First published while the author was living in Delhi conducting
research for City of Djinns, his homage to the Moghul
empire, these essays record the dramatic and often violent changes
that have taken place on the Indian subcontinent within the past
decade. Dalrymple succeeds in presenting the many disparate parts
of Indian society as a whole, from the glitterati of Bombay’s
movie scene (otherwise known as "Bollywood") to the
dispossessed women of Vrindavan who roam the streets begging alms.
Politically and culturally, India exists in a state of anarchy.
In addition to the conflicts between Hindu and Muslim factions
that continue to escalate in number and intensity, there are the
blood feuds and political turf wars waged in Bihari, which, like
Lahore and parts of Uttar Pradesh, has succumbed to the rule of
drug lords and corrupt government officials. In modern India,
muscle wins elections–not social programs.
Hindu cosmology divides time into four great epochs, or yugs,
which represent the movement from perfection toward moral and
social disintegration. Many Indians today believe that they live
in the Kali Yug, or Age of Kali, a period of rapidly
advancing darkness marked by chaos, corruption, and decay. Not
until the world is cleansed by fire will the cycle repeat itself,
restoring balance. "In the Age of Kali," writes Dalrymple,
"the great gods Vishnu and Shiva are asleep and do not hear
the prayers of their devotees. In such an age, normal conventions
fall apart: anything is possible." Despite being at the vanguard
of the computer software industry and having recently joined the
ranks of world superpowers with the successful test of an atomic
bomb–an ominous development when one considers the state of relations
with neighboring Pakistan–India remains a country firmly entrenched
in the past. In much the same way that the Luddites rebelled against
the first wave of industrialization, so too have many Indians,
especially the more conservative followers of the Hindu religion,
resorted to violence to express their dissatisfaction with encroaching
Western influence. Xenophobia and intense nationalism maintain
in defiance of the fast food restaurants, beauty pageants, and
satellite TV stations that threaten traditional Indian values.
As Dalrymple observes throughout the book, the caste system has
proven especially resilient to change. Though abolished at independence
more than fifty years ago, it continues to control the lives of
the Indian people, particularly in rural areas where riots have
broken out in protest at the advantages, such as receiving a formal
education, that have been extended to the lower castes. So uncompromising
are the mores of village communities that a young widow will defy
law and practice the ancient rite of sati–the act of
immolating herself upon her husband’s funeral pyre–rather than
bring dishonor to her family.
Whether interviewing a member of the lowly potter caste or a popular
novelist attending a lavish "drinks party," Dalrymple,
like the renowned filmmaker Errol Morris, elicits from his subject
details that resonate with the moral and religious imperatives
that dictate so much public interaction, and thus furthers our
understanding of India’s enigmatic social structure. Because he
writes from the vantage of one who has had to contend with the
problems confronting India in recent years, Dalrymple instinctively
comprehends the complex relationship between politics and religion
that has left this country divided and at the brink of war.
Beautifully illustrated by Olivia Fraser, The Age of Kali
offers a compassionate view of a nation struggling against forces
both modern and ancient. William Dalrymple has written a book
that is required reading for anyone interested in India’s emerging
role in world affairs.
Reviewed by David Remy
