Transcript deconstructing hindu..

So, what is Hinduism?
•Prescriptive definition; nice
and neat, but leaves many
exceptions.
•Non – prescriptive
definition; horrendously
nebulous, far too much
stuff.
William Cantwell Smith, “The
meaning and end of religion”.
Hinduism is not an intelligible entity or
a valuable object of enquiry.
Hinduism is a particularly false
conceptualisation.
Hinduism is conspicuously incompatible
with the religious understanding of
Hindus.
Hinduism; the etic discourse.
Mughals were the
Islamic invaders,
who conquered
India.
“Hindus” are those people who
live over there; the other side of
the river Indus, in Sind.
(But we can’t pronounce “Sind”
properly, and it sounds like
“hind” when we say it).
Hinduism; the etic discourse
We, the British,
maintain good census
information so we can
tax our empire. We
call someone “Hindu”,
when they do not
belong to a religion
that we recognise;
Christianity, Judaism,
Buddhism, Jainism,
Parsees, Sikhs etc.
Orientalist discourse.
The orientalists were
artists, scholars and
travellers who visited
the east; they were
transfixed by the idea
of the “Mystic east”;
alluring, spiritual,
mysterious, and….
erotic.
Orientalist Discourse.
• Orientalist; Those who saw Hinduism as an
advanced and sophisticated culture. Usually
those who went to India with the company or
Raj, and were involved directly.
• 1780s - Wilkins \ Hahled \ Jones; studied
Brahminical Hinduism to the exception of local
traditions, and established pattern.
• 1805 – Colebrooke; “On the Vedas”, claimed to
find monotheism within vedic texts. (Monotheism
obviously superior!).
Anglicist Discourse.
Hinduism is
debased,
polytheistic and
inhuman, we must
raise the Indians
from their
savagery with
civilisation and the
light of
Christianity.
Anglicist discourse.
“The hindu divinities
are absolute monsters
of lust, injustice,
wickedness and
cruelty….their whole
religious system is
one grand
abomination”
Hansard. June
22nd.1813.
Hinduism; the emic discourse.
Hinduism is
universal truth,
open to all. It is the
ur-spirituality of
mankind, and thus
spiritual
acheivement is
India’s gift to the
world.
Sri Ramakirshna
Hinduism; the emic discourse.
Hinduism is the
ancient Vedic
religion of India, it
is defining of
“Indian-ness”, and
is monothestic and
mystical.
Dyananda
Saraswati
Hinduism; the emic discourse.
Sanatan Dharma
Sabha.
Hinduism is a
myriad of local
Indian religious
and spiritual
traditions, all
limited
geographically.
Problems with Definition.
What is Hinduism? Hard to define using
techniques from other religions
because:
• If we examine philosophy, then we leave
out folk religion.
• If we look at devotional religion, then we
leave out Philosophy & folk religion.
• If we look at social structures, we leave
out religious ideas.
Heinrich Von Steitencron.
“Hinduism, on the proper use of a
descriptive term”.
“Hinduism is a civilisation
formed and enriched by a
group of Hindu religions,
which developed a
particularly liberal way of
co-existence and
interaction”.
So what is in the Hindu family?
1. Polytheistic Vedic Religion. Survives
amongst very orthodox Brahmins.
2. Advaita Vedanta; Monistic philosophy.
3. Vaisnavism & Saivism; monotheistic Bhakti
cults.
4. Saktism: Dualistic Bhakti.
5. Other cults; Nagas, Surya Ganeşa &
goddesses.
6. Tribal religions.
7. Syncretistic religions; Sikhsim etc.