India Books

I've been interested in learning about the Jewish Diaspora into India for a while now and have done a little research on the internet but the websites did not provide me with as much information as I wanted. Finally I found out about this book and it gives a really great accoount of the Jewish-Indian groups-Bene Jews of West India, Cochin Jews of Kerala and the Middle Eastern Jews in cities like Delhi and Calcutta. It gives detailed account on how the arrived in India and how lived there with their neighbors and colonial rulers. The book also deals with how Zionism and Indian independence were both exteremely importatn to Indian Jews and how they were torn between these two philosphies because of their emergence to the mainstream at the same time.

Not many know that the Jewish diaspora reached India two thousand years ago. Although the size of the Jewish diaspora in India was always small, it invites study because its history of sustained harmony sharply contrasts the Jewish diaspora in Europe, a history of periodic horrors.

It's fitting that the University of California Press is the publisher of the first comprehensive scholarly study of all three of the Jewish communities in India. It was a UC Berkeley professor of history, Walter J. Fischel, who pioneered the study of the Jews in India in his 1962 article, "Cochin in Jewish History: Prolegomena to a History of the Jews in India," published in The Proceedings of the American Academy for Jewish Research. Inspired by his article, several monographs soon appeared on each of the three Indian Jewish communities.

In the introduction to this truly engrossing book, Nathan Katz writes: "Indian Jews lived as all Jews should have been allowed to live: free, proud, observant, creative and prosperous, self-realized, full contributors to the host community. Then, when twentieth century conditions permitted they returned en masse to Israel, which they had always proclaimed to be their true home despite India's hospitality. The Indian chapter is one of the happiest of the Jewish Diaspora."

The three Indian Jewish communities have a distinct history: the Cochin Jews arrived as early as the first century; the Bene Israel Jews of greater Bombay arrived, they claim, 1600 years ago; and the Baghdadi Jews of the port cities of Bombay and Calcutta arrived in the middle of the eighteenth century.

The largest section of the book is on the Cochin Jews. The connection between Cochin and the Jews goes back to the time of King Solomon (992-952 B. C.): teak, ivory, spice, and peacocks were exported to Palestine. The Cochin Jews claim their ancestors arrived in Shingly, near Cochin, on the southwest coast of India in 72 A. D., fleeing the destruction of the second temple by the Romans. They were allowed to settle in Cochin by the local maharaja, where many of them prospered as merchants, government officials and soldiers. Katz quotes from Mandelbaum's article in the Jewish Journal of Sociology: As late as 1550 "the Raja of Cochin refused to fight a battle on Saturday because on that day his Jewish soldiers would not fight; and they were the best warriors he had raised." Katz comments: "Probably India is the only country on earth so civilized that in war, out of deference to its esteemed Jewish soldiers, no battles were fought on the Sabbath."

The Bene Israeli community, which numbered 50,000 before emigration to Israel, 90 percent are gone to Israel, claims its origin to some sixteen or eighteen hundred years ago, they say, "when their ancestors were shipwrecked on Indian shores.... They came as refugees from persecution and political overthrow." Katz dismisses this as pseudo-history without elaborating. The Bene Israel divided themselves into subcastes: Gora, or White, and Kala, or Black.

On the harmonious history of the Jewish diaspora in India, Katz analyzes: "A crucial distinction between India and the rest of the Diaspora, however, is that in India acculturation is not paid for in the currency of assimilation. By acculturation I mean fitting comfortably into a society while retaining one's own identity, whereas by assimilation I mean that the loss of that identity is a perceived condition for acceptance. The study of Indian Jewish communities demonstrates that in Indian culture an immigrant group gains status precisely by maintaining its own identity. Such is the experience not only of India's Jews, but also of local Christians, Zoroastrians, and recently, Tibetan Buddhists. This striking feature of Indian civilization is reflected by each of these immigrant groups."

