Introduction

22 p.International audienceThe multi-ethnic and multi-caste communities of the Himalayan region are today witnessing the revival of ethnic and religious consciousness leading to widespread social and political upheaval. This collection engages with the rapid social change and acute religious and identity crises that have emerged in an area extending from Gilgit to Eastern Nepal. The volume asks if the rise of tribal groups within the region's elaborate caste system is indicative of an opposition to the nation-state or is a sign of modernity. How are matters of ethnic identity defined and used today? And further, have representations of collective identity and a sense of ethnic belonging changed? In answering these questions, the contributors explore representations of the self and the other among the region's social groups through spatial, historical, and cultural prisms. Each essay in this collection is supplemented by a commentary that illustrates the plurality of approaches to studying the Himalayan reg ion. While appraising the discourse on selfhood and identity, the essays suggest new directions in method and disciplinary focus that go beyond conventional understanding of notions of identity among Himalayan peoples