Preface ix Introduction IRFAN HABIB xi 1 In Search of the Roots of Religion or Dharma: Linguistic and Social Routes D.P. CHATTOPADHYAYA 1 2Religions in Complex Societies: The Myth of the 'Dark Age1 K.M. SHRIMALI 36 3Social Dimensions of the Cult of Rama SUV1RAIAISWAL 71 4Eros and History: Sahajiya Secrets and the Tantric Culture of Love NUPUR CHAUDHUR1 and RAJAT KANTA RAY 102 5Religion and Material Life in Ancient India: D.D. Kosambi and Niharranjan Ray BARUN DE. 125 6The Islamic Background to Indian History: An Interpretation of the Islamic Past M. ATHAR ALI 133 7Kablr: The Historical Setting IRFAN HABIB 142 8 Akbar and the Theologians' Declaration (Mahzar) of 1579 OSAMU KONDO 158 9 The Road to Sulh-i Kul: Akbar's Alienation from Theological Islam SHIREEN MOOSV1 167 10 The Philosophy of Mulla Sadra and its Influence in India SYED ALI NADEEM REZAVI 177 11 Women in the Sikh Discourse: Liberation or Ambivalence? KAMLESH MOHAN 187 12 Constructing the Hindu Identity DWIJENDRA NARAYAN JHA 210 13 From Religious and Social Reform to Economic Nationalism: The Nineteenth-Century Reformers of Andhra V. RAMAKRISHNA 238 14 Reason and Faith: A Defence of Foucault's Critique of Post-Enlightenment Modernity FARHAT HASAN 251 15 Contemporary Communalism: Textuality and Mass Culture NIRMALANGSHU MUKHERJI 263 Contributors 284 Index 286