MODERN RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS OF COLONIAL SOUTH ASIA: THE ORIGINS OF REVIVAL AND REFORM

During the British colonial period of South Asia, religious movements such as Buddhist modernism and Hindu nationalism became powerful agents of resistance and change. These developments, shaped by the contrasting influences of Western cultural domination and the pervasiveness of preexisting social formations, proved to be an effective measure in unifying the colonies under a common purpose. By studying the parallel, but individual, progression of these two movements, we see that changing identity formations during the colonial period, were a consequence of a wide array of converging influences. Colonialism, modernity and reverse orientalism all become important factors that affected change. Examining the complexities of religious reform and revival also proves beneficial in determining avenues of resistance. Although colonies such as British India and Ceylon were facing a common subjugation, their responses were solitary and methodologically dissimilar. They used resources distinctly available to them, such as assembly, culture and religion, but in different ways.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A., Asian Studies

Level thesis:degree_level

Master of Arts

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Asian Studies

Grantor

Cornell University

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Lax, James Allan

Committee member dc:contributor.committeemember

• Formichi, Chiara

• Asian studies
• Regional studies
• Buddhism
• Buddhist Modernism
• Colonialism
• Hinduism
• Hindu Nationalism
• South Asia
• Religious history

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7298/X4GM859Z

Dc Identifier Other

ProQuest Submission ID: 10041
ProQuest Publication ID: 10253526

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ecommons.cornell.edu:1813/47808