Author Description
The Kashmiri Pandits have long played a vital role in Indian politics, and have made outstanding contributions to Indian culture and society. This study attempts to present a balanced history of the Pandits, drawing on both documented fact and legendary history. An important focus of the latter analysis is the use made, by a group vulnerable to changes in the "host" society, of reconstructed versions of historical tradition when the need to conform assumed primary importance. Sender consequently provides an invaluable analysis of the nature of a minority cultural group.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This study investigates how the Kashmiri Pandit community has navigated its identity and cultural survival within the broader, shifting political landscape of North India. Author Henny Sender examines the historical trajectory of this minority group, utilizing a combination of documented historical records and oral traditions. The work argues that the Pandits strategically reconstructed their historical narratives to maintain social cohesion and relevance when faced with external pressures from host societies.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Historical analysis of the Kashmiri Pandit community in North India
- Examination of cultural adaptation and identity preservation strategies
- Synthesis of documented historical facts and legendary traditions
- Theoretical framework regarding minority group survival in vulnerable political environments
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and historians frequently cite this work as a nuanced examination of minority identity formation and the utility of historical myth-making. The text is recognized for its academic rigor and its contribution to the sociological understanding of cultural choice in South Asian history.
Page Count:
358
Publication Date:
1990-03-29
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0195617266
ISBN-13:
9780195617269
History
Minority Studies
India
History India
Sociology
Community Tags
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