Muslim and British impacts on religious life in a modernizing India
The British rule and the spread of Islam in India had several effects on the religious beliefs and cultural development of the country. Before the incoming of foreigners, the Indian society was characterized by complex systems of beliefs whereby people believed in the spiritual qualities of nature. The majority held the view that spirits controlled natural calamities, including diseases and earthquakes, but this view was changed with the advent of the modern world religions, including Islam and Christianity.
Hinduism has always been the major religion in India and it is believed that it existed in prehistoric times. The British rule made Christianity one of the major religions in the country by building several churches and worshiping places.
Christianity was able to spread faster than expected because of the activities of missionaries who offered goodies and social services to believers. For instance, the colonial administration offered missionaries adequate human and capital resources, which were utilized effectively in putting up social amenities, such as hospitals, schools, and social halls. It was mandatory that an individual would only receive services from these government-funded programs if he or she were a Christian.
After the introduction of Christianity as one of the major religions in the country, the colonial government borrowed a number of laws from the bible, with the traditional beliefs being criticized. Consequently, women were given an opportunity to express themselves in society since they could enroll in some of the powerful courses in the institutions of higher learning. With time, the government made it mandatory for each person seeking employment to identify his or her religion. Islam had several impacts as well because it led to the split of the country into Hindu India and Islam Pakistan.
Religious and political identities in the two villages in Khushwant’s “Train to Pakistan” and Raja’s Kanthapura novels
In his analysis of the religious influences in India, Raja Rao presents the nature of life in one of the villages he refers to as Kanthapura, which is found in Kara province. He notes that the village is fertile because coffee, rice, and sugar are grown there. Additionally, the village is a business hub for major products and services since he describes it as a very busy center. Religiously, the village worships several traditional gods implying that Hindu is not the only dominant religion. Kenchamma is the goddess of the village meaning she controls every aspect of life. Moreover, she is believed to have killed a demon several years ago.
The devil had a tendency of taking away young men for sacrificial purposes while women were kidnapped to serve as wives. Whenever any form of the disease affects a member of the village, the goddess is always requested to intervene signifying that traditional healing is still relied upon even in modern society. The goddess is both a spiritual and temporal leader hence anyone seeking a political office must have her blessings. The goddess has never let down members of the village because she offers protection against diseases, such as cholera, smallpox, and alcoholism (Raja 18).
On his part, Khushwant Singh notes that the villages in the South of India were open to religious diversity because they were mainly traders hence they were always willing to mingle with foreigners who would help them advance their businesses. In Calcutta village, Muslims accused Hindus of precipitating violence, but the locals accused them of trying to interfere with their treasured religious values.
The region lacked peace because of religious conflicts, forcing the Hindus and Sikhs who had lived for several years peacefully to abandon their homes (Khushwant 12). This shows that Islam was spread through conquest, unlike Christianity, which reached several parts of the country through coercion and preaching. Specifically, the author narrates the nature of life in one of the villages referred to as Mano Majra, which is occupied by a small population, with only three brick buildings. A moneylender owns one of the buildings while the rest are places of worship, one being a Singh and the other is a mosque.
Religious images, performances, and stories circulated circulated in and beyond South Asia
The culture of Hindu varies in significant ways from that of Muslims because the two forms of religions believe in different things. Islam bases its principles on the teachings of Mohammed while Hindu is a traditional religion that does not have a single god. However, the two religions share some things, including their teachings on leadership since both advise citizens to abide by the laws and the rules that the state sets.
In Hindu, the celebrations are conducted globally, including in places where Hindu is considered a minority religion. Similarly, Muslims around the globe are urged to observe special celebrations, particularly in the holy month of Ramadan. The spread of cultural practices is attributed to the changes that are taking place in the international arena because pressure groups and civil societies are forcing their governments to be tolerant of religious diversity. In fact, it is observed that freedom of speech and religion is one of the fundamental rights that any government has to grant to an individual without any restriction.
Because of these changes, world religions are taking advantage to popularize their cultural beliefs. Additionally, changes in time can be attributed to the spread of Hindu and Islam because violence is no longer accepted in modern society. If any religious leader feels like spreading the gospel, it is his or her religious duty to convince the populace, but the use of force and torture is unacceptable. In ancient times, Muslims could use force to install governments that follow the Sharia laws. In modern society, this cannot happen to imply that any Islamic cleric suggesting the application of Sharia should conduct a referendum to seek public approval.
Works Cited
Khushwant, Singh. Train to Pakistan. Delhi: Penguin India, 2009. Print.
Raja, Rao. Kanthapura. New York, NY: New Directions, 1967. Print