South Asian Politics and Religion

576 Pages·2016·30.461 MB·English

by  Donald Eugene Smith

SOUTH ASIAN POLITICS
AND RELIGION

S O U T H A S I A N
P O L I T I C S
A N D R E L I G I O N
E D I T E D BY
DONALD EUGENE SMITH
P R I N C E T O N , N E W J E R S E Y
P R I N C E T O N UNIVERSITY PRESS
Copyright © 1966 by Princeton University Press
ALL RICHTS RESERVED
L. C. Card: 65-14311
First Princeton Paperback Printing, 1969
This book is sold subject to the condition
that it shall not, by way of trade, be lent,
resold, hired out, or otherwise disposed of
without the publisher's consent, in any form
of binding or cover other than that in which
it is published.
Printed in the United States of America
By Princeton University Press
TO A. WILLIAM LOOS
President
Council on Religion and
International Affairs

PREFACE
WHILE THE interaction of indigenous tradition and imported political
institutions provides much of the subject matter for the study of
contemporary South Asian politics, the problem of religion and
politics has, until very recently, received little attention. When one
considers the thousands of volumes which have been written on reli­
gion and politics or church-state relations in the West, the relative
neglect of this subject in the South Asian context is striking. When
one considers the fundamental role of religion or religious com-
munalism in bringing about the present shape of South Asia—the
partition of India and the creation of Pakistan—this neglect is all
the more striking. Yet from the viewpoint of scholarly analysis, it is
clear that South Asia offers unique opportunities for fruitful com­
parative studies, and that many intriguing subjects remain to be
explored.
While in the West we are chiefly concerned with the major branches
of Christianity, in South Asia we find a compact geographical region
which is the meeting place of three major world religions. The
majorities in the three most important South Asian countries, India,
Pakistan and Ceylon, profess respectively Hinduism, Islam and Bud­
dhism. The three countries share a common colonial background of
British rule. The setting is thus near-perfect for a comparative study
of the emerging relationships between religion and politics in these
countries since independence.
This volume brings together the work of twenty-two scholars who
have addressed themselves to various aspects of religion and politics
in India, Pakistan and Ceylon. Indicative o£ the many facets of the
problem is the fact that these scholars represent at least six disciplines:
political science, history, anthropology, sociology, comparative law
and comparative religion. Part One, "South Asia: Unity and Diversity,"
presents a comparative analysis of religio-political patterns in the
three countries. Part Two, "India: The Politics of Religious Plural­
ism," emphasizes the rich diversity of Indian religious life and its po­
litical consequences, along with several studies concerned solely with
Hinduism and politics. Part Three, "Pakistan: The Politics of Islamic
Identity," is chiefly concerned with the political, ideological and
legal problems which Pakistan has faced in attempting to define and
construct an Islamic state in the mid-twentieth century. Part Four,
"Ceylon: The Politics of Buddhist Resurgence," emphasizes the
dramatic developments by which Buddhism has become deeply in­
volved in the politics of the country.
Vll
Preface
The articles selected for inclusion in this book accurately reflect the
real problems which are being faced in the three countries. Some
significant parallels do exist, and may be seen in the chapters dealing
with law, religious reform and communally oriented political parties.
However, it would have been not only artificial but a serious distortion
to force the material into a neat, preconceived, symmetrical scheme.
Five of the chapters on India deal with the politics of religious
minorities; the constitutional status of Hinduism is not an issue. The
heart of the problem in Pakistan has been the struggle within the
Muslim majority over the place of Islam in state and society. In
Ceylon both the politics of competing religious communities and
the politics of internal Buddhist reform have been prominent
phenomena.
This book is the result of a three-year research project on religion
and politics in South and Southeast Asia. This project, under my di­
rection, was sponsored by the Council on Religion and International
Affairs and financed by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of
New York. The Council on Religion and International Affairs is an
inter-faith organization interested in stimulating serious discussion
of the actual and potential relevance of the major world religions to
international politics. The present research project is based on the
recognition that a clearer picture of the role of religion in the internal
politics of the emergent nations is necessary before coming to grips
with the more elusive factors of foreign policy.
My two previous books, India as a Secular State, 1963, and Religion
and Politics in Burma, 1965, were written in connection with this
project. The final phase of the project was the organization of a
seminar on religion and politics in South Asia. The five-day seminar
was held in Colombo, Ceylon, in July 1964, with fifteen participants
from India, Pakistan, Ceylon and the United States. This volume
is the direct result of the Colombo seminar, although, unfortunately,
not all of the authors were able to participate in person.
The contributors to this volume join the editor in expressing deep
appreciation to Dr. A. William Loos, president of the Council on
Religion and International Affairs, who first conceived the idea of
the research project described above. It is most fitting that the book
be dedicated to him with our warm regards. Grateful acknowledg­
ment is hereby made to the Carnegie Corporation of New York for
the generous research grant which made this project possible.
In a cooperative venture such as this there is of course much work
which goes on behind the scenes. Sincere thanks are due to Mrs. Cathi
Sabukewicz Caswell who did most of the secretarial work in prepara-
Preface
tion for the Colombo seminar. I also wish to express appreciation to
my sister, Mrs. Ruth S. Reinhard, for her careful work in typing the
manuscript for this book.
Chapter 18, by Khalid Bin Sayeed, appeared originally in a slightly
different form in The Middle East Journal·, chapter 20, by Sisir Gupta,
was first published in India Quarterly. Grateful acknowledgment is
hereby made to the publishers of these journals for permission to re­
print the articles in this volume.
I wish to express deep appreciation to Professor Richard L. Park
of the University of Michigan, who very kindly read most of the manu­
script and offered many valuable criticisms and suggestions; many of
the latter have found their way into this volume.
University of Pennsylvania DONALD E. SMITH