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The Hindus: An Alternative History

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The Hindus: An Alternative History
AuthorWendy Doniger
LanguageEnglish
GenreNon-fiction
Published2009

The Hindus: An Alternative History is a book by American Indologist, Wendy Doniger, published by Viking Penguin in 2009. The 799-page book, a non-traditional, personal, and selective history, is a summation of Doniger's 40-year career as one of America's best-known and most prolific Indologists.

The book was also later published in India by Penguin's Indian subsidiary, Penguin India. In February 2014, it was the subject of litigation in India by the group Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samithi (Hindi, literally, "Committee for Struggle to Save Education"). alleging that the work had "heretical" content which hurts the feelings of Hindus. As a result of the lawsuit, the book was withdrawn from the Indian market by its Indian publisher[1][2], leading to concerns about censorship by fee speech advocates.[3]

Book overview and reception

In the book, Doniger analyses the birth of Hinduism in the background of worship of sex organs and book is developed through a "re-telling of the past". The work was published in 2009 by Viking/Penguin. According to the Hindustan Times, The Hindus was a No. 1 bestseller in its non-fiction category in the week of October 15, 2009.[4] Two scholarly reviews in the Social Scientist and the Journal of the American Oriental Society, though praising Doniger for her textual scholarship, both criticized what they saw as her poor historiography and lack of focus. Writing in the journal Social Scientist K. M. Shrimali concludes,

"There are several issues that need more detailed and nuanced analysis rather than straight-jacketed formulations that we read in The Hindus. These concern terminologies and chronologies invoked, perfunctory manner in which class-caste struggles have been referred to – almost casually, complex inter-religious dialogue seen only in the context of Visnu's avataras, and looking at the tantras merely in terms of sex and political power. The work rarely rises above the level of tale telling. On the whole, this is neither a serious work for students of Indian history, nor for those with a critical eye on 'religious history' of India, nor indeed it is the real Alternative History of the 'Hindus'. The main actors of the narrative are not speaking themselves. They merely seem to be mouthing dialogues scripted by the privileged upper classes. Apparently, The Hindus is targeted at the western readership, urbanised Indians and Indian diaspora and we won't be surprised if it sells very well in the contemporary milieu of the 'market fundamentalist' world.[5]

In the Journal of the American Oriental Society Ludo Locher writes,

It is a learned book: one cannot help being amazed by the amount and variety of source materials the author has at her command, many of which one would not find, or not expect to find, in a book on the history of Hinduism and its practitioners (see the bibliography, pp. 729-53)...She especially loves to illustrate ancient stories by interjecting comparisons with situations with which the audience is familiar: Doniger commands an unbelievably vast array of comparable material, often, though not always, from American popular culture.

Doniger acknowledges that the book was not meant to be as long as it turned out to be, "but it got the bit between its teeth, and ran away from me" (p. 1). Several pages are indeed filled with "good stories" that are only loosely, some very loosely, related to the history of the Hindu religion. Going into detail on the drinking and other vices of the Mughal emperors, even though carefully documented, is a case in point (pp. 539–41). The Black Hole of Calcutta may have been "one of the great British icons of the historical mythology of the Raj" (p. 382), but it involved only the temporarily victorious Muslim Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-daula, and British prisoners, no Hindus. "The best pun in the history of the Raj" (p. 600), i.e., the message peccavi ("I have sinned/Sind") attributed to Charles James Napier, also appears to be given more attention than it deserves in a book on Hinduism...When it comes to legal history in the colonial period in particular, there are passages that are bound to raise ... eyebrows. ... the history of Hindu law was more complex than is represented in this volume. Anglo-Hindu law was far more than "the British interpretation of Jones's translation of Manu.[6]

In the Indian Historical Review, D. H. A. Kolff writes:

"As a loosely applied, but strongly integrative, model, she proposes three roughly consecutive alliances: first the Vedic one of gods and humans as opposed to anti-gods and ogres, then the epic-Puranic one in which ascetics and renunciants seem to join over-ambitious ogres and anti-gods in threatening the gods, and finally the bhakti alliance that restores human dependence on the gods (pp. 108-11). From the point of view of the historian such a loose periodisation is satisfactory and convincing, especially in the first three fifths of the book, which deal with little else than the social and cultural history of religion. For the periods of the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals and the British, however, when the author's focus partly shifts to political circumstances, her story is often episodic and sometimes, I think, a little naïve. She is of the opinion that 'all the members of the [East India] company were ostentatiously rich', which has been proven to be wrong.' Heavily depending on John Keay's India, A History, and a few other historians, she now and then presents a rather personalised view in which the individual characteristics of the reigning Sultan or Mughal emperor are decisive, not the strategic or administrative dilemmas he faced. The Din-i-Ilahi is `Akbar's new faith' and Urdu was 'developed' by Akbar personally, as if what was at stake was no more than the fancy of an individual. 'Dear reader', she writes self-mockingly, 'you will not be surprised to learn that some of the Delhi sultans were horrible, and others were decent blokes', which seems to imply an idea of history as a quite arbitrary chain of events (pages 457, 533, 549, 576)[7]

