Books by David Gellner
Nepal’s Dalits in Transition, 2024
For too long Nepal’s Dalits hav been marginalized, not just socially, economically, and political... more For too long Nepal’s Dalits hav been marginalized, not just socially, economically, and politically, but from academic accounts of Nepalese society as well. This volume forms part of a welcome new trend, the emergence of Dalit Studies in Nepal, led by a new generation of Dalit scholars. It covers a wide range of issues concerning Nepal’s Dalits and offers a snapshot of the advances that they have made—in education, in politics, in the bureaucracy, economically, and in everyday relations. At the same time the book documents the continuing material disadvantage, inequality, discrimination, both direct and indirect, and consequent mental suffering that Dalits have to face. It also touches on the struggles, hopes, and dilemmas of Dalit activists as they seek to bring about a new social order and a relatively more egalitarian society. Nepal’s Dalits in Transition will be essential reading for anyone interested in the past, present, or future of social change in Nepal.
GLOBAL NEPALIS Religion, Culture, and Community in a New and Old Diaspora edited by David N. Gellner & Sondra L. Hausner, 2018
Migration has been a basic fact of Nepali life for centuries. Over the last thirty years, migrati... more Migration has been a basic fact of Nepali life for centuries. Over the last thirty years, migration from Nepal has increased exponentially, leading to many new diaspora communities across the world. In these diverse contexts, to what extent do Nepalis reproduce their culture and pass it on to subsequent generations? How much of diaspora life is a response to social and political concerns derived from the homeland? What aspects of Nepali life and culture change? In this volume twenty-one authors address these issues through eighteen detailed case studies that tackle issues of livelihood, identity and belonging, internal conflict, and religious practice, in the UK, the USA, India, Southeast Asia, the Gulf countries, and Fiji. Throughout the volume, we see how being Nepali outside Nepal enables new categories and new kinds of identity to emerge, whether as Nepali, Gorkhali, or as a member of a particular ethnic, regional, or religious group. The common theme of Global Nepalis is the exploration of continuity, change, and conflict as new practices and identities develop in Nepali diaspora life.
The socio-political landscape of Nepal has been rocked by dramatic and far-reaching changes in th... more The socio-political landscape of Nepal has been rocked by dramatic and far-reaching changes in the past thirty years. Following a ten-year Maoist revolution and civil war, the country has transitioned from a monarchy to a republic. The former Hindu kingdom has declared its commitment to secularism, without coming to any agreement on what secularism means or should mean in the Nepalese context. What happens to religion under conditions of such rapid social and political change? How do the changes in public festivals reflect and/or create new group identities? Is the gap between the urban and the rural narrowing? How is the state dealing with Nepal’s multicultural and multi-religious society? How are Nepalis understanding, resisting, and adapting ideas of secularism?
In order to answer these important questions, this volume brings together eleven case studies by an international team of anthropologists and ethno-Indologists of Nepal on such diverse topics as secularism, individualism, shamanism, animal sacrifice, the role of state functionaries in festivals, clashes and synergies between Maoism and Buddhism, and conversion to Christianity. In an Afterword renowned political theorist Rajeev Bhargava presents a comparative analysis of Nepal’s experiences and asks whether the country is finding its own solution to the conundrum of secularism.
This book provides valuable new ethnographic insights into life along some of the most contentiou... more This book provides valuable new ethnographic insights into life along some of the most contentious borders in the world. The collected essays portray existence at different points across India's northern frontiers and, in one instance, along borders within India. Whether discussing Shi'i Muslims striving to be patriotic Indians in the Kashmiri district of Kargil or Bangladeshis living uneasily in an enclave surrounded by Indian territory, the contributors show that state borders in Northern South Asia are complex sites of contestation. India's borders with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma/Myanmar, China, and Nepal encompass radically different ways of life, a whole spectrum of relationships to the state, and many struggles with urgent identity issues. Taken together, the essays show how, by looking at state-making in diverse, border-related contexts, it is possible to comprehend Northern South Asia's various nation-state projects without relapsing into conventional nationalist accounts.
