Is Hinduism coherent, or should it be viewed as a conglomeration of many
distinctive traditions? What were (or are) its most important and central
teachings? When did the idea of "Hinduism" first arise and what have been the
consequences? What were the effects of British rule on the religion and what are
the effects of continuing modernization? This book responds to all such debates
surrounding Hinduism in the colonial and contemporary periods. It emphasizes on
Hinduism as it arose and developed in the subcontinent itself-an approach which
facilitates greater attention to detail and an understanding of the specific
context in which new movements and changes have taken