“After 1857: Religion, Rebels, and Jihad in South Asia”
Religion, rebels, and jihad as terms and identifiers were redefined in the aftermath of the 1857 Rebellion in South Asia. What it meant to belong to a particular religion--specifically Islam--came to signify one's political leanings. In turn, religious concepts with long, multifaceted histories—especially jihad--came to be synonymous with a religion and its religious community. This talk addresses how the events of 1857-1858 minoritized and racialized Indian Muslims, with particular attention to the use of jihad as a rhetorical concept in the colonial period. Further, this talk draws connections between contemporary anti-Muslim rhetoric and Islamophobia and these historic iterations.
Wednesday, March 27 at 12:00pm to 1:30pm
ACMCU, ICC 270