Ritual, Caste and Religion in Colonial South India

This volume attempts detailed analyses of Tamil and Telugu sources to explore the impact of notions of rituals, caste and religion in the formation of social, cultural and religious identities of the society of colonial south India. Within the Tamil context there is special focus on the different forms of Saiva Siddhanta revival in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, which reveals a wide range of responses to the social and religious challenges of colonial society in south India and Ceylon. Brahmin dominance was questioned in the wake of the Tamil Renaissance, and groups like Vanniyars, Nadars, and Paraiyars tried to renegotiate and improve their social and cultural status. Accordingly, this volume makes a case for considering these changes separately for the Tamil and Telugu contexts.