The Hindus: An Alternative History

At least from the standpoint of the reviewer who before reading this work was for the most part unacquainted with the history of India, its study assisted to some degree in answering the following questions concerning Indian history and culture:1. Why do many Western intellectuals who have an aversion for religion find themselves being sympathetic to Hinduism and Indian culture in general?2. Why does the practice of Hinduism not instill the raising of large armies that cross borders to forcibly proselytize this religion on others who do not practice its tenets, such as commonly the case for Western religions such as Islam and Christianity?3. Are Brahmins the rich, uppity individuals they are frequently imputed to be by those individuals (such as the reviewer) who have concentrated disdain for the caste system of India?4. Indeed, what is really the origin of the caste system and are the members of each caste comfortable with their status or do they consider it burdensome and unfair?5. What is really the origin of vegetarianism and what is the extent of bovine worship in India?6. When historically did the concept of karma arise, and what motivated it as a belief structure in the minds of Hindus?7. Does the Hindu religion have a proliferation of different sects as is the case for Western religions or is there a Hindu canon?The author does a fine job of answering these questions in this sizeable but interesting (and entertaining) book. There is no doubt that the author has some bias in her approach to the reporting of Indian history, but she is aware of this bias and reveals her agenda early on in the book. This involves setting the record straight on the role of women and “Pariahs” in developing Hinduism, and in revealing to what extent Brahmins were always sycophants to the ruling classes in India. The author however does not pull any punches when it comes to the Brahmins, who she describes as “misogynists” and “class-bound.”That Hindus can engage in violent intolerance is brought out throughout the book, and readers who imagine Hindus via the Hollywood-Gandhi-Johnny Quest point of view will probably be surprised by this. But the breaking down of reader prejudices about Hindus is perhaps the best reason for studying this book, and those readers who decide to finish it will be amply rewarded for their discipline, even though it is not burdensome to study it, thanks to the rich and sometimes biting dialog throughout the book.That being said, the author does not throw eggs at the reader or at Hindus, in spite of her having some thrown at her, as she alludes to early on in the book. But she does concentrate her attention on what she refers to as the “history of marginalized” Hindus, and not the “mainstream” ones. Her focus in this regard readily explains the subtitle of the book, and for those readers, such as the reviewer, who do not agree with the usual axiom that history = a history of kings and rulers, this approach is refreshing and one that should be emulated throughout the history profession.But the preservation of history through writing (and coinage) is typically done by kings and rulers, who of course emphasize their own contributions (if they be called that), and not those of the culture at large. So where does an historian go, particularly one who is concentrating on a part of the world where the oral tradition is predominant, to find information on the “history of the marginalized”? The author elaborates on this question in some detail, and points to texts such as the Upanishads as her starting point. And of course, the storytelling and myths, which proliferate throughout Indian history, must be distinguished from the history itself. The study of the impact of ideas goes hand in hand with the history of the ideas, but the former is harder to prove than the latter, and care must be taken not to impute the motivations for taking certain actions solely because ideas were part of the Zeitgeist of the time.The caste system was “regulated” by religion, the author argues, and if true this is not a surprise, since social hierarchies throughout history have been invented, manipulated, and “regulated” by religion. Kings, tyrants, and every form of despot have found religion convenient and useful for their ends, and they usually find willing supplicants to assist with their strategies and goals. In this respect, Hinduism has much in common with other religions, even though Western intellectuals typically impute to it a level of wisdom not found in Western religions.There are many surprises in store in this book for the reader not familiar with Hindu history:- The concept of reincarnation has its origins in the ancient Greeks, not the Hindus.- People from Africa were the first to settle India.- There is a flood myth in Hinduism, but it did does not have much intersection with the Biblical myth: only a fish to warn the “Indian Adam” Manu about a upcoming flood, and Manu builds a ship to save himself (all other creatures perished).- Hinduism, at least in the Upanishads, has a kind of “triadic” metaphysics: three “qualities of matter”, and only the numbers one and two appear (there is a third called “plural” that stands for all those numbers above the number three).- Loosely speaking, one may say that the “is-ought” problem of Western ethical philosophy is encapsulated in the Dharma, “which is the way things are and the way they ought to be.”- Just as in the Old Testament of the Bible, absurdly long lifetimes of people were part of the Ramayana, and the cities that Rama ruled are an analog of Eden, where “no one died at the wrong time”, “no living creatures got sick”, and no violation of dharma occurred.- India had its violent leaders, with Ashoka of northern India, characterized as both a brute and a repentant sinner after he viewed the carnage of march on Kalinga.- Hindus are forbidden by dharma to have contact with dogs, the latter of which are compared in the Mahabharata to “upwardly mobile Pariahs”.- The god Shiva is a gambler, according to the Artha-shastra texts, and also cheats at it (such lively gods deserve worship more than the Western ones).- Alcoholism and various other vices are viewed in the Mahabharata, not as “diseases” but as coming “outside the individual”.- Women are considered as “addictions” in the Dharma-Shastras, and should be “watched very carefully.”- Lest the Western reader believe that the Hindus are always compliant to social hierarchies, the author points to the bhakti movement as protesting against “Brahmin exclusivity.”- The somewhat lengthy discussion of the Tantra sheds light on the actual rituals that were practiced, and that some in the West consider abhorrent or unsanitary.- Readers will gain a deep appreciation of the current tensions between Hindus and Muslims, and historically between Buddists, Jainas, and Hindus.The British deservedly take some potshots from the author, and she includes some commentary on Hindus in the United States. The reader may walk away with the impression that those currently in the United States are faring well, but it remains to be seen whether Hinduism, even as the rich tapestry of ideas and practices that the author describes it in the book, will evolve as quickly as the Western religions under the onslaught of science and secularism. But if Hinduism survives pretty much in its current form, there is not much for those hostile to religion to fret about. Its history and the conduct of its practitioners lend credence to the idea that polytheism has a much calmer effect on the human psyche. It seems that when there are many gods and they sometimes fight amongst themselves, their worshippers act in the opposite manner. There seems to be no provocation from these gods for their worshippers to act violently. There seems to be no incentive for these worshippers to cross borders and engage in forced conversion.