Although Katz is right in ascribing Hinduism's acceptance, even encouragement, of differences, I would point out that the Hindus extend hospitality to the outside groups to the extent that the outsiders refrain from proselytizing Hindus. For example, Christian missionaries are vigorously opposed by most Hindus. Even Gandhi was completely against Christian missionaries in India: "If I had the power and could legislate, I should stop all proselytising.... It is the deadliest poison that ever sapped the fountain of truth." The major cause of conflict between the Muslims and the Hindus for more than a thousand years has been the Koranic injunction to convert all infidels and to slay those who refuse [Koran, 9.5]. Unlike the Muslims and Christians, the Jews in India never engaged in proselytizing activities. The greatest of the Jewish strategies for living and prospering in India lay in what the Jews did not do!

As part of the project for writing this book, Nathan Katz, professor and chair of Religious Studies at Florida International University, interviewed many people in India and in Israel to provide the reader an understanding of "how these two great and ancient civilizations, Indic and Judaic, interacted within the very being of India's Jews.

In Calcutta, Norman Nahoum, one of the small number of Baghdadi Jews who remain in India, tells him: "We are taught to abhor idolatry to prevent its assimilation into Abraham's family of religions, but if you look closely you will see that Judaism and Hinduism have so much in common. In India, we are accepted totally, at the same time we are treated with kid gloves, like special guests." Referring to Hindus, Nahoum says, "These people are civilized; the others are barbarians, bent on proselytization. If you ask any Jew who has lived in India, from Cochin to Calcutta , you will find that although the Hindus are called idolaters, they are more accepting of Jews than those so-called new religions that grew out of Judaism." In Cochin, interviewees tell him: "Anti-Semitism doesn't exist in our Indian dictionary."

Katz has written a heart-warming, scholarly book on the Jewish diaspora India.

This is an excellent book for both newcomers to Advaita and those already familiar with the subject. The book is superbly edited together by Alan Jacobs, who has arranged it into alphabetical subjects, such as 'Enlightenment', 'Free Will', 'Happiness', etc. This makes it the perfect book for dipping into for inspiration. As a direct student of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, one of the most influential of modern Advaitists, Ramesh Balsekar must surely be essential reading for anyone interested in Advaita/Non-Duality. His knowledge of the traditional Advaita approach and his modern outlook combine to present the Advaita philosophy in a practical, liveable way for the modern reader. Highly recommended!
(Roy Whenary - author of 'The Texture Of Being')

In the manner of Shankara, who codified the Upanishads, and in more recent times, David Godman, who has anthologised the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, Alan Jacobs has produced an essential guide to the principal teachings of Ramesh Balsekar, one of the world's leading exponents of Advaita.

In recent decades, the spread of nondualist philosophy - the belief that all of the manifest world stems from an underlying unified reality - has prevailed in the West. But this concept is not new. Since the Vedas, the earliest recorded scripture known to man, the pundits and sages have been pointing to this absolute truth. Nevertheless, the rise of the New Age has interpreted Advaita as a form of `be here now' hedonism; Jacobs' book rightfully reasserts its philosophical and sacred heritage.

`The Wisdom of Balsekar' is arranged alphabetically, divided into sections ranging between `Effort' and `Surrender', `Ignorance' and `Understanding', `Bondage' and `Enlightenment'. With extracts taken from Balsekar's vast corpus of work, Jacobs has managed to distil the essence of his profound wisdom and teachings. This makes not only for an excellent compendium but a text which can be dipped into as and when the need arises, such as the following quotation on `Acceptance':

At any moment, whatever is manifest is perfect. If it is deeply understood, every moment is welcomed and whatever that moment brings - `good' or `not good' - is accepted without any judgement, without expectation or anxiety. It is this attitude of acceptance which is the real freedom, freedom from expectation and desire, freedom from fear and anxiety. When this is deeply understood, you do not bother about what happens, what thoughts occur or what actions take place, or what emotions arise - they are all witnessed.

`The Wisdom of Balsekar' is one of many books published by Alan Jacobs on the themes of mysticism and nondualist teachings, including the recently published, `The Spiritual Wisdom of Marcus Aurelius', O Books, 2004.

