Contested Hierarchies
A Collaborative Ethnography of Caste among the Newars of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
Published on 14. September 1995
Book
Hardback
378 pages
978-0-19-827960-0 (ISBN)
Description
The urban civilization of the Newars of the Kathmandu Valley provides a paradigm for the study of caste and Hindu kingship. In this book, six anthropologists, in a genuinely collaborative international endeavour, pool their knowledge of the three ancient Newar cities of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur, and settlements nearby. The social institutions of all the main case groups - priests, patrons, artisans, farmers, and low castes - are given extended consideration, and the study is framed by a historical introduction and a comparative conclusion. In addition, it is well illustrated with fascinating black and white photos which have been specially taken to illustrate aspects of the society under study.
The result is the most complete description and analysis yet of a regional caste system. Located within wider theoretical debates surrounding the nature of caste, the book should appeal not only to students of Hinduism and South Asia, but to all anthropologists and comparative sociologists interested in the interrelations of politics, ritual, kinship, economy, and ideology in complex, pre-industrial societies.
The result is the most complete description and analysis yet of a regional caste system. Located within wider theoretical debates surrounding the nature of caste, the book should appeal not only to students of Hinduism and South Asia, but to all anthropologists and comparative sociologists interested in the interrelations of politics, ritual, kinship, economy, and ideology in complex, pre-industrial societies.
Reviews / Votes
The ten papers in this volume approach the Newars through an examination of individual castes ... Along the way many fascinating details of the life of the Kathmandu Valley emerge ... This volume is the most comprehensive ethnographic account of the Newars so far, lent extra richness by the differing perspectives the contributors bring to it. The editors present their arguments for the salience of the Newars in re-assessing the wider debate on caste in the subcontinent with admirable clarity. Students of Nepal, of South Asia and of Hinduism, as much as professional anthropologists, will find this a thoroughly rewarding work. * Asian Affairs * This volume is the most comprehensive ethnographic account of the Newars so far, lent extra richness by the differing perspectives the contributors bring to it ... Students of Nepal, of South Asia and of Hinduism, as much as professional anthropologists, will find this a thoroughly rewarding work. * Asian Affairs * Not only provides an innovative study into the role caste plays in the Kathmandu Valley, but also develops a systematic approach for the study of caste in general. The book is a well-rounded and balanced work. * Himalayan Research Bulletin *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Oxford University Press
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
19 black and white photographs, figures, tables
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 162 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
739 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-827960-0 (9780198279600)
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Schweitzer Classification