Mythological themes have influenced literature since time immemorial. But perhaps no epic has captured the imagination of writers as much as the Mahabharata. In the late colonial period, the reimagining of narratives from the epic provided an alternative to colonial constructions of Indian history. Epic Nation shows how the reimagining of the Mahabharata at the height of British domination served as a form of protest and resistance to colonial rule, while also providing ideological support for the Indian nationalist movement. Pamela Lothspeich examines the much debated relationship between Hindu neo-classicism in Hindi literature and theatre, the rise of the Hindi movement, and the development of Hindu national identity in North India in the decades leading up to independence. Drawing from a wide range of literary genres including poems, plays and narrative prose–from the popular to the elite–Lothspeich also discusses the sometimes ambiguous relationship between myth and history, the debates and controversies within the Hindi movement, as well as the complex issue of communalism in the construction of an idealized Hindu past. With a comprehensive glossary of literary terms, an appendix citing Hindi literature based on the Mahabharata (1866-2008), and a detailed bibliography, Epic Nation will prove indispensable for students and researchers of literature, history and cultural studies, as well as appeal to general readers interested in Indian literature and culture.
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