This talk focuses on the politics of food among members of the highest caste of Hindus, i.e., Brahmans, that were based in the western coast of India.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
365 NELC, 3rd Floor, Humanities Building

The recent months in India have witnessed communal tensions centered on the consumption of meat. Meat-eating has been linked with particular communities -- both Hindu and non-Hindu-- and thus has served as an ideological basis for community identities. At this backdrop, this talk focuses on similar developments that occurred in the early-modern and colonial period (16th -- 20th centuries). It discusses the politics of food among members of the highest caste of Hindus, i.e., Brahmans, that were based in the western coast of India. Motivated by intense competition over social, religious, and economic resources, the Brahman communities in this region variously used vegetarian and non-vegetarian food as an important basis to define an authentic Brahman identity. Under the colonial regime, the debate took significant twists and turns. By describing these lesser-known episodes, the talk highlights the complexities inherent in the traditional Hindu/Brahmanical identities derived from the consumption of food.

Sponsor(s): Center for the Study of Religion