Routledge - Christians and Public Life in Colonial South India

Explore the complex history of religious identity in South India through this scholarly work from Routledge. Christians and Public Life in Colonial South India, 1863-1937: Contending with Marginality examines how Catholic and Protestant Indians navigated their place within a changing nation. Contrary to common assumptions, British rule did not grant special privileges to Christians. Instead, it often pushed these communities to the margins of a society that was predominantly Hindu. This book uses wide-ranging sources to show how the Indian judiciary and its official knowledge isolated Christian communities from traditional Indian concepts of family, caste, and nation. Readers will gain a deep understanding of how various classes and types of Christians responded to these pressures. The text tracks how these groups adopted, resisted, and reshaped both imperial and nationalist perceptions of their identity. It is a vital resource for those interested in the social history of India, religious studies, and the impact of colonial law on community structures.