwork with Sahajiyas, and the question of ethics Sahajiya texts A Instances of question-answerformats to be memorised by the disciple B Instances of frequently used proverbs C Instances of frequent references to incidents described in Caitanya’s biographies and other sacred folklore D Instances of poems about the constituent body-elements E Instances of poems describing Sahajiya rituals Conclusion Notes References Chapter 9: Love of woman: love of humankind?: Interconnections between Bāul esoteric practice and social radicalism Bāuls: definitional problems Categories and definitions The text: Man Bhrānti Svarūp Līlā (MBSL) Notes References Chapter 10: Divine transgression: Devotion and ethics in Bengali Vaiṣṇavism Introduction The origin of the controversy Two public debates: Kṛṣṇadeva Bhaṭṭācārya in the eighteenth century An attempt at reconciliation: Bhaktivinod Thakur in the nineteenth century Conclusion Notes References Primary sources Secondary sources Chapter 11: Colonial morals, Vaiṣṇava quarrels: Tracing the sources of nineteenth-century anti-Sahajiyā polemics Brahmanical predilections Oblique response Rūpa Kavirāja as a sahajiyā proxy Deviance in Rarh and Banga Vaiṣṇava normativity Brahmanical and bhadralok Vaiṣṇava alliance Conclusions Notes References Index