In a second review in the Indian Historical Review, David Gilmartin writes:

Doniger makes clear that no history focused on an imperial centre can capture the history of the Hindus here, any more than could such a state-focused story in the days before the arrival of the Muslims (p. 446). But at the same time, the very structure of her presentation points also to the import-ance of the state as a locus for understanding how the history of the Hindus depends also on an engagement with broader currents of historical change extending outside India and linking this history to larger, worldwide processes. Rather than step back and ask explicit questions about this, however, she launches into an extended (and in some ways baffling) narrative of the idiosyncracies of the Mughal emperors as a backdrop to her analysis of the Mughal court's impact on Hindu history. 'Some (notoriously Aurangzeb) were quite (though not unambiguously) horrid', she says: 'some (most notably Akbar) were quite (though not unambiguously) wonderful; and most of them were a bit of both' (p. 528). This opening bit of facile moralising (one hopes tongue-in-cheek) does not bode well for what follows, and indeed, her ensuing narrative, though not without its interesting observations on imperial attitudes towards Hinduism, hardly provides a coherent vision about how new ideologies of state authority, and perhaps new structures of knowledge, may have shaped new frameworks for thinking about the meanings of being 'Hindu' during this era. This is, in fact, a seriously lost opportunity (and shows how a fascination with stories does not, in and of itself, make for good history).[8]

In South Asia Research, Shubhodeep Shome writes:

"An array of puns, asides and (sometimes off-key) jokes makes the book more bulky and somewhat anecdotal, but also entertaining to read. The work possesses an ambitious canvas. The 25 chapters progress chronologically with some overlaps, beginning with the geological formation of the Indian subconti-nent roughly 50 million years ago and stretching to modern-day 'Yankee Hinduism. Yet, it is not a 'staggeringly comprehensive' book, a term that seems to have attached itself to the work from Pankaj Mishra (2009). For example, Chapter 21, 'Caste, Class, and Conversion under the British Raj 1600 to 1900 CE', begins with a typical apology: 'This chapter will begin with a very fast gallop over the perilous steeplechase race known as the British Raj' (p. 575). This is true of many other explorations in the book. The structure resembles a series of sketches presented in historical order, assembled by interpreting myths relevant to Doniger's project of Hinduism as lived experience. The Preface: 'The Man or the Rabbit in the Moon' (pp. 1-16), and the initial chapters, such as '1. Introduction: Working with Available Light' (pp. 17-49) and '2. Time and Space in India: 50 Million to 50,000 BCE' (pp. 50-64), and the concluding section ('25. Inconclusions, or, the Abuse of History') are instructive of the nuts and bolts of writing 'alternative' history.[9]

In the popular press, the book has received many positive reviews, for example from the Library Journal,[10] the Times Literary Supplement,[11] the New York Review of Books,[12] the New York Times,[13] and The Hindu.[14]

In the New York Review of Books, David Dean Shulman wrote:

Experts on India and professional historians of South Asia will, no doubt, find something to disagree with on every page; but they will also, I think, be charmed by Doniger’s scintillating and irreverent prose (perhaps against their better judgment) and by the unexpected, strangely delightful connections she makes. Her book is no ordinary trek through inscriptions and chronicles. It is more like a psychedelic pilgrimage to sites, ritual moments, and beloved texts scattered over three millennia. Make no mistake: it’s a bumpy ride, with a provocative and erudite guide who scorns the usual rules of the historical guild. That is not to say that this improbable history lacks method. There is a sense in which Doniger is close to the indigenous South Asian, "puranic" model of writing history, of the type that put off al-Biruni.[15]

In the New York Times, Pankaj Mishra wrote:

Yet it is impossible not to admire a book that strides so intrepidly into a polemical arena almost as treacherous as Israel-­Arab relations. During a lecture in London in 2003, Doniger escaped being hit by an egg thrown by a Hindu nationalist apparently angry at the “sexual thrust” of her interpretation of the “sacred” “Ramayana.” This book will no doubt further expose her to the fury of the modern-day Indian heirs of the British imperialists who invented “Hinduism.” Happily, it will also serve as a salutary antidote to the fanatics who perceive — correctly — the fluid existential identities and commodious metaphysic of practiced Indian religions as a threat to their project of a culturally homogenous and militant nation-state.[16]

