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India, Hinduism and Development

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Religion and Development in the Global South

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Abstract

Centres on India in which 94% of the world’s Hindus live and examines the key tenets of Hinduism in particular the karma-samsara-moksha doctrine. The focus is on the centrality of caste to India’s economic and social development, with an overview of the ideas of Phule, Gandhi, Ambedkar, Lohia, and Periyar. It examines the impact of caste on modern India, and concludes with a discussion of gender inequality and the argument that aspects of Hinduism are linked to corruption.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This contrasts with the small Jain religion which has a ritual, santhara, in which a Jain gives up food and water with the intention of preparing for death. This ritual was outlawed by Rajasthan’s High Court but the decision was overturned by India’s Supreme Court (BBC News 2015).

  2. 2.

    Scheduled Castes are also known as “Dalits,” and were previously labelled as “Untouchables” and “Harijans.” Scheduled Tribes are also known as “Adivasis.” These are the two lowest castes and receive recognition in the Indian constitution; under affirmative action policies, jobs are reserved for them.

  3. 3.

    The British were never more than 0.05% of the population. In 1805, there were 31,000 British in India (22,000 in the army and 2000 in civilian government); by 1931, this had risen to 168,000 (60,000 in the army and police, 4000 in civilian government, 26,000 in the private sector and 78,000 family dependents) (Maddison 2007, p. 119).

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  1. University of Sussex, Brighton, UK

    Rumy Hasan

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Hasan, R. (2017). India, Hinduism and Development. In: Religion and Development in the Global South. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57063-1_3

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