Makers of Modern Indian Religion in the Late Nineteenth Century

This title examines two inter-related developments in 19th-century India: the transformation wrought by English culture on religion and the emerging religious-communal identity. The text considers the conceptual changes brought by each and the construction and politics of religious identity.
This is a book about religious transformation in South Asia in the 19th century. On the one hand, a fundamental conceptual transformation in the world of religion among people who were exposed to English language and culture took place. This transformation crystallized religious communities with sharp boundaries and distinct histories. On the other hand, the emerging feeling of religious-communal identity motivated religious and lay leaders to work in the interest of the community This book is about both of these inter-related developments: the conceptual change and the application of the new ideas to political discourse; the construction and the politics of religious identity.