Faculty of Humanities

Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages

Take home exam

SAS1502 – Religion and Politics in South Asia

Spring 2008

26.-29. May 2008

Choose one of the following assignments:

1. Describe Sontheimer’s model of continuity in Indian folk religion and

subject it to a critique.

2. Describe Sax’s understanding of Orientalism in connection with the

fieldwork he describes in his article “The Hall of Mirrors”. Do you think

that his anthropological approach could come under the “Orientalism”

criticism? And if, why?

3. Show on the basis of Tukaram's writings and life the main features,

tenets and historical importance of the Sant movement.

4. Please describe the characteristic features of  the (changing)

“monkhood” according to Seneviratne and subject it to a critique.

5. Please describe Appadurai/Breckenridges concept of “ritual shares” and

consider in what respect this thinking might be at work during the 1970

Archaka legislation and the reactions to it in Tamil Nadu.