Indian Influences on Rastafarianism
Loading...
Date
2007-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
The primary goal of this paper is to analyze the connections between Hinduism and Rastafarianism. Certain similarities between the two traditions are evident, specifically regarding the use of marijuana as a sacrament and the growing of long dreadlocks. Although these traditions in India go back thousands of years, Rastafarianism did not arise as a popular belief system in Jamaica until the early 20th century (c. 1930). Through my research on the history of Jamaica, I discovered that between 1845 and 1917 around 35,000 indentured servants were brought to Jamaica from India. These Indian laborers brought with them their religious traditions and introduced marijuana to Jamaica.
This project analyzes not only religious bricolage, but also the unintentional cultural influences that occurred as a result of colonialism. The transportation of the Indian workforce was a manifestation of the material demands on the region and the economic desires of the British Empire. The abolition of the British slave trade, and the ensuing demands of Caribbean sugar planters, facilitated a meeting between two cultures, Hindu and Jamaican, which culminated in the fostering of key components of the popular religious movement of Rastafarianism.
The method employed to analyze this topic consisted of researching the rites, rituals and sacraments of both Hindus and Rastafarians, and the history of Indian immigration to Jamaica and subsequent cultural influences. I also utilized theoretical works to examine the role of ritual in the construction of individual identity and as a mechanism of social resistance in both Indic and Jamaican societies, therefore addressing the question of how rituals function in both Hindu and Rastafarian communities, beyond the mere religious and spiritual rationalities, to further their respective goals within the broader, normative society.
Description
Keywords
Religious Bricolage, Rastafarianism, Hinduism, Sadhu, Ganja, Ritual