The whole book is now available as a free download from:
http://www.oapen.org/search?identifier=625238#.WNg3uMPqkxk.facebook
“a very impressive documentation of Newar culture, on a high level of ethnographic and theoretica... more “a very impressive documentation of Newar culture, on a high level of ethnographic and theoretical standards, and excellently presented”
(M. Gaenszle in EBHR 17: 154)
“an essential book not only for scholars of Nepal, Hinduism and South Asia, but for all social scientists concerned with the interactions of politics, religion and social organization in pre-industrial societies”
(W.F. Fisher, JRAI (N.S.) 5: 323)
“essential reading for anyone interested in caste”
(B. McC. Owens, American Ethnologist 25: 78).
"an excellent contribution to our understanding of Nepal’s current situation and worth the attent... more "an excellent contribution to our understanding of Nepal’s current situation and worth the attention of anyone seriously interested in the subject”
John Whelpton, European Bulletin of Himalayan Research 27: 152
For the introduction, see under Articles.
A collection of substantial case studies on social change, caste, identity,, ritual, and activism... more A collection of substantial case studies on social change, caste, identity,, ritual, and activism in north India and Nepal by Japanese, Nepali, Indian, and European scholars.
A substantial set of ethnographic case studies, mainly by Japanese and Nepali authors, on issues ... more A substantial set of ethnographic case studies, mainly by Japanese and Nepali authors, on issues of urbanization, ethnicity, livelihoods, marriage, kinship, and transnational links, as they affect Nepalis both inside and outside Nepal.
"To discuss the state of civil society, the 10 articles in Ethnic Activism and Civil Society in S... more "To discuss the state of civil society, the 10 articles in Ethnic Activism and Civil Society in South Asia present case studies of different kinds of ethnic ('communal') activism in South Asia covering countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, and India-with Darjeeling, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu, in particular. The articles examine Hindu nationalism, Dalit activism in India, Janajati movement in Nepal, and the transnational connections among them, and discuss common ideals such as emphasis on the involvement of youth, assertion of pride and masculinity, desire to resist injustice, importance of land and belonging, and so on.
The South Asian civil society is a site of constant struggle. In this volume, the focus is not on one nation and the 'methodological nationalism' in the region but on all South Asian nations. It shows how the ethnic activists wrestle with official classifications and categories of daily, traditional practices and attempt to turn them to their advantage. It also argues for the treatment of the differing categories of ethnic movements together, which are otherwise generally treated in isolation.
"
“Lucidly and engagingly written, Rebuilding Buddhism is the first in-depth and sociologically so... more “Lucidly and engagingly written, Rebuilding Buddhism is the first in-depth and sociologically sophisticated study of the Theravada revival in Nepal, whose Buddhism before the twentieth century was wholly Mahayanist.”
Steven Collins, Univ. of Chicago
“A significant ethnographic contribution... a splendidly rendered ethnography that advances a wealth of informed analysis about Buddhist renewal in Nepal while suggesting many insights into the process of Buddhist revitalization throughout the region.”
Ingrid Jordt, American Anthropologist 109(1): 218-19.
“It is a long time since I have been so inspired (begeistert) by a book. For an academic book – and it is sad that this is so rare – it is engagingly and fluently written. It is also a long time since I have learned so much as from reading this monograph.... It will remain the standard reference on Theravada Buddhism in Nepal for a long time to come.”
Karénina Kollmar-Paulenz, Anthropos 102(1): 276-8.
"The final chapter is a conclusion which looks toward the future looking at the status of the monks, the nuns and the lay people and the difficulties that they all face. This is an excellent chapter which does not lend itself to facile summaries. It should be studied and pondered, not just in the context of Newar Buddhism but in the larger context of what is happening to all religious and cultural communities in Nepal. In conclusion the book is an excellent investment for anyone who wants to understand what is going on in Nepal today and what the future might hold not only for the Newar community but for all the peoples of Nepal."
John Locke, S.J. Contributions to Nepalese Studies
"The strength of this work is the detailed fieldwork performed by Levine, which has enabled the composition of a fascinating history of establishment of a Newari Theravada order of nuns. The work is further strengthened by Gellner’s profound knowledge of Newar society. It provides a rich account both of the history of the Theravada mission in Nepal, as well as an up-to-date account of its current status."
