We can download wendy donigers book but not freedom of. Note that some of the above books have women as authors or co. Through this magisterial volume which she calls the book of my books wendy doniger, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest and most original scholars of hinduism, enlarges our understanding of an. Jun 15, 2014 on hinduism is the second doniger book that caught mr. Indologist kees bolle has observed that donigers approach lacks philosophical vigor that is highly visible in hinduism.
How and why does a pluralistic faith, remarkable for its intellectual tolerance, foster religious intolerance. Penguin india caves in, agrees to trash wendy donigers. Anyone who is interested in hinduism should read donigers book, preferably after a peg or two of some aged ardbeg, because doniger leavens her scholarship with a playful turn of phrase. After half a century of studying and engaging with hinduism, im not about to be silenced by a few bad eggs, academic wendy doniger wrote in. Donigers is an amazingly breathtaking book in its sweep. An alternative history by wendy doniger of the university of chicago is really not a history at all. In her book, doniger retells hindu stories and provides snarky interpretations. Penguin india caves in, agrees to trash wendy donigers book. This book is not a brief survey you noticed that already. Feb 12, 2014 doniger s book is part of this alternative history that seeks to explore the worlds of the dalits and women outcasts at the bottom of the hindu hierarchy. Feb, 2014 in the withdrawn work, doniger, 73, a professor at the university of chicago divinity school, emphasises the importance of women, sexuality and those at the bottom of india s caste hierarchy in.
Hinduism does not lend itself easily to a strictly chronological account. Through this magisterial volume which she calls the book of my books wendy doniger, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest and most original scholars of hinduism, enlarges our understanding of an ancient and complex religion. Feb 11, 2014 doniger s book was published in 2009, and from early on, there was a lot of criticism and opposition, especially from the american hindu community. Wendy donigers book the hindus withdrawn by penguin. Penguin to destroy copies of wendy donigers book the. Several books of each of those sorts exist, some of them.
Wendy doniger, is a classic and massive study some 800 pages that has decoded. In 2011, the hindu nationalist group shiksha bachao andolan filed a civil case against penguin india over the hindus. And all the internet downloads of wendy doniger s book on hinduism will not change that. Right or wrong, wendy donigers the hindus should be. Why the outrage on wendy donigers controversial book. I had intended it to be, but it got the bit between its teeth and ran away from me, nor, on the other hand, is it a reference book that covers all the facts and dates about hinduism or a book about hinduism as it is lived today. A scholar of sanskrit and indian textual traditions, her major works include, the hindus. Mar, 2014 anyone who is interested in hinduism should read donigers book, preferably after a peg or two of some aged ardbeg, because doniger leavens her scholarship with a playful turn of phrase. Mar 05, 2010 donigers book on hindu history the book. An alternative history 2009, professor wendy doniger explains the purpose of writing this book which, on surface, appears a very noble one.
But these merely appear to be an excuse for her to indulge in bouts of lewd descriptions, imaginary rapes, violence, titillating sleaze, drugs, booze and the like all of which is then superimposed on the hindus and on their traditions. Booktopia has the hindus, an alternative history by wendy doniger. The hindus is the latest target of such hindu groups which are protesting against its nomination for an award by the national book critics circle in the united states. This series of interconnected essays and lectures surveys the most critically important and hotly contested issues in hinduism over 3,500 years. I enjoy exploring the religious diversity of india but it is very confusing. This video is very special for me and i have been planning it for some time now. Already in february 2010, more than 600 libraries in north america have acquired a copy of. Many of its central texts cannot be reliably dated within a century. She was a member of encyclopaedia britannicas editorial board of advisors.
Like her other books, the author displays strong bias against mainstream hindu ideas and mythological interpretations. Reflections on studying hinduism and what india has to. Seventythreeyearold doniger is an american jewish indologist and has been a professor at the university of chicago since 1978. Venkatachalapathy, the hindu the narrative sweep is epicwendy doniger, with exceptional brio, tells us how the story of hinduism continues to multiply. Wendy donigers book is a tribute to hinduisms complexity. This series of interconnected essays and lectures surveys the most critically important and hotly contested issues in hinduism over 3,500 years, from the ancient time of the vedas to the present day. Outcry as penguin india pulps alternative history of hindus. P enguin books india has agreed to recall and pulp all copies in india of the hindus.