In The Hindu, A. R. Venkatachalapathy wrote:

The writing style is engaging, funny and at times even irreverent. The author's penchant for alluding to American popular culture left me clueless on many occasions. These criticisms notwithstanding, Doniger has produced a serious work of scholarship which is also accessible to the average reader. Anyone seriously concerned with Hinduism in the contemporary world will be well advised to read, enjoy, engage, and even argue with the book.[17]

In CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, V. V. Raman wrote:

More importantly, through these passages and reflections, Doniger (U. Chicago) presents with lucidity and empathy Hindu history from the perspectives of those who have seldom occupied center stage in the culture: marginalized castes, women, and even animals. Those who wish to know Hindu history from non-orthodox angles will read this book with interest; they will be highly rewarded. Those who have called into question the views and legitimacy of the author as a scholar of Hinduism will read it with a critical eye; they may be disappointed to find little that is seriously objectionable.[18]

In January 2010, the National Book Critics Circle named The Hindus as a finalist for its 2009 book awards.[19] The Hindu American Foundation protested this decision, alleging inaccuracies and bias in the book.[20]

Court case in India

The book was critised by Shiksha Bachao Andolan arguing that the work had "heresy" contents which hurt the feelings of Hindus.[21] Certain content and wordings in the book were challenged by Dina Nath Batra, the head of Shiksha Bacho Andolan in a lawsuit and the publisher Penguin India agreed to destroy all the existing copies within six months commencing from February 2014.[22] The lawsuit was filed by Dina Nath Batra in 2011 under Section 295A of Indian Penal Code which punishes deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the feelings of any religious community.[22] The publishers blamed the "British vintage Section 295A of IPC" for withdrawal of the books and felt that it was difficult to maintain international standards of free speech in light of this section.[23]

The decision of the reputed publisher to withdraw the book by a prominent U S scholar was widely critised and certain section of thinkers felt that the Penguin should have defended the case effectively and uphold freedom of expression.[21][3] There was a Streisand effect on the sales of withdrawn book as some bookstores continued to sell the work secretly by wrapping the book in brown paper.[24]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Barry, Ellen (13 February 2014), Indian Publisher Withdraws Book, Stoking Fears of Nationalist Pressure, New York Times
  2. ^ Wendy Doniger book 'to be recalled' by Penguin India, BBC, India news, 11 February 2014
  3. ^ a b "Indian Publisher Withdraws Book, Stoking Fears of Nationalist Pressure". Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  4. ^ "Top authors this week" Hindustan Times Indo-Asian News Service New Delhi, October 15, 2009
  5. ^ Shrimali 2010, p. 80.
  6. ^ Rocher 2012, p. 303.
  7. ^ Kolff 2010, p. 336.
  8. ^ Gilmartin 2010, p. 342.
  9. ^ Shome 2012, p. 77.
  10. ^ James F. DeRoche, Library Journal, 2009-02-15
  11. ^ David Arnold. "Beheading Hindus And other alternative aspects of Wendy Doniger's history of a mythology", Times Literary Supplement, July 29, 2009
  12. ^ David Dean Shulman, 'A Passion for Hindu Myths,' in New York Review of Books, Nov 19, 2009, pp. 51–53.
  13. ^ Pankaj Mishra, "'Another Incarnation',", in New York Times, April 24, 2009
  14. ^ A R Venkatachalapathy, "Understanding Hinduism" The Hindu March 30, 2010
  15. ^ David Dean Shulman, 'A Passion for Hindu Myths,' in New York Review of Books, Nov 19, 2009, pp. 51–53.
  16. ^ Pankaj Mishra, "'Another Incarnation',", in New York Times, April 24, 2009
  17. ^ A R Venkatachalapathy, "Understanding Hinduism" The Hindu March 30, 2010
  18. ^ Raman, V.V. "Doniger, Wendy. The Hindus: an alternative history." CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries Aug. 2009: 2338. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.
  19. ^ [1] "National Book Critics Circle Finalists Are Announced" New York Times January 23, 2010
  20. ^ HAF Urges NBCC Not Honor Doniger's Latest Book, as reprinted in LA Times, New Yorker, Sify
  21. ^ a b Soutik, Biswas (14 February 2014). "Wendy Doniger's The Hindus: Penguin India defends decision to recall book". BBC News India. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  22. ^ a b Kapur, Ratna (15 February 2014). "Totalising history, silencing dissent". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  23. ^ Joshua, Anita (14 February 2014). "No Country for free speech, says Penguin". The Hindu. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  24. ^ Praveen, S.R. (16 February 2014). "Streisand effect on Doniger's book". The Hindu. Retrieved 16 February 2014.

References

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