David B. Gray, Journal of Religious History, 2008
"LeVine and Gellner's book offers a new perspective on Buddhism in the Kathmandu Valley, providing a detailed local history of change over the course of the twentieth century, and rich ethnographic material collected from both Nepali monastics and laity. The book is particularly successful in its attention to the gender nuances of renunciation; it draws attention both to the inequalities between monks and nuns, and to the gendered differences in the choice to renounce (or return to) householding. A second, highly intriguing element of the book-though not actively thematized-is its complex picture of international Buddhist exchanges: LeVine and Gellner reveal Nepali Buddhists traveling abroad for purposes ranging from pilgrimage to education to initiation, and negotiating a variety of linguistic barriers."
Karen C. Lang, Religious Studies Review (2009), 35(1): 77-8.
"“Gellner’s level of precision and completeness of observation is very seldom reached...and the p... more "“Gellner’s level of precision and completeness of observation is very seldom reached...and the precision and clarity of thought lead the reader to rethink the material. Gellner’s book is paradigmatically important well beyond the limits of its subject matter.”
(B. Kölver Orientalische-literaturzeitung)
“Gellner’s...profound knowledge of texts, rituals and ideology, enables him to isolate and to underscore the originality of Newar Buddhism. This book is the most important contribution to the study of the relationship of Buddhism to Hinduism in Nepal since the work of Sylvain Lévi at the beginning of the century.”
(A. Vergati Indo-Iranian Journal)
“I should underline the ethnographic richness of this study...as well as its high intellectual level and theoretical qualities, which owe much to Max Weber and Edward Evans-Pritchard. David Gellner has already published over twenty articles on related subjects. He demonstrates his position as one of the leading contemporary specialists on the Kathmandu Valley. His work will be a fundamental work of reference for a very long time.”
(G. Toffin L’Homme)
“Gellner’s book...is uniquely comprehensive and thorough... The organization and presentation of the material is excellent... it is an important and authoritative work on the Newars, written with great panache, insight, and scholarship.”
(Prayag Raj Sharma Contributions to Nepalese Studies)
“Gellner’s material on ritual is particularly impressive, both in its detail and in his grasp of the overall logic, which owes much to his enviable ability to make good use of indigenous texts... the book is clearly written and organized... Gellner’s claim that Newar Buddhism is characterized by variant -- higher and lower, esoteric and exoteric -- interpretations of the same ritual is well supported by his evidence. It deserves close attention from other scholars of South Asian religion, who have sometimes underplayed the diversity of indigenous interpretation that exists even when there is no overt stress on esotericism... For the quality of its ethnography and its ambitious attempt to make sense of an extremely complex religious field, Gellner’s book deserves to be recognized as a major contribution to scholarship.”
(C. Fuller JASO)
“Newar Buddhism...is now our sole living evidence in the Indian subcontinent of the Tantric Mahayana, a form of religion that was once widespread and very influential, as its dissemination to Tibet, Mongolia, China and Japan testifies. Anyone who wishes to understand how late Buddhism operated in its original Indian context must therefore look not only to the surviving Sanskrit sources but also to the evidence of Newar society today. The publication of David Gellner’s excellent book is therefore an important event for anthropologists and Indologists alike... With its recasting of the layers of Buddhism, and its explanation of the relationship between the three Yanas, and of that between Newar Buddhism and Hinduism, I would not hesitate to label it the most important anthropological work on non-Theravada Buddhism published so far.”
(I. Kahrs Modern Asian Studies)
“David Gellner's Monk, Householder, and Tantric Priest is the first comprehensive description and analysis of this tradition. This exhaustive and careful ethnography is informed by participant observation among the indige- nous householder samgha, by studies of commonly used ritual texts, and by the writings of modern Newar scholars. The author also writes with awareness of other Buddhist societies and connects the Newar case study with issues in the history of Buddhism. This well-produced work is a definitive landmark not only for scholarship on Nepal but for the wider field of Buddhist studies as well.... In this book and in his impressive oeuvre (cited in the bibliography), Gellner has contributed an important corpus of data for understanding the Newar case study of Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhism. Both past and future studies of individual Newar tests, Buddhist ritual practices, and other cultural performances can now be more reliably situated and interpreted since the tradition has been so well documented in this work... The importance of Himalayan research in South Asian Buddhist studies is powerfully demonstrated in Monk, Householder, and Tantric Priest.”
