Abstract
In this introductory chapter, Mikhail Bakhtin’s works and key concepts are reviewed, drawing parallels with dialogicality in the intellectual traditions of India while pointing out important distinctions. The chapter shows that the epic/novel distinction that Bakhtin holds has no relevance in the Indian context, as there is greater fluidity and movement between the epic and the novel. With respect to Philosophies of Language, in particular the works of the Sanskrit grammarian Bhartrhari, shows that these ancient philological traditions were far more capacious and gave a comprehensive account of the structure of language and social discourse. Such an integrated view has far-reaching explanatory capability in comparison to the Western philosophies. The chapter discusses the politics of caste and the nature of negotiation, resistance, and retaliation evident in the history of the novel in India. Carnival as a practice and as a philosophical construct has had a very long history and still retains an immediate presence in Indian culture. The chapter points out the liberating potential and folk sensibilities in India are far beyond what Bakhtin had envisioned. The chapter concludes with a brief introduction to each of the other chapters in the volume, and draws out the thematic unity and continuity between the essays.
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Notes
- 1.
Swadeshi literally means ‘self rule’ and it refers to independence movement of India.
- 2.
Natya Sastra is a treatise on dance and drama given by Bharata Muni.
- 3.
Kathakali is a four hundred year old classical theatre form from Kerala in which male actors with facial masks and elaborate costumes, perform mythological narratives drawn from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
- 4.
The word in Sanskrit for “horrifying” is “Bhairava”. Because the revealed Truth is horrifying Lord Shiva got the name “Bhairava” and this is part of Tantric tradition.
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Bandlamudi, L., Ramakrishnan, E.V. (2018). Introduction: Intellectual Traditions of India in Dialogue with Mikhail Bakhtin. In: Bandlamudi, L., Ramakrishnan, E. (eds) Bakhtinian Explorations of Indian Culture. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6313-8_1
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