Was Hinduism Invented? (Hardcover)

Hardcover. Drawing on a large body of previously untapped literature, including documents from the Church Missionary Society and Bengali newspapers, Brian Pennington offers a fascinating portrait of the process by which "Hinduism" came into being. He argues against the common idea that the modern construction of religion in colonial India was simply a fabrication of Western Orientalists and missionaries. Rather, he says, it involved the active agency and engagement of Indianauthors as well, who interacted, argued, and responded to British authors over key religious issues such as image-worship, sati, tolerance, and conversion. Drawing on a body of literature, including documents from the Church Missionary Society and Bengali newspapers, this book offers a portrait of the process by which Hinduism came into being. It argues against the common idea that the modern construction of religion in colonial India was simply a fabrication of Western Orientalists and missionaries. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.…