Querying the Medieval: Texts and the History of Practices in South AsiaIndologist Ronald Inden has in the past raised questions about the images of a "traditional" or "medieval" India deployed by colonial scholars and rulers--"Orientalists"--and has also argued that a history of "early medieval" India very different from both the colonial and nationalist accounts could be written. This volume is designed as an important first step towards that goal. The authors look closely at three genres of texts that have been crucial to the representations of precolonial India. All three essays challenge not only colonialist scholarship but the attempts by religious nationalists to identify Hinduism as the essence of national identity in India and Buddhism as the essence of nationality in Sri Lanka. |
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according Age of Strife agents ancient appear argues articulated assumed beginning Buddha Buddhist called Călukyas capital century chapters claims Cöla Côlas complex composed conquest consisting constituted constructed contain continued court critical cultural Delhi descendants disciplinary orders discourse dynasty earlier early earth edited eulogies existed expression formation give historians human idea imperial important India inscriptions Institute Kashmir king king of kings kingdom knowledge language later liturgy lives Mahāvihāra major meaning medieval monastery monks narrative notion original Pāficarātra Pāli paramount past performed period plates political position practices present Press Purānas Purānic Rājendra records refer region reign religion represented rivals royal rules sage Saiva Sanskrit scholars Society Solar Sri Lanka succession Tamil temple term textual tradition translation Turnour University Vaisnava Vamsas VDhP Veda Vedic Visnu wish