Identity, Hegemony, Resistance: Towards a Social History of Conversions in Orissa, 1800-2000

This monograph explores questions related to the notion of conversion that has indeed become a contentious issue in India today. Examined from within the framework of social history, the author delineates the evolution of the caste system in Orissa over the colonial and post-colonial period, bringing to life those involved in this process. Besides interrogating many commonly held assumptions, it opts for a far more flexible and interactional paradigm. As a result, this study accommodates a whole range of features related to the historical contexts and the complexities generated by the process of conversion. Besides historians and social anthropologists, this work would attract the ordinary reader who would be interested to understand the dynamics of Indian society and the challenges that it faces.