On hinduism, a different book by wendy doniger is currently the no 5 bestselling kindle ebook on amazon india. She writes with sympathy and empathy and with humour and wit. Aug 01, 20 the book closes with short autobiographical essays in which doniger looks back upon her academic career complete with its orientalist heritage, selfcritiques and controversies and talks eloquently and movingly about the influence of hinduism on her own philosophy of life. She frames the debate over her book, as well as other topics when it comes to hinduism, as one between hindu rightwing activists and scholars, which essentializes a complex history that involves academic freedom, religious sensitivity, and a history of, in donigers words, talking past each other. Feb 20, 2014 doniger, a scholar of religion and professor at the university of chicago, wrote the hindus. This book, the hindus an alternative history by the eminent scholar,dr. All copies of american scholar wendy donigers the hindus. An alternative history penguin, 2009 has outraged hindus around the world like never before for allegedly insulting and offending hindus and indians. A groundbreaking work by one of the worlds foremost scholars of hinduism, already acclaimed for. The washington post an engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and myth, the hindus offers a new way of understanding one of the worlds oldest major religions. Doniger, 73, is a jewish american indologist and has been a professor at the university of chicago since 1978. Doniger concludes with four concise autobiographical essays in which she reflects on her lifetime of scholarship, hindu criticism of her work, and the influence of hinduism on her own philosophy of life. From one of the worlds foremost scholars on hinduism, a vivid reinterpretation of its history an engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and myth that offers a new way of understanding one of the world.
The departments for the study of ancient india indology and south asian studies in the west are the last bastions of colonialism today. Anyone seriously concerned with hinduism in the contemporary world will be well advised to read, enjoy, engage and even argue with this book. Wendy doniger in when the lingam is just a cigar, psychoanalysis and hindu sexual fantasies. Doniger, during the time, agreed that indians have ample grounds to reject postcolonial domination, but she also says that her works are her own perspective which does not diminish the fact that. An alternative history has outraged hindus around the world, insulting indians and offending hindus. Wendy doniger has come out with yet another gigantic volume on hinduism as a selfproclaimed historian and expert. An alternative history by wendy doniger, a professor of religion at the. One story is about fusing the head of a brahmin woman onto the body of a dalit woman. But more disturbing is her willingness to compromise integrity at the cost of pushing her biases forward.
Feb 11, 2014 penguin india has agreed to withdraw american indologist wendy donigers book the hindus. An alternative history, published by penguin, will be recalled and destroyed as. The fight for freedom of expression will have to happen the hard way, slogged out in the courts, not on social media. Fight back and reclaim wendy donigers valuable book taken away from you by a spineless publisher and the fundamentalists they made a deal with. Rama thinks that sex is putting him in political danger keeping his allegedly. The hindus, an alternative history by wendy doniger. Earlier, penguin india decided to withdraw from india and pulp all remaining copies of her book the hindus. Outcry as penguin india pulps alternative history of. Comprising a series of connected essays, on hinduism examines many of the most crucial and contested issues in hinduism, from the time of the ved.
Doniger s book provided me a great historical overview of hinduism. Wendy doniger tries to remedy the enduring impression of a unified hinduism created in large part by the first british scholars of india. The book was initially published by viking penguin in 2009 and later in india by penguins indian subsidiary, penguin india. An alternative history, published by penguin, will be recalled and destroyed as part of a court. In this magisterial volume of essays, wendy doniger enhances our understanding of the ancient and complex religion to which she has devoted herself for half a century. Penguin to withdraw wendy donigers controversial book, the. Expectedly, the withdrawal has stirred up controversy.
Apr 23, 2009 the title of doniger s book an alternative history is problematic. Apr 14, 2014 more alarmingly, doniger claimed that her book was the definitive account of hinduism, though her historiography seemed to read more like an unauthorized biography of a celebrity. Wendy doniger is the mircea eliade distinguished service professor of the history of religions in the divinity school at the university of chicago. Penguin books india has promised to withdraw all copies of wendy donigers book the hindus penguin books india has caved in rather than defend its author wendy doniger, philologist and university of chicago professor, for her book the hindus. The author, wendy doniger, has two doctorates, one in sanskrit and one in indian studies, so she is exceedingly well qualified to write meaningfully on this topic. Donigers c hapter on the shiva lingam expresses in microcosm this modern tension, describing att empts at censorship by a bigoted and prudish po litical movement p. Reviewers of anthologies frequently indulge in the exercise of demonstrating how much better a selection of the material they would have made.