The British era has misrepresented India to the extent that many indians too do not understand their own history or philosophy. This book by Kak is an excellent starting point to understand the "True India".

this book is a must read for anyone who is interested in India. Kak, one of the foremost experts on all things India, presents are wonderfully packaged book which sheds light on India's current place in the world.

Hard to know where to start praising this wonderful book. Chapter after chapter, Sarah Deutsch tosses off insights like a dog shaking water off its back. For historians coming up behind her, there is a thesis idea on virtually every page. In a section entitled "Protegees, Politics, and Class (1909-1931)," Deutsch identifies political partisanship and patronage networks as the kind of disruptive or countervailing forces that now, as then, may skew news reporting and divide individuals who might otherwise work together for a social good. An example: "When the headlines blared, 'Women Republicans Opposed [the appointment of] Miss Meehan,' women Republicans insisted that the issue, instead, was nonpartisanship. Meehan's was not the only patronage case being disputed after a decade of Republican hegemony so strong that the party's members had forgotten it was a party and not a nonpartisan organization. The women (and the fewer men) involved in the dispute deployed the language of expertise, political hackery, and gender to make their case. Meehan's supporters spoke, in addition, the language of class and party." Women and the City also has an excellent index.

Not only the legal status but the personal outlooks of women changed immeasurably
in the period this book covers; the subtitle speaks of space and power, but Deutsch
has also given us a fine overview of intellectual change: what women thought, and
why they thought in those ways, during an era of astonishing industrial and social
development. Through her research, we can see why the women of Henry James
were not the same as those of F. Scott Fitzgerald--and they were very different.

We are used to sympathizing with the plight of working class women, and giving
great credit to the founders of the settlement houses and political groups that helped
them, but until now I had never realized how class differences affected attitudes, and
how perfectly reasonable women of either set found great difficulty in
understanding how those of the other thought and felt. This book has helped me get
a better understanding of both groups.

In recent months I've been reading heavily in Boston history and in women's history
of this period. This book is far and away the best thing I've found. Having done
historical research using primary sources, I can tell you this author has done an
immense amount of work, and it has paid off. She uses not only the minutes of
meetings and legal reports, but personal letters and contemporary novels to tell the
story. She writes clearly, and the book is well organized. If you want a real feel for
the lives of women during a period of tremendous change, this book is the best place
I know to get it. Deutsch straightens out a lot of misconceptions, and helps to clarify
an extremely complex period.

Gautier, for those that do not know of him, is an eminent French journalist. For several years, he was a correspondent for the French Daily paper, "Le Figaro", based in Delhi, India. In this book, Gautier has succeeded in laying many deep rooted misconceptions about India well and truly to rest. Of especial note is that this work was inspired as an antidote to Basham's book: "The wonder that was India". He brings a refreshing yet inquisitive journalistic style to his writing and convinces the reader that "India IS great"!

Gautier spans a panorama covering ancient as well as modern India; he poignantly dissects the mythical status accorded to Gandhi - how can a disciple of peace have as his "inspiration" the Bhagwad Gita, a "War Manual" espousing the principles of divine morality and "Dharma"? Also, how is it that a determined campaigner for independence and democracy dared to hand the governance of a party or country on the sole basis of his own personal whims? Readers will know of the Gandhi inspired fiascos that led to Nehru supplanting Bose as Congress President and also the unilateral offer of the Prime Ministership of India to Jinnah!

He also succinctly puts the shambolic policy of secularism truly in its place. Reading Gautier, one quickly realsies that secularism is at best a front to perpetuate the imagined prejudices against "minortites" and at worst a license to promote defunct marxist ideologies. In this respect, Gautier is quick to point out the rank duplicity of Nehru in creating within India the divisive and class ridden structures within government and education that plod on, in the manner of the living undead, even to this day.

