interpreting india indigenous and foreign perceptions

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Interpreting India Interpreting India Indigenous and Foreign Indigenous and Foreign Perceptions Perceptions

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Page 1: Interpreting India Indigenous and Foreign Perceptions

Interpreting IndiaInterpreting India

Indigenous and Foreign Indigenous and Foreign PerceptionsPerceptions

Page 2: Interpreting India Indigenous and Foreign Perceptions

Origin of the name IndiaOrigin of the name India

India as a land beyond India as a land beyond IndusIndus

Hindustan as a land Hindustan as a land beyond Sindhubeyond Sindhu

Myths and the reality Myths and the reality of Indian self identityof Indian self identity

Indian notion of sub-Indian notion of sub-continental geographycontinental geography

Notion of al-Hind as Notion of al-Hind as part of Dar-ul-Islampart of Dar-ul-Islam

Page 3: Interpreting India Indigenous and Foreign Perceptions

Imagining India Imagining India

India in Ancient Greek India in Ancient Greek ImaginationImagination

India in Arab/ Central India in Arab/ Central Asian ImaginationAsian Imagination

India in the imagination of India in the imagination of European Travelers in pre-European Travelers in pre-colonial era colonial era

India In Chinese India In Chinese ImaginationImagination

India as an imagined land India as an imagined land and Reality of Cultural and Reality of Cultural EncountersEncounters

Page 4: Interpreting India Indigenous and Foreign Perceptions

Colonial Construction of IndiaColonial Construction of India

British Cartographic British Cartographic construction of Indiaconstruction of India

Oriental DespotismOriental Despotism Village Self RepublicVillage Self Republic Natural Leaders Natural Leaders A mélange of mutually A mélange of mutually

exclusive hostile exclusive hostile communities held in bay communities held in bay by the Britishby the British

A civilizing Mission to A civilizing Mission to restore Ancient Gloryrestore Ancient Glory

Page 5: Interpreting India Indigenous and Foreign Perceptions

Nationalist Imagining of IndiaNationalist Imagining of India

Ancient Civilization based Ancient Civilization based on rural self sufficiencyon rural self sufficiency

Harmonious social Harmonious social organization based on organization based on Varnashram dharma Varnashram dharma (Caste system) through a (Caste system) through a Hindu vision of division of Hindu vision of division of laborlabor

India as an end product of India as an end product of centuries long cultural centuries long cultural synthesissynthesis

Page 6: Interpreting India Indigenous and Foreign Perceptions

Visions of New IndiaVisions of New India

Communitarian, Stateless Communitarian, Stateless Rural social Organization Rural social Organization based on the principle of based on the principle of non-violencenon-violence

Secular democratic Secular democratic socialist Indiasocialist India

Proud Hindu India with Proud Hindu India with aggressive cultural identity aggressive cultural identity backed by military mightbacked by military might