Saintly Careers Among South India’s Urban Middle Classes
Author(s)
Hancock, Mary E.
Abstract
The social construction of saintliness among urban Brahmans of Tamil South India is examined through the life histories of two such persons. The processes by which saintly aspirations are translated into practice rest on opportunities, networks and resources associated with caste, class and gender. Saintly status depends on the charismatic authority exercised by the saint, and on viable patron-client ties between saints and their followers. The saint’s life history, usually relayed as an oral narrative, is crucial for the fermentation of saintly status. With this proto-hagiography, saints attract clients, and persuade them of their worshipability. Such narratives make the saint’s claims credible in light of orthodox values regarding moral action, they also document the terms and contestations that surround ‘modernity’ and inform the lifeways of Hindu India’s urban elites.
