Sankhya Jana
University of Delhi, Department of History, Graduate Student
- University of Calcutta,Lady Brabourne College, History, Undergraduateadd
This essay attempts to trace the influence of Buddhism on Southeast Asia's cultural and spiritual landscape. It examines how trade routes, particularly the maritime and overland connections, facilitated the transmission of Buddhist ideas,... more
This essay attempts to trace the influence of Buddhism on Southeast Asia's cultural and spiritual landscape. It examines how trade routes, particularly the maritime and overland connections, facilitated the transmission of Buddhist ideas, artifacts, and teachings from India to Southeast Asia. Emphasizing the nexus between trade and religious exchange, the paper outlines how early Buddhist sites were strategically located along these routes. Focusing on the Mon kingdom of Dvaravati, it explores how Buddhism influenced art, religious practices, and the kingdom's cultural identity.
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The prison uniform is the most prominent way prisons visually represent its inmates. This set of standardized clothing is usually visually distinct, which indicates the wearer's incarcerated status, notably separate from civilian... more
The prison uniform is the most prominent way prisons visually represent its inmates. This set of standardized clothing is usually visually distinct, which indicates the wearer's incarcerated status, notably separate from civilian clothing. Its standardized appearance is not merely a garment; rather, it epitomizes the deliberate stripping away of individuality and the dehumanization of those within the prison system. The emergence of the uniform is inherently linked with the development of modern architectures of control and it is especially evident in case of prisons. Within the walls of the prisons, the significance of the prison dress is magnified as it serves not only as a tangible representation of the mechanisms employed to maintain authority and control. Outside of the prison, the uniform 'otherises' the inmate and signifies their lower status within the social hierarchy. This paper attempts to uncover the relationship between clothing and the treatment of criminality-how clothing is used as a tool of control and domination in order to shape and discipline the criminal body, by analysing the early history and emergence of the prison uniform in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
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This essay attempts to make a case for using personal letters written by Englishwomen during the early decades of colonial rule as an archival source for studying early colonial India. It scrutinizes three primary sources: Mrs. Eliza... more
This essay attempts to make a case for using personal letters written by Englishwomen during the early decades of colonial rule as an archival source for studying early colonial India. It scrutinizes three primary sources: Mrs. Eliza Fay's "Original Letters from India," the anonymously authored "Letters from Madras," and Miss Emily Eden's "Letters from India." These letters, though seemingly private, shed light on the socio-cultural fabric, everyday life, and personal experiences within colonial India. The letters reveal recurrent themes of racial prejudices, views on native habits, customs, and religious practices, often coloured with colonial stereotypes. They also highlight Englishwomen's engagement with the evolving religious and societal dynamics and their attempts to understand and reform local customs, albeit from a colonial standpoint. The essay also attempts to explore the underlying power dynamics and racial tensions, emphasizing the colonial control manifesting in domestic interactions. It critically examines the depiction of native agency and questions the stereotypes surrounding native servants and women.
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This paper aims to explore the environmentalist and ecological dimensions of Gandhian philosophy. It attempts to identify the key environmental principles and concepts that emerged from his teachings. One of the key concepts that emerges... more
This paper aims to explore the environmentalist and ecological dimensions of Gandhian philosophy. It attempts to identify the key environmental principles and concepts that emerged from his teachings. One of the key concepts that emerges from Gandhi's environmentalism is his emphasis on the interconnectedness and interdependence of all living beings. He believed that human beings should not consider themselves as superior to other species and should instead strive for a harmonious relationship with nature. Gandhi also stressed the need for self-sufficiency and simplicity in living, which he saw as essential for reducing human impact on the environment. Furthermore, the paper explores the influence of Gandhi's environmentalism on different environmental movements in the contemporary world, particularly in the context of the ongoing environmental crisis.
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Despite Bengal being an ancient land, there is scant historical evidence regarding pre-Aryan socio-cultural milieu of Bengal. However, recent surveys of folk histories reveal a vibrant and thriving indigenous culture and associated forms... more
Despite Bengal being an ancient land, there is scant historical evidence regarding pre-Aryan socio-cultural milieu of Bengal. However, recent surveys of folk histories reveal a vibrant and thriving indigenous culture and associated forms of worship. The primitive people had their unique pantheon of deities based on naturalistic polytheism. As Vedic Brahmanism tried to make its headway into Bengal, it faced a staunch resistance from the local customs and traditions. In the ensuing process of acculturation, Vedic religion had to adjust itself to the folk cultures of the land. Over time, the folk deities found a place in the Vedic pantheon. This tradition of cultural syncretism is present throughout the history of Bengal and is valid for other religions like Buddhism, Jainism, and Islam as well. Even today, predominantly in the rural countryside of Bengal, these syncretic customs are practiced in some form or the other, which have crossed the boundaries of caste, creed, and religion. The coexistence, interaction and cross-pollination between different religious traditions is a prominent feature of the region's religious landscape. This paper thus attempts to trace the trajectory of folk religion in Bengal and how they evolved by selectively incorporating certain traits and features of foreign religions.
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The process of colonialism involves political, economic and socio-cultural domination over people by a foreign power for an extended period – a process that impacts and transforms both the colonized and the colonizer societies. The... more
The process of colonialism involves political, economic and socio-cultural domination over people by a foreign power for an extended period – a process that impacts and transforms both the colonized and the colonizer societies. The culinary space is one such avenue where colonial ideas and practices are exchanged and imposed. Through food, social and cultural norms are conveyed, and also violated. In India, colonialism gave rise to new cuisines and food practices. The food culture of colonial India impacted India’s social hierarchies in myriad ways and was a pre-cursor to the development of a pan-Indian national cuisine.
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Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has been revered in the annals of Indian history as a revolutionary nationalist par excellence. Appreciative of militant means as opposed to Gandhian principles of non-violence, Bose pursued a different line of... more
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has been revered in the annals of Indian history as a revolutionary nationalist par excellence. Appreciative of militant means as opposed to Gandhian principles of non-violence, Bose pursued a different line of political thinking which not only countered the mainstream Gandhian leadership, but also provided a broad platform for many of those who held positions opposed to Gandhi and Gandhism. A less highlighted aspect of Netaji’s political ideas is his stance on women’s participation in India’s freedom struggle and women empowerment in general. Amongst his contemporaneous nationalist colleagues, Netaji perhaps had the most distinct vision regarding women’s rights and their status as citizens of free India. He was one of the few of his time who advocated women’s movements in their fullest dimensions. Netaji’s personal and political life reveal how Bose’s complex views about women and women empowerment evolved as he matured towards the day in 1943 when he created the Rani Jhansi Regiment in the Indian National Army (INA), the first all-female combat regiment in India.