Print This Post
This paper attempts to develop a systematic critique of Sheldon Pollock’s massive and important work on South Asian cultures. It argues that the absence of a theory of cultural difference undercuts some of the important insights Pollock’s work offers about pre-modern South Asian culture. It also claims that the changes brought about by colonialism, without an appropriate theory of culture and cultural change, are comparatively insignificant in understanding colonialism’s devastating impact on India.