Introduction Modernity and Hinduism

Abstract

The introduction presents some of the most important conceptual and historical questions related to the study of modern Hinduism. It explains the historical limitations used in this volume and why we exclude a number of movements, ideas, and practices in Hinduism in order to keep the focus on what is new. It discusses the argument that Hinduism is an entity created by colonial scholarship rather than an indigenous category and it looks at the role of some important Hindu leaders and organizations in the development of a modern concept of Hinduism as a world religion. It also presents a discussion of how modernity standardizes culture, language, and religion and what this means for the study of modern Hinduism. Finally, the introduction briefly presents the main argument of each of the chapters in this volume.