The Bloomsbury Companion to Hindu Studies by Frazier Jessica

Author:Frazier, Jessica
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472567178
Publisher: Bloomsbury UK
Published: 2013-11-22T05:00:00+00:00

5

Research Methods: From Manuscripts to Fieldwork

Chapter Outline

Research Methodologies in Hindu Studies

Textual Approaches to Hinduism

Historical Approaches to Hinduism

Anthropological Approaches to Hinduism

Archaeological Approaches to Hinduism

Art Historical and Visual Approaches to Hinduism

Philosophical and Theological Approaches

Interdisciplinary Approaches to Hinduism

Notes

Research Methodologies in Hindu Studies

This section gives an introduction to the main approaches to studying Hinduism, and explores the different research methods that are helping to improve our understanding of its wide-ranging culture. A good research methodology is essential: the Sanskritists at the Bhandarkar Research Institute who devoted themselves to the first critical edition of the Mahābhārata transformed the way in which the world saw Hinduism, simply by making this popular and lively text available as a counterpoint to the predominantly Vedic, philosophical image of Hinduism. The recording of a modern enactment of the Agnicayana Vedic ritual in 1975, transformed ancient rituals known only from texts into a subject of interest to anthropologists as well as philologists.

On the other hand, misapplied methodologies can also lead to damaging mistakes, while methodological differences can create severe divisions. The view of history as a story of conquest and capitulation has led some scholars to see evidence of invasion in the remains of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, while others see only graves. One of the problems is that the Indian religious traditions, thanks to their long duration, wide geographical spread and diverse languages, offer a vast amount of material for study. It can be difficult to understand a single area without having to master a range of associated histories, texts, languages or disciplines. Contemporary methods must find ways to represent the diversity and complexity of material, both textual and lived. An interdisciplinary approach is often necessary. Yet the positive implication of these challenges is that there is a wealth of fresh material waiting to be newly discovered, and advances in this field can make a valuable contribution to the study of religion on a wider scale.

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