Social Scientist

History of Kabirpanth: A Regional Process by Purnendu RanjanReview by: Hetukar JhaSocial Scientist, Vol. 37, No. 3/4 (Mar. - Apr., 2009), pp. 77-79Published by: Social ScientistStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27748589 .

Accessed: 25/06/2014 01:06

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

.

Social Scientist is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Social Scientist.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 185.44.79.40 on Wed, 25 Jun 2014 01:06:08 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Book Reviews

In this section, the author further highlights the plight of the Bengali Muslim

population which chose to 'stay on' in West Bengal. This is an aspect often

ignored by scholars studying both?Partition of Punjab and also that of Bengal.

Chatterji's account, however, seeks to fill in this lacuna. She shows how the

Muslims in West Bengal were able to transform what seemed to be their

weakness, into their strength; thereby becoming important players in the post Partition politics in Bengal.

The final section is a theme most recurrent in Chatterji's works till date?the

post-Partition politics in Bengal, and how the Congress lost its early advantage, to finally bequeath power to the Left parties. She is able to show how the

infighting in the Bengal Congress and the mass disappointment developing at

the ground level, finally undid the Congress. These factors proved to be highly

advantageous to the Left parties who finally took over from the Congress after

two decades of a rather sorry state of administration.

Thus, the book brings to light a very complete picture of the Partition of

Bengal?from the politics involved before Partition to that after it. We are also

made aware of the problems faced by the displaced persons in Bengal, not

neglecting the case of the Muslim minority as well. Thereby, to a great extent,

justifying the title of the book.

Pallavi Chakravarty, Department of History, Delhi University, Delhi

Purnendu Ranjan, History of Kabirpanth: A Regional Process, Anamika

Publishers, New Delhi, 2008; 285 pages

The attention of social scientists (including historians) drawn towards the need

of undertaking the study of the traditions of religions and religious sects in the

country is relatively scanty though the number of such traditions is excessively

large and the socio-political problems arising out of their activities are quite acute. The present work is quite welcome in this context. The author has selected a region (Mithila, that is, north eastern Bihar for his study) that has remained,

77

This content downloaded from 185.44.79.40 on Wed, 25 Jun 2014 01:06:08 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Social Scientist

perhaps, one of the least researched areas from the points of view of social

sciences in the country. By incorporating the perspectives and methodology of

sociology and anthropology, the author has distinctly enriched his study of the

emergence and growth of Kabirpanth in a region where the followers of the

Vedic order commanded high spiritual and intellectual reputation at the

national level and political as well as economic power at the local level for the last

many centuries.

The first chapter, 'Introduction', contains the description of the objective ("to trace the history of Kabirpanth at the regional level.describe its growth in a chronological sequence", p.19) and sources (oral as well as written) of study, a brief account of a few previous studies available so far and a historical view of

the region studied. The author should have given more space to this part of the

chapter. Mithila exists today as a cultural region. The patterns of

interrelationship of different cultural and religious traditions prevailing here

should have been mentioned which could help in understanding the emergence of Kabirpanth in the seventeenth century.

The second chapter includes the details of the entry of this panth in Mithila, how did it spread, how its different branches were established, the socio

economic backgrounds of the followers of different gaddis, etc. The author

conducted extensive field work in the villages to collect data in this context. He

consulted the written accounts available in some of the Maths and interviewed a

large number of Mahanths and their disciples. This chapter is packed with quite valuable materials which contribute to our knowledge of this sect a great deal.

The third chapter deals with the organizational structure of this panth in the

region. The author has also included the description of the organization of

physical space in the math indicating its difference with that of the temple or the

math oi other Hindu traditions. Such aspects of the math as the functions of its

different members, sources of income, internal cohesion and differences, etc., have

also been discussed. In the fourth chapter, the author has described the myths, rituals and symbols in Kabirpanth. It is not surprising to find out that the symbols are drawn from the stock of those of the various traditions of Hindu world.

However, to what extent the construction of rituals and myths depends on Kabir's

philosophy and how much it has been influenced by other Hindu sects is not clear.

The author has depended to a large extent on the theories developed in the West in

this context. In the fifth chapter, the author has cited the cases of Kabirpanthis' interest and involvement in local as well as regional politics, a venture that is not a

part of Kabirpanth's concern. The details narrated in this chapter indicate that

Kabirpanthis' socio-economic interests pave the way for the adoption of political

activity by Kabirpanth. In conclusion, the author has pointed out the constraints

such as paucity of materials, and the issues such as the details of conversion

process, "internal stratification within the panth", etc.

ON o o

Q. <

o i O

O >

78

This content downloaded from 185.44.79.40 on Wed, 25 Jun 2014 01:06:08 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Book Reviews

The book also raises some important questions. Why did the disciples of

Kabir decide against the wish of Kabir, to establish Kabirpanth7. And, how of all

the regions of (north)India Mithila was selected for starting Kabirpanthi activities by Bhagodas and Jagodas, two of the first four disciples of Kabir?

Besides, Kabirpanth and caste order seem to be inextricably joined together since

the seventeenth century in north Bihar. If the same situation also prevails in

other regions, then, to what extent Kabirpanthi rituals, symbols, etc., affect

individual level inter-caste relationships in the villages? Can Kabirpanthis

participation in peasant movement be explained simply in terms of their being

Kabirpanthis7. If not, which identity is more important in village life -

Kabirpanthi or caste or peasant? The internal conflict (of interest) has been

described as a cause of the proliferation of Kabirpanthi branches (for example, the case of Krishna Karakhi Gaddiy pp.65-70). It seems necessary, under the

circumstances, to examine how far the present structure and function of

Kabirpanth as a whole have deviated from the initial stage? This exercise can also

reveal the causes of the emergence of different branches and gaddis of the panth.

Hetukar Jha, formerly Professor of Sociology, Patna University, Patna

79

This content downloaded from 185.44.79.40 on Wed, 25 Jun 2014 01:06:08 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions