5. The Jagannatha Temple
as a socio-economical centre.
5.1. The Sasana Villages (G. Pfeffer).
According to legend the Sasana Brahmans were called by the Oriya kings
from North India and settled round Puri in order to perform the main ritual
functions in the temple as well as to take over administrative and political
tasks. The investigation of the history and present structure of these
villages showed that also after the decline of kingdom in Puri these Brahmans
have remained an intellectual and political elite. Most of the traditional
functions of their position persisted only the ideological justification
for that position changed.
5.2. The economical structure of
the Tesmple city (E. Hein).
This study will concentrate on the administration of the temple, its landed
proerty, and the impact of the current donations on its financial position.
Most probably a comparison of the present system of administration and
older regulations as given in some parts of the MadalaPanji and in the
"Records of Rights" will throw some light on the possible changes
which the economic system underwent since pre-colonial times. Therefore
this study is closely related to the studies on the Temple-Priests, the
Sasana villages, the system of pilgrimage and the land legislations concerning
the temple.
5.3. Socio-economic conditions of
Puri and the "Asiatic mode of production" (C. Sigrist).
An investigation on social groups economically dependent on the Jagannatha
Temple will show, if or to what extent the famous thesis of the "Asiatic
mode of production" can be applied to contemporary reality.
This summary should give an idea of
how closely the several research topics converge on each other. Perhaps
it should be mentioned in this connection that while persuing individual
research new themes unexpectedly arose needing interdisciplinary analysis.
Some of them could already be incorporated into the general scheme. Just
now, after the individual work has already proceeded considerably and
after the second group has returned from India, the interdisciplinary
work has to be reorganised and intensified before the next group leaves.
As a matter of fact the individual reports so far submitted were substantially
guided by group discussion. These reports clearly show, how the individual
studies incorporated critiria, methods and points of view from the other
disciplines in their own investigations. For example the work of the 'historical'
disciplines like Indology, History etc. reflects the influence of Sociology,
Ethnology, Political Sciences and Economics. These on the other hand did
not contrant themselves with a mere analysis of present structures but
as far as possible included also historical aspects in their studies.
Because of this common basis it is
already possible to perceive first general outlines of the project's gesneral
theme, namely "the role of Hindu tradition in contemporary India".
A comparison of the individual studies carried out so far gives for example
several aspects of the process of 'sanscritization' past and present,
namely its ideological foundation in medieval texts, the different political,
social and religious sides of its realisation in Puri as well as in the
hinterland, the reactions it caused, the changes it underwent etc.
It is our present task to start elaborating
these common general topics in order to offer some relevant answers to
our central problem. We hope, that by intensifying this sort of interdisciplinary
collaboration, which has been outlined here, it will be possible to give
a comprehensive analysis and understanding of that problem.
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