ABSTRACT
This book explores the extraordinary differentiation of the Baghdadi Jewish community over time during their sojourn in India from the end of the eighteenth century until their dispersion to Indian diasporas in Israel and English-speaking countries throughout the world after India gained independence in 1947.
Chapters on schools, institutions and culture present how Baghdadis in India managed to maintain their communities by negotiating multiple identities in a stratified and complex society. Several disciplinary perspectives are utilized to explore the super-diversity of the Baghdadis and the ways in which they successfully adapted to new situations during the Raj, while retaining particular traditions and modifying and incorporating others. Providing a comprehensive overview of this community, the contributions to the book show that the legacy of the Baghdadi Jews lives on for Indians today through landmarks and monuments in Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata, and for Jews, through memories woven by members of the community residing in diverse diasporas.
Offering refreshing historical perspectives on the colonial period in India, this book will be of interest to those studying South Asian Studies, Diaspora and Ethnic Studies, Sociology, History, Jewish Studies and Asian Religion.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|36 pages
Sociological and historical perspectives on the Baghdadi Jews under the Raj
chapter 2|16 pages
Negotiating identity in a changing world
part II|44 pages
Diversified religious life
chapter 4|24 pages
Music traditions in the Baghdadi Jewish communities of Bombay and Poona
part III|32 pages
The Baghdadis of Maharashtra
part IV|29 pages
The Baghdadis of Bengal
chapter 8|17 pages
Sport, gender and socialization
part V|38 pages
Print and digital dissemination