Passages through India: Indian Gurus, Western Disciples and the Politics of Indophilia, 1890-1940

Passages Through India explores the phenomenon of Western Indophilia, arguing that affective practices between Indian guru-figures and their white disciples served a larger politics of respectability in Indian cultural and nationalist politics. It highlights the reproductions of deep hierarchies around race, class, caste, and gender in transnational projects.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 21 September 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Passages Through India delves into the captivating phenomenon of Western Indophilia, exploring the romanticized engagements that revolve around Hindu ideals of India. It makes a compelling argument that the affective practices cultivated between prominent Indian guru-figures such as Gandhi, Tagore, and Vivekananda, along with their white disciples, served a broader politics of respectability, intricately linked to the demands of Indian cultural and nationalist politics. While these Indophile deployments in transnational projects, such as the abolition of indentured labor and the promotion of global Hinduism, may have appeared anti-colonial, they ultimately reproduced deep hierarchies based on race, class, caste, and gender.

Through its comprehensive analysis, Passages Through India presents a novel methodological framework that emphasizes the centrality of self and subjectivity in processes of global mobility and migration. It challenges the traditional narratives that often overlook the subjective experiences and perspectives of Western disciples who engage with India. By unraveling the complexities of these relationships, the book offers a fresh understanding of the ways in which individuals navigate the complexities of cultural exchange, identity formation, and social transformation in the global context.

In conclusion, Passages Through India provides a thought-provoking exploration of Western Indophilia, shedding light on the complex interplay between cultural exchange, nationalism, and the construction of identities. By offering a methodological framework that centers on self and subjectivity, the book contributes to our understanding of global mobility and migration, challenging us to consider the nuanced and multifaceted ways in which individuals engage with different cultures and societies.

Weight: 550g
Dimension: 237 x 158 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009337984