Of course, the size of the book exposes it to gaps. For one, Gautier's exposition on the Sikhs is a little lightweight. Fundamental issues like the capitulation of the Congress to Pakistan's claim to the lion's share of the Sikhs traditional lands in the Punjab do not even get a mention. Neither is there any mention of the ethnic cleansing (kept quiet from the world) in what is now Pakistani Punjab! Contrast this with the multi-religious character of India which still attracts the pious and perverted fulminations of the secularist brigade.

For all this, Gautier has to be commended; he obviously has a deep understanding of India (unlike so many European correspondents) and brings this to bear in his writing. He is obviously a fan of Sri Aurobindo, making copious references to his ideas and works.

This book is an excellent review of Indian history. It was high time that the Nehruvian version of modern history of India was reviewed. Bravo Mr Gautier!

This excelent book is a true must for anthroplogists facing problems with just writing texts. The pioneer Kersenboom shows with this book and the CDi a new aproach in the so often static science of anthropolgy. Interactive representations are something anthropologists could learn a lot from.
wonderfully written.

Dr Kersenboom, as dancer, theorist, and master storyteller, provides a radical new schema (at least for the West) for cultural representation. Her ideas are based primarily on the threefold Tamil model (word, sound, image) and the handful of Western theorists (Jakobson, Goranzon, Bourdieu) whose theories are flexible and open-ended enough to harmonize. What we get is a well-written and inspiring work that redefines textual reality and leaves the broken shards of western philology, hermeneutics, and empiricism in its wake. Well, perhaps that's a bit too categorical, but the book does make a strong case for anthropologists to invert the practice of their research. If all Western field resesarchers could, approximating Dr. Kersenboom, start "tabula rasa" - doing their fieldwork first, and THEN coming back to the West and finding the texts (from the arts, classics, rhetoric, and in general a broad range of fields) that support their knowledge, rather than learning the standard ethnographic format and then plugging their field experience into this template - we might have a lot more interesting and emancipatory anthropology going on. Through an arrangement with Philips electronics, Kersenboom has also provided an accompanying interactive CD that, though dated, shows some of the promise of multimedia applications to ethnography - as it provides the proof for this new paradigm in its skillful 'prayogam', or application, of the emic categories.

It is like the Book of Proverbs in the Bible. Gandhi's seemingly superhuman insight on virtue is indeed deeply moving. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to hear many of the words of the wisest.

This book is short and sweet (the quotes are spaced out on the pages and they include photographs). This was informative of areas Ghandi does not talk of much in his autobiography, especially his views on non-violence. Inspiring quotes that get you thinking.

This book is a MUST READ people!
I loved it!

At first I was a skeptic, so I looked up the verses and his claims, and sure enough, this book is right on the money. Ver accurate and an eye opener.

Arun Shourie is the scourge of the "progressive"Indians who parade their Marxist ideologies under the guise of "historical" and "social science" reasearch.

In this book, he exposes fully the narrow minded world of the Mullahs who rule the roost in Islam. Whilst the FATWA is now infamous for its severe impact on Slaman Rushdie, the world knows little of how much these "religious" edicts govern the humdrum lives of ordinary Muslims.

Shourie discusses at length some quite hilarious and often crass cases that the Muslim clergy give direction on. For instance, (a) a mouse falls in water, is the water OK to drink? or can it be used to wash? What if it was a fly in butter? (b) a she goat has been abused by a man, is the meat of this goat Halal (like Kosher)? (c) under what circumstances can a man remarry a woman after he has divorced her? (d) if a man says "Talaaq, Talaaq, Talaaq" three times to his wife, is this form of divorce irrevocable? etc. Shourie also goes on to expose the narrow, sectarian, male dominated ideologies that drive these law makers.

