The Hindus: An Alternative History

The Hindus: An Alternative History"Don't miss this equivalent of a brilliant graduate course froma feisty and exhilarating teacher." The Washington Post An engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and myth, The Hindus offers a new way of understanding one of the world's oldest major religions. Hinduism does not lend itself easily to a strictly chronological account. Many of its central texts cannot be reliably dated within a century; its central tenets arise at

"Don't miss this equivalent of a brilliant graduate course froma feisty and exhilarating teacher."
-The Washington Post

An engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and myth, The Hindus offers a new way of understanding one of the world's oldest major religions. Hinduism does not lend itself easily to a strictly chronological account. Many of its central texts cannot be reliably dated within a century; its central tenets arise at particular moments in Indian history and often differ according to gender or caste; and the differences between groups of Hindus far outnumber the commonalities. Yet the greatness of Hinduism lies precisely in many of these idiosyncratic qualities that continues to inspire debate today. This groundbreaking work elucidates the relationship between recorded history and imaginary worlds, the inner life and the social history of Hindus.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 11/30/2010
ISBN: 9780143116691
Pages: 779
Weight: 1.65lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 1.80d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 12/19/2010 pg. 20