KCHR Intervention Series
Professor Janaki Nair (Retd.)
Centre for Historical Studies, JNU
Date and Time : 24th August 2023, Thursday, 7.00 PM (IST)
Abstract: What can the career of one Lingayat Matha, the Sirigere Matha in Chitradurga align tell us about the place of mathas in modern Mysore? Since the late 19th century, the Sirigere Matha's quest for legitimacy aligned with the modern bureaucratic imperatives of a princely state order, bringing a different visibility and public accountability to the matha. How were historically forged relationships to state structures, and to a newly emerging caste public, renegotiated in the transition to a time of representative politics? This talk will focus on some key moments in a century of dramatic change, to uncover the extent to which the foundational imperative of taking a ‘society serving’ form has made the Lingayat matha an exemplary model, in functioning as a mobiliser of resources, while emerging as an important sharer of state power.
About the Speaker: Janaki Nair taught Modern History at the Centre for Historical Studies, JNU, until retirement in 2020. She now lives and works in Bengaluru. Her research interests include the social, cultural and political history of Mysore. Her recent books include Mysore Modern: Rethinking the Region under Princely Rule (2011). She has published widely in Indian and international journals, and has held Visiting Professorships at institutions in India and in the US, the UK and Germany.