Hindu religious identity has been at the centre stage of contemporary Indian politics. Social scientists and political activists have engaged in a fierce debate over its different dimensions and have, in the process, generated a vast bulk of literature devoted to its ascendancy in the political arena. But they have not cared to examine whether the Hindu identity and the stereotypes that have been created around it have any evidential basis in early Indian history. The present collection of essays is a modest attempt to address this issue without claiming an exhaustive treatment of historical sources.

The essays that form this small book draw on my recent writings and lectures. The first two essays are expanded and substantially altered versions of the presidential address which I delivered at the 66th session of the Indian History Congress held at Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, in January 2006. The third and the last essay is based largely on my book Myth of the Holy Cow (London: Verso, 2002), although it incorporates some new material as well. The three essays here have been brought together at the behest of Toshie Awaya to whom this book is dedicated.

While working on this book I have received valuable assistance from Malavika, Bhuwan, Shankar, Mihir and Vinit. I thank all of them. I place on record my sense of gratitude to Professor Niraj K. Jha (Princeton University) for making available to me material that was not available in Delhi and to Amarendra Jha for his input into the making of the cover design.