An excellent history of Hinduism by a world famous Indologist who has written a very difficult subject in an understandable way. The depth of coverage is excellent which is a difficult achievement given the over whelming amount of material that is available.I bought the book to understand what happened in India 3 thousand years ago when the Vedas were fading and the new religions of Jainism and Buddhism were forming. This book covers that well.I took one star off because there was not enough depth in areas that I thought should have been covered in more detail. The era I am interested in is from 1000 BC to 500 BC which is the time that Hinduism formed. I had to fill in the blanks with my own research which was very difficult as I am not an Indologist. For example, why did Jainism and Buddhism begin at the time they did and why by Mahavira and Gautama who were princes not Brahmins? The answer is because the Vedic religion had become sorcery affordable only by the rich and overseen by the Brahmins. The common person was excluded, especially the Shudras.I stopped at page 444 at the end of chapter 15 because the material was getting too perverse. The author is unflinching in her presentation of events, which I admire, but I flinched.I recommend this book for anyone interested in the history of HInduism which is also the history of India.

She drive you trough a radiant history full of different sensibilities and ways o living the live as the world change around and inside this lovely Indian conglomerate of tribes, status and gender.Addictive

This is one of most amazing books I have read on Hinduism.This is one of the most thoroughly researched books on Hinduism. The richness of reference material is breathtaking. Every argument Ms. Doniger makes is referenced and supported by established reference.I personally loved the book for its connectedness, academic rigor, and a viewpoint of Hinduism that is sometimes critical of it but always with an eye towards accuracy.This book challenges the accepted narrative of Hinduism that is promoted and propagated by media/TV/political parties and many other interested parties, but mainly folklore, TV serials and Amar Chitra Katha. Readers of this book, while criticizing the book, forget the premise of the book: Hinduism today is amalgam of various religious thoughts, practices, and beliefs of many religions that were/are practiced in India.I have read most of the comments here, denigrating the academic rigor of the book, calling author many names and what not. However, few, if any, have offered any counterpoints other than the folklore that they (we) heard while growing up.None of the negative comments here have actually cited a reference that is against any of the rich hypotheses in the book. I will cite one doha from Ramcharit Manas that goes to the heart of Hinduism and its views:ढोल गवार शूद्र पशु नारी,सकल ताड़ना के अधिकारी!!Now, you can interpret this anyway you want to. Many "supporters" of Hinduism would take the interpretation that supports their viewpoint. (There are umpteen benevolent interpretations of this on the Internet, so I would not waste anyone's time here). Wendy Doniger would very likely suggest that this be interpreted in the context of 15th century value system in India which may lead to a different inference that the most generous interpretation that it is accorded.Also, I recommend that readers read Mahabharat, Ramayana, the Vedas, the Puranas; also books on Indian history by Keay, DD Kosambi, Thapar and others to really enrich their understanding of Indian history which is different from history of Hinduism though both are intertwined. Folklore, while an important part of religion (mistaken many times for the Shruti system) is not intellectually valid for it lacks the rigor of the Shruti system of transferring the knowledge.Are there nits to pick in this book? Sure. I, for one, was slightly disappointed by somewhat flippant similes, examples, etc. that the editorial staff should have taken out given the gravity of the topic. I mean, one can find better examples than "Animal Farm" when trying to explain a concept of Hinduism. However, the fact remains that it is one of the most authoritative books on Hinduism that I have had the opportunity to read.My recommendation: Read the book with an open mind for what it offers and not for reinforcement of your preconceived beliefs that you are seeking from it.Thank you for reading.Swami Agnipath