The debate surrounding the impact of British colonial rule on Indian society involves different perspectives. Some view colonialism as an Indian project or a dialogue between Indians and the British. Washbrook's Marxist view considers colonialism as a result of South Asia's capitalist history. Alternatively, another perspective highlights colonial power, emphasizing how colonial knowledge shaped cultural categories in India. Colonialism impacted India's understanding of religion, with Asad noting that the universalization of "religion" was linked to European modernity and expansion. The concept of Hinduism evolved through external influences and European Orientalism, consolidating diverse practices into a unified tradition labeled as Hinduism. Movements like Arya Samaj aimed to reshape Hinduism into a monotheistic, text-based religion, echoing similar transformations in Islam, Sikhism, and Buddhism. However, it's argued that 'religion' itself is a modern category applied differently to Christianity and Hinduism, portraying the former as rational and the latter as mystical. The formation of modernity's categories for both colonizers and the colonized occurred within the imperial encounter, challenging the idea of a 'pure' indigenous society resisting external imposition. Some argue resistance through peasant insurgence, while others emphasize a dialogue between colonizer and colonized, albeit ignoring power imbalances.
