India, the Portuguese and Maritime Interactions, Vol. II, Religion, Language and Cultural Expressions is the outcome of the 14th International Seminar on Indo-Portuguese History held at New Delhi. The two volumes together cover major domains of history where the nature of Indo-Portuguese interactions brought in new types of meanings, perceptions and orientations, and examine the nuances of these interactions, addressing the complexities of the very varied subsystems that got woven around the Indian Ocean over a period of more than five centuries. The second volume offers an in-depth study of such varied themes and aspects as conflicts and compromise in the realms of religion, community life and identity-assertion processes. It analyses the recasting of the sense of the past; domains of language and literary culture; food traditions and artistic expressions; performative arts and theatrical culture. Central to all chapters is the enquiry into the nature of social and cultural changes in and around the nodal points of Indo-Portuguese interactions. Literary and theatrical products, which captivated and conveyed the rich and fascinating sense of the interactions between the Lusophone world and the Indic world are analysed to uncover the varied types of cultural meanings perceived, appropriated and presented in diverse ways in different parts of India.

This volume recasts our understanding of the ‘early modern history of India’ and highlights the web of interconnectedness within which India redefined itself against the background of Portuguese interactions. Students and researchers of medieval and early modern, modern and contemporary Indian history will find the volume to be extremely useful.