This is the height of Philosophical discourse to which the intellectuals of Islam rise. The book is excellently researched in that it makes copious use of original references from the Islamic catalogue of "religious literature". Admittedly, the focus is on the Islamic ideology of the various schools of thought (surely a misnomer) of the Indian Subcontinent, but then no one in the rest of the Islamic world has come forward to say that this literature is not representative. Even more serious is the vitriol and venom that the various Islamic groups pour on each other. This is only exceeded by their utter contempt for the "unbelievers". This is an excellent book - it is a MUST READ, especially in conjuntion with Ibn Waraaq's "Why I am not a Muslim".

Readers should look forward to the the "progressive" followers of Indian Social Science and History - like Romila Thappar, Irfan Habib, Bipan Chandra, to name a few, to step forward and decry this book as "the rantings of a Hindu fascist" The fact is that these people do not have a leg to stand on. More pertinently, the "intellectuals" of the "true faith" are silent on the matter too; surely that speaks volumes for the integrity and accuracy of Shourie's research.

Well done Arun Shourie. Keep up the great work.

I am not one for writing long reviews, so here is my short and to the point review: If you are looking for a curry recipe book, then buy this one!

I am relatively new to curries, but have purchased a couple over the past few months. This one is comprehensive in its coverage of the Curry cuisines of the world, and it contains pictures of each recipe so you know exactly what you are getting. The pages are lovely and glossy and it is obviuosly very good quality paper. One of those books that you be proud to give as a gift.

I am an experienced cook, but these recipes are written so well and clearly that a cook of any experience could produce a great result.

The book covers India (north, east, south and west separately) as well as rices and breads and chutneys, pickles and salads. It then goes on to cover Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and The Philippines. It also covers rice and noodles for these Asian nations.

All measurements are in metric and imperial to suit cooks from all over the world. Most ingredients that have alternate names have the alternate names given such as coriander / cilantro.

I bought the book without having seen it in the flesh first, and was pleasantly surprised - it was one of those books that I sat there looking through and nodding my head thinking to myself 'this is a GOOD book'. I am very very pleased with this purchase.

I am from Australia and most, if not all, of the ingredients are available in local supermarkets.

WARNING: If you are a fan of curry cookbooks, this one (as it says on the back flap) was previously published as 'Curry', so if you have that book and it sounds as though it covers the same areas of the world, then I'd say there is no point in buying this also. However, it is a bargain price (compared to what you would pay for a book like this on Oz), so maybe buy it anyway - you can never have too many cookbooks!

Did I say I don't do long reviews?

Great cookbook! I had never made curry from scratch and had always wanted to, and this book was perfect. It comes with color pictures of most steps (useful if you are new to curry) and many full-page photos of completed dishes. It has recipes from India, Burma, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and elsewhere. It also has recipes for various type of rice preparations, breads, appetizers like samosas that go well with the dishes, and various curry pastes. I was shocked to find myself making mouthwatering dishes almost overnight.

Alain Daniélou (1907-1994) spent nearly two decades immersed in the traditional society of India. Using only the Sanskrit and Hindi languages he had mastered to fluency, he studied music, philosophy and yoga with eminent scholars and practitioners, ultimately becoming a professor at Benares Hindu University and director of its College of Indian Music. He was in the course of his sojourn in India duly initiated into an esoteric lineage of Shaivism - to which he was an enthusiastic convert - which gave him unimpeded access to authentic texts transmitted through the oral tradition alone for countless generations, an access unique for a Westerner. He was the author of more than thirty books on the religion, history, society, culture and arts of India and while calling Alain Danielou one of the twentieth century's greatest Orientalists says says something about the man, it falls far short of encompassing the breadth and depth of his knowledge and vision.

Based on original Sanskrit sources, "Yoga: Mastering the Secrets of Matter and the Universe" gives an authentic account of the scope and methods of yoga in its different forms, including the challenging "left-hand" paths, as well as practices best suited to Western students.

Hatha yoga is the name given to the technical practices and disciplines by which the body and the vital energies can be brought under control. Far from being a simple system for the promotion of physical fitness, yoga is a complete system of self-development, embracing the body, mind, spirit and beyond. It is exhaustive in its elaboration, owing this to meticulous research into the ancient texts such as the Upanishads. On the macrocosmic level of conception, yoga is alchemy, pure if not simple: that is, the means by which matter can be trained to run in harness controlled by the will of the practitioner via the cultivation of "Siddhis," or mental powers of special potency and efficacy.

