Religions and Communities of India

by P.N. Chopra

This book offers a fascinating panorama of the people of India, their faiths, castes and communities, beliefs, traditions and practices: profusion probably unequalled anywhere in the world. The home of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, India also has a very large population of Muslims. There are, too, different Christian sects, one of the oldest settlements of Jews in the world, Zoroastrians and animists, together forming the rich texture of Indian life and living.

Interestingly, the Hindu caste system has influenced the people of other faiths in India. Thus, it is not Hinduism alone which has various sects and subjects. Other religions also have a number of similar groups, which is a unique feature of Indian society. Here, then, is a rich introduction and handy reference to the people of India: a mosaic of many hues.

About the Author:

Dr. P.N. Chopra, Chief Editor of the Collected Works of Sardar Patel was the Chief Editor, Indian Gazetteers and Who’s Who of Indian Martyrs of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. He was also the Chief Editor, Towards Freedom project of the Indian Council of Historical Research. In addition, he has written and edited more than forty authoritative works on Indian history and culture. These include History of South India, Quit India Movement of 1942, India — An Encyclopedic Survey, A Century of Indian National Congress, biographies of Maulana Azad and Sardar Patel and A Nation Flawed: Lessons from Indian History, published by Vision Books in 1997.