Volume 3
제3권 제2호
편집위원장의 소개
김태진
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China Model as the End of History
Dmitri Shlapentokh
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There is a prevailing myth that American social science is "free" and functions like a "free market." The reality, however, is different. There is an ideological mainstream which you need to follow or at least not challenge openly. It is true that you could write anything you want; no one will place you in a GULAG of Soviet, Red China, or North Korea fashion. Yet, no respectful publisher will publish your work, and your chance to make a great academic career—or any academic career—would be minimal. These factors often lead to intellectual uniformity in approaching certain subjects. This is, for example, the case in the vision of Red China. For generations, it has been expected that China either would follow economic and political liberalization or collapse. Chinese economic rise has been attributed to market reforms. The story, however, is different. China's success is due to a centralized socialist economy. Its roots are not much in imported Marxism but in an indigenous tradition of Oriental despotism. China could well experience increasing economic problems in the future. Still, the state may not necessarily liberalize economic and social life. It could well move in the opposite direction and increase its control over the economy and society.
Counting Castes, Rewriting Myths: Mahishasura in the Age of the Census
Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi
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This essay analyzes the symbolic and political importance of the Mahishasura myth in current debates about India’s caste census. Positioning myth under the ambit of epistemic justice and subaltern memory, the article contends that Mahishasura—the demonised male in the Brahminical Hindu accounts—has been “recuperated” by the Dalit, Bahujan and Adivasi communities as an “antisymbol of resistance.” Using cultural theory, historiography, and political discourse as tools, the essay demonstrates how the re-imagining of Mahishasura disrupts the hegemonic plots/narratives around Mahishasura and how it mirrors the logic of asserting caste enumeration as an example of radical reparative justice. It claims that both myth and the census are tools to claim visibility, to disturb master historiography and to contest caste erasure. Reading through the media of rituals, texts, and the politics of reclaiming, the article situates the Mahishasura figure not simply as a mythic figure but as a mnemonic of caste consciousness, epistemic repair, and democratic assertion in post-colonial India.
Colonial Calendars and Sacred Timings: Rewriting Hindu Ritual Time in British India (1800–1858)
Anamika Bhattacharjee
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The colonial rewriting of Hindu ritual time between 1800 and 1858 was a complex process of epistemic contestation, ideological assertion, and indigenous negotiation. British efforts to rationalize and control the Hindu calendar reflected broader imperial ambitions to regulate social and religious life, projecting the colonial state as an arbiter of modernity and order. However,, this project met with resilient indigenous practices that preserved traditional temporalities and asserted cultural autonomy. The politics of timekeeping and festival regulation thus stand as critical sites for understanding colonial governance, cultural resistance, and the entanglements of empire and modernity. By foregrounding sacred time as a contested domain, recent scholarship opens new avenues for exploring the intersections of science, religion, and power in colonial contexts, contributing to global histories of temporality and imperialism.
Buddhism: India’s Diplomacy and International Relations with Southeast Asian Nations
Alok Kumar Verma
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This study explores the instrumental function of Buddhism as a soft power instrument in influencing India’s foreign policy and international relations with Southeast Asian countries. Through centuries of maritime and overland exchanges, Buddhism has developed a distinct cultural and ideological framework that India uses to strengthen its strategic position in the area. The main goals of this study are to: (1) examine the historical spread of Buddhism from India to Southeast Asia and its cultural integration; (2) assess current diplomatic efforts such as India’s “Act East Policy” and Buddhist diplomacy; and (3) determine how a shared Buddhist legacy promotes regional cooperation, cultural diplomacy, and people-to-people connections. The study methodology is qualitative in character, drawing on a multidisciplinary framework that encompasses historical analysis, content analysis of official pronouncements and government documents, and examination of scholarly publications on cultural diplomacy. To offer specific instances of cultural interaction, case studies of India’s Buddhist circuit promotion, international Buddhist conclaves, and collaborations with nations such as Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam are analyzed. Additionally, the study makes use of primary sources like government documents from the Ministry of External Affairs and addresses made by Indian politicians. This article claims that India's usage of Buddhism as a cultural bridge strengthens its regional clout, fosters peaceful coexistence, and advances multilateralism based on shared heritage. However, issues like geopolitical rivalry and different interpretations of Buddhist customs are also covered.
프랑스 혁명과 근대성의 형성: 국민주권과 시민 개념의 등장
김지훈
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이 논문은 1789년 프랑스 혁명의 발생 원인과 전개 과정, 그리고 그 역사적 의의를 정치·사회·사상사의 관점에서 종합적으로 분석한다. 저자는 프랑스 혁명이 단순한 정권 교체가 아니라 구체제(앙시앵 레짐)의 구조적 모순이 누적된 결과였음을 강조한다. 특히 재정 위기, 신분제 불평등, 계몽사상의 확산이라는 세 가지 요인이 혁명의 직접적 동력으로 작용하였음을 논증한다. 논문은 먼저 루이 16세 치하의 재정 파탄과 삼부회 소집 과정을 검토하며, 절대왕정이 더 이상 국가 운영 능력을 상실했음을 지적한다. 이어 제3신분이 국민의회로 전환되는 정치적 결단이 주권 개념의 근본적 변화를 상징한다고 분석한다. 저자는 이 과정에서 시민이라는 새로운 정치 주체가 등장했으며, 이는 근대 민주주의의 출발점이 되었다고 평가한다. 또한 본 연구는 혁명의 급진화 과정에도 주목한다. 자코뱅 독재와 공포정치는 혁명의 이상과 현실 사이의 긴장을 보여주는 사례로 해석되며, 사회적 평등을 실현하려는 시도가 폭력적 통치로 귀결된 한계를 드러낸다. 그럼에도 불구하고 논문은 프랑스 혁명이 법 앞의 평등, 국민 주권, 시민권 개념을 제도화했다는 점에서 장기적 역사적 의의를 지닌다고 결론짓는다. 마지막으로 저자는 프랑스 혁명이 이후 유럽과 세계 각지의 혁명 운동과 민족주의, 자유주의 사상에 미친 영향을 분석하며, 이 사건이 근대 세계 형성에 결정적인 전환점이 되었음을 강조한다. 본 논문은 프랑스 혁명을 다층적 시각에서 재해석함으로써 기존 혁명사 연구를 심화시키는 데 기여한다.