First published in 1949 under the title "Yoga: The Method of Reintegration," this is one of the first detailed texts that outlines the purpose and practice of all aspects of yoga for the Western reader. "Yoga: Mastering the Secrets of Matter and the Universe" brings this very ancient and important science to a level that is easier for the Westerner who has not grown up in the presence of the thinking that characterizes yoga's practice to understand. Translations of original Sanskrit texts, a bibliography, and useful illustrations are included in the book which further clarify its subject.

This small volume (192 pages) is arranged into an introduction and three main sections with appendices that provide superlative references. The Introduction leads into the historical and philosophical underpinnings and practical applications of yoga. This is not the yoga that Westerners tend to substitute for jogging or visits to the gym, but the fruit of ancient knowledge gleaned from the Vedas and their expositors. Danielou provides a sketch of the cosmology of the ages, or Yugas, and a detailed explanation of the current age - the Kali Yuga, or the "Age of Conflicts." Yoga - as it is understood by its revelators and by the author - is that which allows the individual to comprehend and control his being and his world - a special knowledge required in this current age.

The book's first part deals with the aims and objectives of Hatha Yoga, the yoga most familiar to the West.. There are eight steps in its goal of mastering the physical body and these include the postures (asanas), muscular contractions (bandhas), and gestures (mudras). The critically important techniques of breathing (pranayama) are described here as well as acts of purification (kriyas). Advanced steps include withdrawal of sensory awareness from external stimuli, intensely focused concentration, contemplation and identification. Also described are the other main methods of yoga including Raja Yoga, Mantra Yoga in an especially excellent chapter ("Reintegration through Hermetic Formulae"), Laya Yoga and Shiva Yoga. These all have the same general introductory steps and practices, but diverge into distinctiveness in their later, more advanced practices.

Part Two explains forms of yoga apart from hatha yoga that also promote mastery and integration: karma yoga is integration through action (i.e., right action without thought of merit as outlined in the Bhagavad Gita), jnana yoga (integration through knowledge, study and reflection), and bhakti yoga (integration through loving devotion). These different forms of yoga (along with many others) reveal that even in the remotest past, the goal of self-development and mastery was unity with the absolute, as reflected in the concept of Satchitananda (Sat-chit-ananda, Being-Consciousness-Bliss). The diverse forms of yoga provide the aspirant of any given temperament a path that suits her or him.

Part Three deals with the concept of "initiation." The author emphasizes that in every stage of yoga the chela or student must have a guru or guide. The nature of the student and teacher is addressed here. The rules relating to the aspirant's manner of living, diet, conduct, social relations and relations with the guru are also outlined, and there is a section on obstacles encountered on the student's path.

Several detailed and useful appendices are provided by the author, dealing with the structure and function of the subtle or energetic body, the Siddhis or special yogic powers, the 84 asanas (postures) and the result of their practice, references from the main Sanskrit treatises on yoga, and footnotes in Sanskrit, useful for the scholar.

The deep knowledge and scholarship that are the fruit of the decades spent by the author studying with Indian pandits of the Hindu tradition are revealed in a work that is detailed and painstakingly researched. "Yoga: Mastering the Secrets of Matter and the Universe" will appeal to the serious student of yoga from any tradition or lineage. It contains the distilled wisdom and experience of countless millennia and innumerable generations of practitioners, seekers and teachers, but is completely relevant to the present day.

For those just beginning to tread the path of yoga not everything will be understood upon first reading. There are steps to be followed in any process of growth, and followed with right intention and purposeful striving, this book will help you on your way along a genuine path of growth for body, mind and spirit.

Brings this very ancient and important subject to a level that is easier to understand. The author has an in depth knowledge of all things related to the traditions of India.