The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society

x, 255 pages ; 24 cm. Contents: Introduction 1. India and the Inner Conflict of Tradition 2. Brahmin, Ritual, and Renouncer 3. The Case of the Severed Head 4. The Flood Story in Vedic Ritual 5. The Origin of the Nastika 6. Vedic Sacrifice and Transcendence 7. Ritual, Revelation, and the Axial Age 8. The Conundrum of the King's Authority 9. Kautilya and the Ancient Indian State 10. Power, Priesthood, and Authority 11. Western Expansion, Indian Reaction: Mughal Empire and British Raj 12. Caste, Village, and Indian Society 13. Caste and Karma: Max Weber's Analysis of Caste Notes Index.