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In this book, we analyze the psycho-social consequences faced by Indian American children after exposure to the school textbook discourse on Hinduism and ancient India. We demonstrate that there is an intimate connection—an almost exact correspondence—between James Mill’s colonial-racist discourse (Mill was the head of the British East India Company) and the current school textbook discourse. This racist discourse, camouflaged under the cover of political correctness, produces the same psychological impacts on Indian American children that racism typically causes: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a phenomenon akin to racelessness, where children dissociate from the traditions and culture of their ancestors.


This book is the result of four years of rigorous research and academic peer-review, reflecting our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within academia.

Nambīdiri

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Nambīdiri is the name of a dominant caste in the Kerala State. The nambudiris are orthodox brāhmaṇas, well-versed in the Vedic and the tāntrik lore. They were the chief land owners before independence. They followed a distinctive marriage alliance called ‘sambandham’ with the nāyars who are kṣattriyas and have adopted the matri-lineal descent system.

The eldest son of a nambīdiri married a nambudiri girl whereas the younger sons had a loose type of marriage called as ‘sambandham’ for the sake of progeny, with nāyar girls. However, neither party to a sambandham union becomes a member of the other’s family. Consequently there is no legal responsibility or obligation on the part of the ‘husband’ towards the ‘wife’ or the children. The children belong to the ‘tarwad’[1] descended from a common ancestress. There are four sub-castes among the nambudiris, the ‘nambīdiripād’ being considered the highest.


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Tarwad means joint family.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

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