(Todd T. Lewis, History of Religions 35.1, 1995)
Papers on Max Weber by David Gellner
Pacific Viewpoint, 1988
This paper interprets the religion of the Newars in the light of the Weberian concepts of soterio... more This paper interprets the religion of the Newars in the light of the Weberian concepts of soteriology, religion of the masses, different forms of prophecy, and contrasting forms of legitimate authority.
The paper was republished as Chapter 4 in D.N. Gellner 2001. The Anthropology of Buddhism and Hinduism: Weberian Themes, pp. 85–105. Delhi: OUP.
Max Weber Studies, 2017
Sheldon Pollock is the leading North American Indologist and his magnum opus, The Language of the... more Sheldon Pollock is the leading North American Indologist and his magnum opus, The Language of the Gods in the World of Men: Sanskrit, Culture, and Power in Premodern India, is a field-defining classic. Pollock takes himself to be a fierce critic of Max Weber, but in fact his comparative historical approach shares much with Weber, and where it is wanting Pollock's text would have benefited from more, not less, Weberian influence. Pollock's vision of language history and his views on religion and legitimation are considered in detail.
R.J. McGee & R.L. Warms (eds) 'Theory in Social and Cultural Anthropology: An Encyclopedia', Vol. 2, pp. 912 - 16., 2013
Encyclopaedia entry in 'Theory in Social and Cultural Anthropology: An Encyclopedia, Vol. 2'. Sag... more Encyclopaedia entry in 'Theory in Social and Cultural Anthropology: An Encyclopedia, Vol. 2'. Sage, 2013
The Oxford Handbook of the Sociology of Religion, ed. P. Clarke, pp. 48-62., 2009
Chapter 1 in D.N. Gellner 'The Anthropology of Buddhism and Hinduism: Weberian Themes', Delhi: OUP, pp. 19-44., 2001
This paper examines and assesses Max Weber's book 'The Religion of India', its relationship to th... more This paper examines and assesses Max Weber's book 'The Religion of India', its relationship to the famous Weber thesis about capitalism and Protestantism, and the many misinterpretations and misunderstandings that have bedevilled the reception of Weber's work.
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Books by David Gellner
In order to answer these important questions, this volume brings together eleven case studies by an international team of anthropologists and ethno-Indologists of Nepal on such diverse topics as secularism, individualism, shamanism, animal sacrifice, the role of state functionaries in festivals, clashes and synergies between Maoism and Buddhism, and conversion to Christianity. In an Afterword renowned political theorist Rajeev Bhargava presents a comparative analysis of Nepal’s experiences and asks whether the country is finding its own solution to the conundrum of secularism.
The whole book is now available as a free download from:
http://www.oapen.org/search?identifier=625238#.WNg3uMPqkxk.facebook
(M. Gaenszle in EBHR 17: 154)
“an essential book not only for scholars of Nepal, Hinduism and South Asia, but for all social scientists concerned with the interactions of politics, religion and social organization in pre-industrial societies”
(W.F. Fisher, JRAI (N.S.) 5: 323)
“essential reading for anyone interested in caste”
(B. McC. Owens, American Ethnologist 25: 78).
John Whelpton, European Bulletin of Himalayan Research 27: 152
For the introduction, see under Articles.
The South Asian civil society is a site of constant struggle. In this volume, the focus is not on one nation and the 'methodological nationalism' in the region but on all South Asian nations. It shows how the ethnic activists wrestle with official classifications and categories of daily, traditional practices and attempt to turn them to their advantage. It also argues for the treatment of the differing categories of ethnic movements together, which are otherwise generally treated in isolation.
"
Steven Collins, Univ. of Chicago
“A significant ethnographic contribution... a splendidly rendered ethnography that advances a wealth of informed analysis about Buddhist renewal in Nepal while suggesting many insights into the process of Buddhist revitalization throughout the region.”
Ingrid Jordt, American Anthropologist 109(1): 218-19.
