Reading History with the Tamil Jainas : A Study on Identity, Memory and Marginalisation / by R. Umamaheshwari.

1. On Reading History, and a Community -- 2. Jaina Studies: A Historical Overview -- 3. Recovery of Self? 3.Community Narratives, Inscriptional Records: A Chronicle of Journeys through Tamil Jaina Villages -- 4.'Retrieving', Seeking, the Tamil Jaina Self: The Politics of Memory, Identity and Tamil Language -- 5. On Mapping the Layers of Community Histories: Some Concluding Remarks. Annexures. Bibliography. General Index.

This book provides a social history of the Tamil Jainas, a minority community living in Tamil Nadu in south India. It holds special significance in the method of studying the community, living in villages of Tamil Nadu and retrieving their perspectives on their past. This is a new approach in terms of historiography from extant works on Jainism in south India. A major feature of this book is the hitherto uncovered aspect of the question of language and identity, caste and the modern socio-political movements in Tamil Nadu, such as the Self-Respect Movement (initiated by 'Periyar'), in which some Tamil Jainas were active participants. Special features in the book include photographs of the community and monuments, maps, and a unique style, which combines a journalistic approach and academic historical research. This book is of interest to readers of Tamil language and history, and to anyone working on the idea of politics of marginalisation of religious identities, ide as of memory, and community narratives of shared history in the face of religious persecution.