Abstract
In 1920 and 1922, an Indian Christian called Sadhu Sundar Singh toured Britain. Widely renowned in the global Christian community in the interwar period, Singh was notorious for certain stories of miracles, for his appearance and for the ways in which he epitomised Eastern Christianity. Using Singh’s correspondence and a range of newspapers, this article argues that British audiences were attracted to Singh because of his appearance and ethnicity and because he conformed to stereotypes of essentialised Indian spirituality despite his Christian faith. It argues that the reception to Singh in Britain must be understood in relation to the perpetuation of Orientalist understandings of Indians and Indian religions in the interwar period.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 21-39 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Immigrants and Minorities |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 18 Nov 2016 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2 Jan 2017 |
Research Groups and Themes
- Migration Mobilities Bristol
Keywords
- Sadhu Sundar Singh
- imperial migration
- Indian Christianity
- Orientalism
- representation
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Dive into the research topics of 'The Reception given to Sadhu Sundar Singh, the itinerant Indian Christian 'Mystic', in Interwar Britain'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Profiles
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Professor Sumita Mukherjee
- Department of History (Historical Studies) - Professor of Modern History
- Migration Mobilities Bristol
- Global Feminisms
Person: Academic , Member, Group lead