“It is a long time since I have been so inspired (begeistert) by a book. For an academic book – and it is sad that this is so rare – it is engagingly and fluently written. It is also a long time since I have learned so much as from reading this monograph.... It will remain the standard reference on Theravada Buddhism in Nepal for a long time to come.”
Karénina Kollmar-Paulenz, Anthropos 102(1): 276-8.
"The final chapter is a conclusion which looks toward the future looking at the status of the monks, the nuns and the lay people and the difficulties that they all face. This is an excellent chapter which does not lend itself to facile summaries. It should be studied and pondered, not just in the context of Newar Buddhism but in the larger context of what is happening to all religious and cultural communities in Nepal. In conclusion the book is an excellent investment for anyone who wants to understand what is going on in Nepal today and what the future might hold not only for the Newar community but for all the peoples of Nepal."
John Locke, S.J. Contributions to Nepalese Studies
"The strength of this work is the detailed fieldwork performed by Levine, which has enabled the composition of a fascinating history of establishment of a Newari Theravada order of nuns. The work is further strengthened by Gellner’s profound knowledge of Newar society. It provides a rich account both of the history of the Theravada mission in Nepal, as well as an up-to-date account of its current status."
David B. Gray, Journal of Religious History, 2008
"LeVine and Gellner's book offers a new perspective on Buddhism in the Kathmandu Valley, providing a detailed local history of change over the course of the twentieth century, and rich ethnographic material collected from both Nepali monastics and laity. The book is particularly successful in its attention to the gender nuances of renunciation; it draws attention both to the inequalities between monks and nuns, and to the gendered differences in the choice to renounce (or return to) householding. A second, highly intriguing element of the book-though not actively thematized-is its complex picture of international Buddhist exchanges: LeVine and Gellner reveal Nepali Buddhists traveling abroad for purposes ranging from pilgrimage to education to initiation, and negotiating a variety of linguistic barriers."
Karen C. Lang, Religious Studies Review (2009), 35(1): 77-8.
(B. Kölver Orientalische-literaturzeitung)
“Gellner’s...profound knowledge of texts, rituals and ideology, enables him to isolate and to underscore the originality of Newar Buddhism. This book is the most important contribution to the study of the relationship of Buddhism to Hinduism in Nepal since the work of Sylvain Lévi at the beginning of the century.”
(A. Vergati Indo-Iranian Journal)
“I should underline the ethnographic richness of this study...as well as its high intellectual level and theoretical qualities, which owe much to Max Weber and Edward Evans-Pritchard. David Gellner has already published over twenty articles on related subjects. He demonstrates his position as one of the leading contemporary specialists on the Kathmandu Valley. His work will be a fundamental work of reference for a very long time.”
(G. Toffin L’Homme)
“Gellner’s book...is uniquely comprehensive and thorough... The organization and presentation of the material is excellent... it is an important and authoritative work on the Newars, written with great panache, insight, and scholarship.”
(Prayag Raj Sharma Contributions to Nepalese Studies)
“Gellner’s material on ritual is particularly impressive, both in its detail and in his grasp of the overall logic, which owes much to his enviable ability to make good use of indigenous texts... the book is clearly written and organized... Gellner’s claim that Newar Buddhism is characterized by variant -- higher and lower, esoteric and exoteric -- interpretations of the same ritual is well supported by his evidence. It deserves close attention from other scholars of South Asian religion, who have sometimes underplayed the diversity of indigenous interpretation that exists even when there is no overt stress on esotericism... For the quality of its ethnography and its ambitious attempt to make sense of an extremely complex religious field, Gellner’s book deserves to be recognized as a major contribution to scholarship.”
(C. Fuller JASO)
“Newar Buddhism...is now our sole living evidence in the Indian subcontinent of the Tantric Mahayana, a form of religion that was once widespread and very influential, as its dissemination to Tibet, Mongolia, China and Japan testifies. Anyone who wishes to understand how late Buddhism operated in its original Indian context must therefore look not only to the surviving Sanskrit sources but also to the evidence of Newar society today. The publication of David Gellner’s excellent book is therefore an important event for anthropologists and Indologists alike... With its recasting of the layers of Buddhism, and its explanation of the relationship between the three Yanas, and of that between Newar Buddhism and Hinduism, I would not hesitate to label it the most important anthropological work on non-Theravada Buddhism published so far.”