More alarmingly, doniger claimed that her book was the definitive account of hinduism, though her historiography seemed to read more like an unauthorized biography of a celebrity. Jul 17, 2015 examples in text citation, followed by listing in references book with one author intext citation doniger 1999 reference doniger, wendy. Indeed, before this, one would have thought such a book could never be written. After severe backlash in india and a court case that ended last. Bridge of discourse between this hindu and that hindu hindus need to be wary of the intractable opposition between this hindu and that hindu that is falsely posited and perpetrated by orientalists like doniger. While the public faces of the controversy in india dont do much to articulate legitimate criticisms of the book, its foolish to dismiss their case entirely. An alternative history from the indian market following an outofcourt settlement with delhibased. American professor wendy doniger s controversial book the hindus. Wendy doniger oflaherty born november 20, 1940 is an american indologist whose professional career has spanned five decades. It suggests the hinduism she is chronicling is a shadow version of some other more mainstream narrative. Since doniger does not permit the reader along other lines than what she has thought out, bolle detects here an unhealthy tendency to psychologize or personalize hindu documents and data she is scrutinizing. For those who already know and admire wendy donigers work, this is a. Wendy donigers book the hindus, an alternative history see the cover, published and distributed by penguin has been a phenomenal sales success.
On hinduism is the culmination of over forty years of scholarship from a renowned expert on one of the worlds great faiths. See all books authored by wendy doniger, including the kama sutra erotica classics, and the hindus. Her research and teaching interests revolve around two basic areas, hinduism and mythology. It is also plausible that users have mistaken on hinduism for the hindus or because the hindus is currently unavailable on and therefore users are exploring other works by the same author. The wild misconceptions that most nonhindus have of hinduism need to be counteracted by demonstrating the richness and human depth of hindu texts and. This is the first part of a scholarly critique of wendy donigers the hindus. P enguin books india has reportedly agreed to recall and destroy all copies in india of a book about hinduism by a u. The real reason wendy donigers book on hindus was banned in. Penguin to destroy copies of wendy donigers book the hindus.
Overall, he finds donigers methodology lacking in openness bolle 1984. All copies of american scholar wendy doniger s the hindus. These essays, by one of hinduisms most unconventional scholars. Another book on hinduism by american indologist wendy doniger has come under attack from the same delhibased group which had compelled the publishers of an earlier work by her to withdraw the title.
Indian censorship and the curious case of wendy doniger. An alternative history is a book by american indologist wendy doniger which the author describes as an alternative to the narrative of hindu history that they tell. In particular, it provokes anxiety in those hindus who are sometimes called hindu nationalists, or the hindu right, or rightwing hindus, or the hindutva hinduness faction, or, more. That aleph book company has decided to reprint the book was also confirmed by ms. Censorship by the batra brigade nyr, may 8, wendy doniger touches on a number of issues when it comes to the academic study of religion and larger questions of representation. The author terms this massproduced hatemongering literature as. Wendy donigers the hindus recalled by penguin india time. This book published by penguin was withdrawn by the publisher in an out of court settlement owing to a case filed in a delhi court by shiksha bachao andolan and a group of individuals. Wendy donigers book on hinduism the right wing muslims made such a fuss about salman rushdie, most of them did not even read the book satanic verses, or even know that it was in english. An alternative history speaking tiger books speaking.
As a westerner, i came here assuming that i could grasp and categorize what i would see. Ive labored all my adult life in the paddy fields of sanskrit, doniger has written 16 books, translated primarily from sanskrit to english with commentary nine other volumes, has contributed to many edited texts and has written hundreds of articles in journals, magazines and newspapers. About the hindus dont miss this equivalent of a brilliant graduate course froma feisty and exhilarating teacher. Doniger provides several variants of the theme of transposed heads. The real reason wendy donigers book on hindus was banned. I have lived in hyderabad india for almost one year and will be here for another year. Wendy doniger books list of books by author wendy doniger.
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