Includes index

Preface Ix
Acknowledgements Xi-Xii
Introduction Xiii-Xix
From Dissent To Norm To Tradition: The Dialectics Of Early Indian Religious History 1-19
The Mauryan Presence In South India 20-33
Making The Best Of A Bad Bargain: The Brighter Side Of Kaliyuga 34-47
Laughter In The Time Of Misery: Political Criticism In An Early Modern Sanskrit Poem 48-63
Regional History In The Making Of Regions 64-76
Of Ubiquitous Heroines And Elusive Heroes: The Cultural Milieu Of Medieval Maṇipravaḷa Kavyas From Kerala 77-105
Kāṇa-Janma-Maryādā: Origin And Development Of Land Relations In Medieval Kerala 106-123
Congealing Of Castes: The Case Of Medieval Kerala 124-135
Use Of ‘Hindu’ Idioms In Christian Worship And Propaganda In Kerala 136-153
Appendix: Bhakti Movement In South India 154-177
Index 179-193

Brought together here are ten essays, characterized by their dissent to the commonly accepted notions in the field, a first requirement for the growth of knowledge. Issues such as the dialectical process in the religious history of India; the much talked about Mauryan presence in south India; the contradictions in the construction of Kaliyuga in Puranic literature; political criticism in Sanskrit kavya poetry; regional identity and its varied perceptions; evolution of landlordism; emergence of castes and the use of ‘Hindu’ idioms in Christian worship and propaganda form the theme of these essays. A seminal essay by M.G.S. Narayanan and Kesavan Veluthat on the Bhakti Movement in south India, included in this collection, breaks new ground. The pieces on Indian religious history, the notion of Kaliyuga and the Mauryan presence in south India, challenge received wisdom somewhat violently. Those on landlordism and castes in Kerala offer bold alternatives to the existing formulations. The Sanskrit poem, Mahisasatakam, uses poetry as protest; and Manipravalam poetry shows how literature can represent a new sensibility through old genres. The analysis of the work of a Jesuit priest shows the use of anti-Christian symbols in Christian propaganda. Taken together, these essays are likely to unsettle the cozy comfort of the reader.