(I. Kahrs Modern Asian Studies)
“David Gellner's Monk, Householder, and Tantric Priest is the first comprehensive description and analysis of this tradition. This exhaustive and careful ethnography is informed by participant observation among the indige- nous householder samgha, by studies of commonly used ritual texts, and by the writings of modern Newar scholars. The author also writes with awareness of other Buddhist societies and connects the Newar case study with issues in the history of Buddhism. This well-produced work is a definitive landmark not only for scholarship on Nepal but for the wider field of Buddhist studies as well.... In this book and in his impressive oeuvre (cited in the bibliography), Gellner has contributed an important corpus of data for understanding the Newar case study of Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhism. Both past and future studies of individual Newar tests, Buddhist ritual practices, and other cultural performances can now be more reliably situated and interpreted since the tradition has been so well documented in this work... The importance of Himalayan research in South Asian Buddhist studies is powerfully demonstrated in Monk, Householder, and Tantric Priest.”
(Todd T. Lewis, History of Religions 35.1, 1995)
Papers on Max Weber by David Gellner
The paper was republished as Chapter 4 in D.N. Gellner 2001. The Anthropology of Buddhism and Hinduism: Weberian Themes, pp. 85–105. Delhi: OUP.
In order to answer these important questions, this volume brings together eleven case studies by an international team of anthropologists and ethno-Indologists of Nepal on such diverse topics as secularism, individualism, shamanism, animal sacrifice, the role of state functionaries in festivals, clashes and synergies between Maoism and Buddhism, and conversion to Christianity. In an Afterword renowned political theorist Rajeev Bhargava presents a comparative analysis of Nepal’s experiences and asks whether the country is finding its own solution to the conundrum of secularism.
The whole book is now available as a free download from:
http://www.oapen.org/search?identifier=625238#.WNg3uMPqkxk.facebook
(M. Gaenszle in EBHR 17: 154)
“an essential book not only for scholars of Nepal, Hinduism and South Asia, but for all social scientists concerned with the interactions of politics, religion and social organization in pre-industrial societies”
(W.F. Fisher, JRAI (N.S.) 5: 323)
“essential reading for anyone interested in caste”
(B. McC. Owens, American Ethnologist 25: 78).
John Whelpton, European Bulletin of Himalayan Research 27: 152
For the introduction, see under Articles.
The South Asian civil society is a site of constant struggle. In this volume, the focus is not on one nation and the 'methodological nationalism' in the region but on all South Asian nations. It shows how the ethnic activists wrestle with official classifications and categories of daily, traditional practices and attempt to turn them to their advantage. It also argues for the treatment of the differing categories of ethnic movements together, which are otherwise generally treated in isolation.
"
Steven Collins, Univ. of Chicago
“A significant ethnographic contribution... a splendidly rendered ethnography that advances a wealth of informed analysis about Buddhist renewal in Nepal while suggesting many insights into the process of Buddhist revitalization throughout the region.”
Ingrid Jordt, American Anthropologist 109(1): 218-19.
“It is a long time since I have been so inspired (begeistert) by a book. For an academic book – and it is sad that this is so rare – it is engagingly and fluently written. It is also a long time since I have learned so much as from reading this monograph.... It will remain the standard reference on Theravada Buddhism in Nepal for a long time to come.”
Karénina Kollmar-Paulenz, Anthropos 102(1): 276-8.
"The final chapter is a conclusion which looks toward the future looking at the status of the monks, the nuns and the lay people and the difficulties that they all face. This is an excellent chapter which does not lend itself to facile summaries. It should be studied and pondered, not just in the context of Newar Buddhism but in the larger context of what is happening to all religious and cultural communities in Nepal. In conclusion the book is an excellent investment for anyone who wants to understand what is going on in Nepal today and what the future might hold not only for the Newar community but for all the peoples of Nepal."
John Locke, S.J. Contributions to Nepalese Studies
"The strength of this work is the detailed fieldwork performed by Levine, which has enabled the composition of a fascinating history of establishment of a Newari Theravada order of nuns. The work is further strengthened by Gellner’s profound knowledge of Newar society. It provides a rich account both of the history of the Theravada mission in Nepal, as well as an up-to-date account of its current status."
