Syncretic Tradition Research Articles

Undermined Syncretism

The syncretic cultural tradition of India for the last five thousand years is a noble legacy and a contribution of India to the world. Some major religions of the world took their birth in India. The incoming of foreigners added new elements to India’s cultural tradition, and enriched it—and subsequently, this tradition evolved into a composite culture. This paper primarily looks into the aspect of what happened during the colonial period in India, which undermined this rich syncretic tradition and subsequently fragmented the Indian subcontinent along the religious lines. The paper is based upon the hypothesis that separatism is a gradual process, which is nurtured during a period of time and which leads to the eruption of division, partition, or the breaking up of the state. The result of this process becomes a strong movement if actions to combat it are not launched. This paper also explores how Muslim separatism was fed by various reactionary elements, which included colonial and imperial forces comprised of members of different castes, creeds, and religions.

Songs of Transformation: Vernacular Josmanī Literature and the Yoga of Cosmic Awareness

Josmani, the Sant tradition found in northeastern Nepal and among the Nepali-speaking community in Assam, India has a documented history going back over two hundred years.1 Although other Sant traditions of the Indian subcontinent have received voluminous attention, the Josmani tradition has not been explored within the framework of contemporary scholarship. This article examines the private and public domains of Josmanls, their Yoga practice, and their social life within the context of their worldview. The approach adopted here is comparative and historical with a focus on other contemporaneous Hindu traditions. Besides Josmanls, several other Sant traditions flourished during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in Nepal.2 This study is therefore not exhaustive; it explores the role of the syncretic traditions prevalent in the northeastern region of the subcontinent. There can be no disagreement about the identification of the Josmani as a Sant tradition emerging from the same pan-Indian spirit that infused the Alvârs and Nayanars, Kablr and Nanak, and the later Sants of northern India.3 Josmanis identify themselves as Sants (see Sharma 1963: 239, 272, 283, 318-19, 346) and distinguish themselves from other vernacular traditions like the Nath Jogis.4 The common constituents of this tradition are the same as those of the medieval Sants of India. Like other Sants, Josmanis are syncretistic, although the nature of syncretism differs in

Ascendancy of the Religious Right in Bangladesh Politics: A Study of Jamaat Islami

The ascendancy of Jamaat Islami to power in a country that was born on the basis of secularism indicates the changing political dynamics in Bangladesh. Its syncretic tradition rooted in its language and culture limited Jamaat's success. Nevertheless, given the role the party played during the liberation war, its political ascendancy speaks of the changing political landscape. This article argues that though the party has exhibited some political success, it faces challenges from the secularists in the socio-cultural sphere, thereby limiting its growth and expansion.

The Music of Malaysia. The Classical, Folk and Syncretic Traditions, Patricia Matusky & Tan Sooi Beng

Voici un des premiers ouvrages generalistes sur les musiques de Malaysia. Il est signe par deux femmes de deux nations differentes sur un pays musicalement mal connu. C’est la traduction d’un livre publie en malais en 1997, a present reedite en anglais dans une version revue et corrigee. Resultant de nombreuses annees de recherches, il tente de recenser l’ensemble des formes musicales malaysiennes. L’ouvrage est richement illustre par 111 notations musicales, 101 dessins d’instruments de musi...

Some Reflections on Possible NGO Interventions in Situations of Conflict: The Experience of the Violence Mitigation and Amelioration Project

This report mainly describes the Violence Mitigation and Amelioration Project (VMAP) on violent conflict which was initiated by Oxfam (India) some years ago. Within this I look at only one aspect of this overall project that is the sub-project on women and conflict. Briefly the VMAP project is divided into several subprojects which look at the following: (a) mapping conflict; (b) law and conflict; (c) Dalits and conflict; (d) syncretic traditions; (e) the question of Hindutva; (f) the psychological impact of conflict; and (g) women and conflict. Two independent projects defined geographically rather than thematically form part of this group. One is located in Rajasthan where there has been a continuous flow of people (Hindus) coming in from Pakistan especially at times when relations between the two countries are at a low. Similarly in West Bengal inhabitants of Bangladeshi chitmahals (enclaves that became isolated inside the two borders in 1947) have over a period of time migrated to different parts of the state where they live in small clusters. The project is aimed at assisting these displaced people to set up their own community-based organisations to fight for their rights as legitimate citizens of the Indian state. (excerpt)

Javanese-Malay: Between Adaptation and Alienation

This paper examines the interaction between the imposed image of otherness and its manipulation. Descended from migrant workers who came over in the 1920s and 1930s, the Javanese-Malays form a latent sub-category within Malay society. They are generally known as powerful sorcerers or medicine men in Malaysia. Although this is partly due to their Javanese syncretic tradition, their alleged power could also be explained in relation to their marginal position in Malay society. Pragmatically, the Javanese-Malays also took advantage of the imposed image by carving for themselves a niche in the practice of sorcery that the Malays with their stronger Islamic orientation tend to avoid, officially at least. However, in the process of becoming Malay, the JavaneseMalays inevitably began to depart from their niche and thus their alleged magical power, which has served as their cultural resource.