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Handbook of Indic Philosophy and Religion

Classical Past and Modern Histories

Handbook of Indic Philosophy and Religion cover

Description

The Handbook of Indic Philosophy and Religion: Classical Past and Modern Histories provides a rich account of religions and philosophy of the South Asian subcontinent both with reference to their original provenance as well as their modern iterations. Leading scholars hailing from different fields draw upon methods of their own disciplines to explore a range of South Asian religions and philosophy, key ideas and concepts, thinkers and schools of thought. They provide a survey of, and raise critical questions revolving around, themes such as unreality in Vedanta, a comparative reappraisal of the problem of liberation across different Indic philosophical traditions, the issue of kingship and religion in early Indian thought, aspects of South Asia's Indo-Islamic past, a conceptual genealogy of dharma from its early history through its modern reworkings, pluralism in modern Indian philosophy, Hindu devotionalism in Indian Christianity, B.R. Ambedkar's Navayana Buddhism and finally, 'Indian-ness' and selfhood, explored through the lens of experimental psychology, philosophy and epic narratives. While remaining anchored in their respective fields, the contributors interrogate issues that will interest students, scholars and academics in the fields of Indian philosophy, South Asian religions, Indian intellectual history and, more generally, religious studies and kindred areas.

Table of Contents

Key Ideas and Concepts in Indic Religion and Philosophy: Soumen Mukherjee and Nirmalya Guha

Part I Ideas, Concepts, Thinkers: Classical and Premodern Lineages
1 Proof of the 'Unreality' (mithyatva) of the Worldly Display by Dharmaraja (c. 1650): From the
Vedanta-paribhasa, anumana-pariccheda, Paragraphs 17–29 in the edition by S.S. Suryanarayana
Sastri: Translated by Stephen Phillips, with introduction and commentary
2 Final Freedom from Suffering: Debating Liberation (Moksha/Nirvana/Nihsreyasa/Apavarga/Kaivalya) in Indian Philosophical Traditions: Arindam Chakrabarti
3 The Dharmaraja and the Rajadharma: Kingship, Norms and Religion in Ancient India: Kanad Sinha
4 South Asia's Indo-Islamic Past: Histories and Interactions of Sufism: Kashshaf Ghani
Part II Ideas, Concepts, Thinkers: From Premodern to Modern Histories
5 Dharma: A Conceptual History: Arpita Mitra
6 Reconciling the Many and the One: Jeffery D. Long
7 The God of Love and the Love of God: Ankur Barua
8 Ambedkar and His Navayana Buddhism: Raj Sekhar Basu
9 'Indianness', the 'Self' and the Validation Problem: Experimental Psychology in Conversation with Philosophy, Epic Narratives and Aesthetics: Dyutiman Mukhopadhyay

About the Editors and Contributors
Index

Product details

Published 30 Aug 2026
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Pages 351
ISBN 9789361313318
Imprint Bloomsbury India
Dimensions 216 x 135 mm
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Anthology Editor

Soumen Mukherjee

Soumen Mukherjee, Dr.phil., FRAS, teaches History…

Anthology Editor

Nirmalya Guha

Nirmalya Guha teaches philosophy and logic at Indi…

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