As part of their entrenched power position, the British colonizers and later their Nehruvian successors have always tried to control the discourse on religion. Among other concerns, they have seen to it that the term "Hindu" got divorced from its historical meaning, which quite inclusively encompassed all Indian Pagans, in order to fragment Hindu society. In parallel with their effort to pit caste against caste, they have tried to pit sect against sect, offering nurture to the egos of sect leaders by telling them that in fact they were popes in their own right of full-fledged religions, equal in status but morally superior to Hinduism. Hindu revivalists have countered this effort by reaffirming the basic Hindu character of tribal Animism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism and more recent reformist sects.
Table of Contents:-
Foreword
1. Credal Definitions
2. Hindus as "Indian Pagans"
3. Legal Definition of "Hindu"
4. Hindutva
5. "Semitization", of Hinduism
6. Are Hindu Reformists Hindus?
7. Are Jains Hindus?
8. Are Sikhs Hindus?
9. Are Indian Tribals Hindus?
10. Are Buddhists Hindus?
11. Are Neo-Buddhists- Hindus?
12. General Conclusion
Bibliography
Author(s): Koenraad Elst
Publisher: Voice of India
Year: 2002
Language: English
Pages: 347
Tags: Hindutva
Foreword
1. Credal Definitions
2. Hindus as "Indian Pagans"
3. Legal Definition of "Hindu"
4. Hindutva
5. "Semitization", of Hinduism
6. Are Hindu Reformists Hindus?
7. Are Jains Hindus?
8. Are Sikhs Hindus?
9. Are Indian Tribals Hindus?
10. Are Buddhists Hindus?
11. Are Neo-Buddhists- Hindus?
12. General Conclusion
Bibliography