On Thursday 12 Mar 2009 10:12:04 pm Radhika, Y. wrote: > what about the effect of victorian england on hindu mores regarding > sexuality? surely this would have disturbed the continuum?
Hindu society is likely to have been modified both by Islamic views on morality as well as Victorian morality. The real problem (that I come across time and again in various dscussions) is that people are trying to pin down what is the "Hindu" model that pre-dated these two "hated" influences. Islam did not cook up new morality. It merely codified and formalized some aspects of pre-existing, pre-Islamic morality. That means that there were certain models of morality that pre-dated islam. Some aspects of Hindu morality too pre-date islam. Most people who search for "pure Hindu" morality unadulterated by Islamic and Christian morality seem (to me) loath to accept that Islam and Hindus may both have adopted an ancient pre-Islamic model resulting in the uncomfortable (to some) conclusion that there is some coincidence and commonality in Islamic and Hindu morality. Khajuraho and the Kama Sutra are quoted as glorious examples of Hindu morality that predated all this "admixture". But if you look at what Hindu society seems to value and what Islamic society seems to value - there is a lot of commonality. The joint family system with collective decision making about various issues including marriage, the demand for "respect" for elders, the movement of the married girl into the groom's family/house and the exalted status of sons over daughters are common to Islamic and Hindu society. It has been alleged that the Hindu tendency to ask women to cover their heads with a pallu is Islamic influence. The honor system where family honor is dependent on the behavior of the female is blamed on Islamic society - but seems to exist among Hindus as well. Is this "contamination from Islam" or is this a pre-Islamic model that has been adopted by Hindus as well as in Islam? Why was it such a good model for Sita to follow Rama into the forest? Why did Rama reject Sita after her rescue from Lanka? Is there any Christian or Islamic morality here? What is Indian culture? shiv