David B. Gray, Journal of Religious History, 2008
"LeVine and Gellner's book offers a new perspective on Buddhism in the Kathmandu Valley, providing a detailed local history of change over the course of the twentieth century, and rich ethnographic material collected from both Nepali monastics and laity. The book is particularly successful in its attention to the gender nuances of renunciation; it draws attention both to the inequalities between monks and nuns, and to the gendered differences in the choice to renounce (or return to) householding. A second, highly intriguing element of the book-though not actively thematized-is its complex picture of international Buddhist exchanges: LeVine and Gellner reveal Nepali Buddhists traveling abroad for purposes ranging from pilgrimage to education to initiation, and negotiating a variety of linguistic barriers."
Karen C. Lang, Religious Studies Review (2009), 35(1): 77-8.
(B. Kölver Orientalische-literaturzeitung)
“Gellner’s...profound knowledge of texts, rituals and ideology, enables him to isolate and to underscore the originality of Newar Buddhism. This book is the most important contribution to the study of the relationship of Buddhism to Hinduism in Nepal since the work of Sylvain Lévi at the beginning of the century.”
(A. Vergati Indo-Iranian Journal)
“I should underline the ethnographic richness of this study...as well as its high intellectual level and theoretical qualities, which owe much to Max Weber and Edward Evans-Pritchard. David Gellner has already published over twenty articles on related subjects. He demonstrates his position as one of the leading contemporary specialists on the Kathmandu Valley. His work will be a fundamental work of reference for a very long time.”
(G. Toffin L’Homme)
“Gellner’s book...is uniquely comprehensive and thorough... The organization and presentation of the material is excellent... it is an important and authoritative work on the Newars, written with great panache, insight, and scholarship.”
(Prayag Raj Sharma Contributions to Nepalese Studies)
“Gellner’s material on ritual is particularly impressive, both in its detail and in his grasp of the overall logic, which owes much to his enviable ability to make good use of indigenous texts... the book is clearly written and organized... Gellner’s claim that Newar Buddhism is characterized by variant -- higher and lower, esoteric and exoteric -- interpretations of the same ritual is well supported by his evidence. It deserves close attention from other scholars of South Asian religion, who have sometimes underplayed the diversity of indigenous interpretation that exists even when there is no overt stress on esotericism... For the quality of its ethnography and its ambitious attempt to make sense of an extremely complex religious field, Gellner’s book deserves to be recognized as a major contribution to scholarship.”
(C. Fuller JASO)
“Newar Buddhism...is now our sole living evidence in the Indian subcontinent of the Tantric Mahayana, a form of religion that was once widespread and very influential, as its dissemination to Tibet, Mongolia, China and Japan testifies. Anyone who wishes to understand how late Buddhism operated in its original Indian context must therefore look not only to the surviving Sanskrit sources but also to the evidence of Newar society today. The publication of David Gellner’s excellent book is therefore an important event for anthropologists and Indologists alike... With its recasting of the layers of Buddhism, and its explanation of the relationship between the three Yanas, and of that between Newar Buddhism and Hinduism, I would not hesitate to label it the most important anthropological work on non-Theravada Buddhism published so far.”
(I. Kahrs Modern Asian Studies)
“David Gellner's Monk, Householder, and Tantric Priest is the first comprehensive description and analysis of this tradition. This exhaustive and careful ethnography is informed by participant observation among the indige- nous householder samgha, by studies of commonly used ritual texts, and by the writings of modern Newar scholars. The author also writes with awareness of other Buddhist societies and connects the Newar case study with issues in the history of Buddhism. This well-produced work is a definitive landmark not only for scholarship on Nepal but for the wider field of Buddhist studies as well.... In this book and in his impressive oeuvre (cited in the bibliography), Gellner has contributed an important corpus of data for understanding the Newar case study of Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhism. Both past and future studies of individual Newar tests, Buddhist ritual practices, and other cultural performances can now be more reliably situated and interpreted since the tradition has been so well documented in this work... The importance of Himalayan research in South Asian Buddhist studies is powerfully demonstrated in Monk, Householder, and Tantric Priest.”
(Todd T. Lewis, History of Religions 35.1, 1995)
The paper was republished as Chapter 4 in D.N. Gellner 2001. The Anthropology of Buddhism and Hinduism: Weberian Themes, pp. 85–105. Delhi: OUP.
The preliminary results from the study show that most patron-client balighare relationships (what in India are usually referred to as jajmani relationships) have either been abandoned or substantially transformed. Some old caste-based taboos have been broken and roles redefined. While some traditional non-cash-based occupations have been completely abandoned or are practised on a much-reduced scale, others have largely adapted to the new cash- and market-based economy. Due to insufficient labour, farming is in decline. With respect to commensality, 70 per cent of international labour migrant respondents have had Dalit (or non-Dalit, in the case of Dalits themselves) work- or house-mates in the country where they have gone for work. With rare exceptions, caste was no barrier to commensality. However, up to 60 per cent of these same respondents say that they would not be able to continue the same level of relations with Dalits in the private domain once they are back in Nepal. This illustrates the shifting and contextual nature of caste relations; it also highlights the importance of distinguishing public and private domains.
ABSTRACT
This article discusses the changes that activists have brought to Nepali society in relation to two key elements of Bruno Latour's actor‐network theory (ANT): (1) its account of modernity and (2) its radical downplaying of human agency. ANT, contrary to the way it tends to be understood, deserves to be seen, at least in Latour's treatment, as a major theory of modernity. As such, it is important and enlightening, even though its attack on human agency – at least when discussing activism – is unhelpful. On this point Ian Hacking's notion of ‘making up people’ provides a better guide. The main example explored is the new kinds of ethnic identity that have achieved state recognition and become politically influential in Nepal over the last thirty years. The case of one ethnic and religious activist, Dr Keshabman Shakya, is used to illustrate the argument. Based on notions of human rights, rather similar processes of ‘making up people’ have also occurred with other minority groups, most strikingly in the case of the ‘third gender’, a context in which Nepal is famously ‘progressive’ compared to other nation‐states in the region.
An open-access version of the paper is available here:
http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:6d9a1f9d-f57a-4dee-bda0-ecd8c81e3384
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09584935.2018.1521785
The city of Gorakhpur presents what may be a unique, and is certainly an unusual, configuration of religion and politics. The sitting MP, Yogi Adityanath, a Hindu monk, had one of the safest seats in India and won five parliamentary elections in a row, a career that culminated in his appointment as the BJP Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 2017. Adityanath is both an effective constituency MP and the head of a thriving Math (Hindu monastic temple). Gorakhpur used to be famous for its lawless image and gang warfare. We seek to explain how politics in Gorakhpur have evolved through three distinct periods: (1) Congress hegemony and Hindu-Muslim harmony at the local level; (2) intensified caste competition and the rise of muscular politics; (3) the impact of new caste politics (with the rise of caste-based parties such as the SP and BSP), with the Math as the focus of Gorakhpur’s ever-stronger Hindu-based political identity. The BJP’s loss of the Gorakhpur seat in 2018, in a by-election consequent on Adityanath’s elevation to Chief Minister of UP, may be interpreted as a (probably temporary) rejection of the BJP, but it does not represent a loss of influence by the Math.
For the French version, see: https://journals.openedition.org/gradhiva/2231
Editor: Krishna P. Adhikari
Table of Contents
Self-Esteem in Confusion: Bitalu Community’s Search for Existence
By Tilak Biswakarma
Haliya Mukti Programme and Transformation
(Bishwo Kalyan Parajuli& Anchala Chaudhary)
Menstruation and Impurity: Chhaupadi Practices, Campaigns and Resistance
(Anchala Chaudhary & Bishwo Kalyan Parajuli)
Badi Women’s Campaign for Dignity and Local Mobilization
(Anchala Chaudhary, Bishwo Kalyan Parajuli and Gopal Nepali)
The Impact of the Reservation Policy on the Dalit Community at the Local Level
(Prakash Nepali)
Dalits in the School Curriculum
(Krishna P. Adhikari & Gopal Nepali)
Dalits in Nepali Literature
(Michael Hutt)
Dalit Representation in Historical Records
(Basanta Maharjan)