ABSTRACT
What moral and religious ideas shaped Indians’ beliefs and how were these challenged or changing in the early modern centuries? To begin, this chapter explains the process of ‘Brahmanisation’ and the challenge posed by Bhakti, while also introducing Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and the notion of caste, which are part of what we call ‘Hinduism’. It then turns to Islam, focusing specifically on Sufi Islam and its relationship to popular devotionalism and to political authority. The next sections look at Tantra and at anti-caste or anti-clerical traditions led by the Sants and the Sikhs. Having painted a picture populated by saints and devotion, as well as the challenge to the religious establishment posed by devotional religion, this chapter concludes by thinking about the utility of ‘Reformation’ as a concept for Indian history, in the process re-evaluating that concept.
