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Merchants of Virtue
Hindus, Muslims, and Untouchables in Eighteenth-Century South Asia
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Summary
In Merchants of Virtue, Divya Cherian delves into the socio-political landscape of northern India during the early modern period, exploring the complex relationships between the state's power, religious practices, and society. The book examines how religious norms and community identity intersected with commerce, influencing both individual lives and broader societal dynamics. By focusing on the intertwining of moral economies and religious sensibilities, Cherian provides insight into the cultural and economic fabric of the time.
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Description
A free ebook version of this title is available through Luminos, University of California Press’s Open Access publishing programme. Visit www.luminosoa.org to learn more.
Winner of the 2022 Joseph W. Elder Prize in the Indian Social Sciences
Merchants of Virtue explores the question of what it meant to be Hindu in precolonial South Asia. Divya Cherian presents a fine-grained study of everyday life and local politics in the kingdom of Marwar in eighteenth-century western India to uncover how merchants enforced their caste ideals of vegetarianism and bodily austerity as universal markers of Hindu identity.
Using legal strategies and alliances with elites, these merchants successfully remade the category of "Hindu," setting it in contrast to "Untouchable" in a process that reconfigured Hinduism in caste terms. In a history pertinent to understanding India today, Cherian establishes the centrality of caste to the early-modern Hindu self and to its imagination of inadmissible others.
Series: South Asia Across the Disciplines
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Merchants of Virtue
A free ebook version of this title is available through Luminos, University of California Press’s Open Access publishing programme. Visit www.luminosoa.org to learn more. Winner of the 2022 Joseph W. Elder Prize in the Indian Social Sciences Merchants of Virtue explores the question of what it meant to be Hindu in precolonial South Asia. Divya Cherian presents a fine-grained study...Paperback$6699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
Seeing Things
In 1980s India, the Ramsay Brothers and other filmmakers produced a wave of horror movies about soul-sucking witches, knife-wielding psychopaths, and dark-caped vampires. Seeing Things is about the sudden cuts, botched prosthetic effects, continuity errors, and celluloid damage in these movies. Such moments may very well be "failures" of various kinds, but in this book, Kartik Nair reads them as...Paperback$5699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Merchants of Virtue by Divya Cherian is praised for its engaging approach to South Asian historiography and caste history. It is noted for its strong arguments and rich analysis of historical sources, making it a significant contribution that stimulates discussions among scholars in various fields. The book effectively connects detailed regional history with broader global patterns, raising questions about the influence of regional networks on social change while preserving complex narratives.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780520390058
Publisher: University of California Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 27 December 2022
Country: United States
Imprint: University of California Press
Illustration: 7 color illustrations; 2 maps
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 20.0mm
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 229.0mm
Weight: 454g
Pages: 284
About the Author
Divya Cherian is Assistant Professor of History at Princeton University.
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