ABSTRACT
The Genealogy of the South Indian Deities is Ziegenbalg’s seminal work on South Indian religions, and it remains unequalled in its comprehensiveness and coherent presentation of firsthand information about the South Indian religions during the pre-colonial times (and, to some extent, even today). It is a remarkable outcome of Ziegenbalg’s empirical religious research. First of all, he learned the language and was thus able to ascertain what the people thought about themselves and how they experienced the world around them. He proceeded to explore the genealogical relationships, characteristics and activities of the goddesses and gods of the people. Secondly, Ziegenbalg met the people where they were and became comfortable with them. He respected them and so they trusted him. Because they trusted him, they led him to firsthand knowledge about their religion and society. In return, Ziegenbalg acknowledged in the Genealogy the manifold contributions of his South Indian partners to his understanding of the genealogies and the traditions of their deities. In this regard, the Genealogy is a unique record of fruitful interaction between a European and his South Indian partners.
